It is widely recognised that rail and the freight services offered are many times more efficient on environmental and safety grounds than either road or air. Despite this, rail operators will only retain or win market share when their performance is equal or better than the market leader on all criteria, including price and service quality.
Railway safety is promoted and monitored by the UIC through the Safety Unit and the Safety Platform of safety managers. It provides an opportunity for the networked development of safety management through combining knowledge, analytical experiences and a sound level of technical expertise.
The management of risk to the safe operation of all types of rail traffic is essential and is described by operators of trains and infrastructure in their Safety Management System (SMS). The purpose of a SMS is to demonstrate that the company concerned has sound management systems in place to ensure that operating and system hazards are identified, risks evaluated and suitable control measures are in place so that he is operating in a safe manner.
In order to develop a sensible SMS, an operator needs to understand what his risks are and needs to assess the likelihood and consequence of those risks. To do that the company needs to use empirical data to assist with the calculations. The UIC provides this information to its members through the powerful risk management support facility that is the UIC Safety Database.
The impacts of market liberalisation have brought about a much broader range of interfaces between the sub-systems that make up the rail architecture. The need to effectively manage those interfaces means a better focus on responsibilities, improved standardisation and facilitated investments. These elements when coupled to a strong safety culture are what go to make a sound safety management system and something that, much like any other aspect of commercial operation, should be an integral part of a company’s business model.
The UIC Safety Database highlights the fact that the most common accidents likely to affect freight trains are those that are caused by the acts or omissions of parties external to the rail system. These include:
- Accidents to persons by rolling stock in motion (most often trespassers crossing the railway lines at an unauthorised location)
- Level crossing accidents (95% of all accidents at the road/rail interface are caused by the road user or pedestrian misbehaving at a level crossing)
There are areas where the rail sector is the cause of an accident involving a freight train, amongst which:
- Collision
- Derailment
However, a quick perusal of the UIC Safety Database will demonstrate that these are very rare occurrences, making only a minor contribution to overall safety risk.
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