A paper which describes how the Australian Rail Industry is developing a national information system to provide more robust and consistent risk information to improve the eficiency of regulation and contribute to the delivery of better safety outcomes.
A paper which describes the development and mechanisms of a new train approach warning system to assist train watchmen by East Japan Railway Company. The new system aims to improve railway construction working environment safety. The system employs the use of GPS location technology which is suitable for lines which do not have truck circuit.
A paper describing the investigation of a roll-over accident by the Norwegian Accident Investigation Board. The accident occurred during continous on-track testing of a new train. The investigation concludes that insufficiently strong barriers can result in an accident
A paper which focuses on the pitfalls to be avoided when embarking on railway capital projects. The authors provide success strategies that counteract pitfalls such as poor stakeholder management, selecting the wrong contractor, lack of understanding of systems engineering issues and ignoring safety issues.
A technical paper which raises awareness of the safety improvements that are available for rural or isolated crossings where power is not available or is intermittent. The author demonstrates the ability to reduce the amount of accidents at crossings if a manual gate or barrier is in place by 80%. The solar power operated gate opening (POGO) system is also described.
A paper which gives an overview of the five year safety plan formulated by East Japan Railway Company. The plan includes four overarching principles and the paper describes in detail the theme of improving safety management.
A paper which discusses three topics emerging from recent work on international rail safety management. The three areas are: structuring of risk data using relational methods; risk tolerability; improvements in the management of transient and third party risks. Each topic is illustrated by examples provided by MTR Corporation the operator of railway services in Hong Kong, China, London, Stockholm and Melbourne.
A paper which describes the UIC safety platform which is a forum for sharing information and experience. The safety platform pursues activities in five core areas: safety management systems, safety performance data base; human factors/safety culture, occupational health and safety and international rail safety network. The paper also describes work being carried out on safety at level crossings and the rail/road interface.
A paper which discusses case law as a result of a level crossing accident which occurred in Faure, South Africa resulting in a ruling by the Supreme Court of Appeal. The paper traces the history of the case and emphasises the necessity for robust risk assessments at level crossings.
A paper which postulates that local knowledge and disaster education are essential to save lives following natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunami. The paper describes how evacuation guidance was reviewed and site visits made. The visits identified conflicting signage and inappropriate evacuation areas.
