Interviews

From 'average' to 'excellent'

Ian Prosser, director of railway safety at the ORR, talks to RTM about advances in passenger safety and driving improvements for the future.

Safety on the railways is improving year on year, but there is still much that needs to be done to take the network from ‘average’ to ‘excellent’, according to ORR’s director of railway safety, Ian Prosser.

The introduction of new rolling stock as well as TPWS (train protection and warning system) has improved safety over the last ten years and risk to passengers from train accidents has been greatly reduced.

Better track maintenance, particularly around the management of rail defects with the use of new technology like ultrasonic inspection, have also contributed to this new wave of safety improvements.

But Prosser suggests the industry must continue to focus on particular areas, including harm to passengers at stations, especially at the train-platform interface, and avoidable deaths at level crossings.

Level danger

Although the UK can boast one of the safest level crossings in Europe, they remain a major area of risk. Most people who have lost their lives as a result of railway operations over the last ten years have been members of the public at level crossings.

Prosser stated: “Some of these are due to the actions of the individuals themselves, but significant numbers of them are due to the failings of the industry.”

Under the watchful eye of the ORR, Network Rail is focused on improving this situation, implementing a stringent risk assessment process and closing hundreds of crossings to bring down the number of fatalities.

Although this is the obvious answer, Prosser said: “There’s a whole set of options. Each crossing will have its own peculiarities and circumstances. That’s why it’s so important to have a very accurate local risk assessment.”

Other options include building new bridges, raising public awareness of level crossing misuse or simply maintaining the right controls. Once a clear understanding of the situation is in place, then the best solution can be evaluated dependant on these circumstances.

Prosser also cited ongoing work to stop car drivers from misusing or abusing level crossings. The use of new technology has substantially increased the number of prosecutions and will have a real impact on reducing fatalities, according to Prosser.

He continued: “Last year we had the lowest number of fatalities at level crossings that we’ve ever seen. It’s an area that we continuously need to improve, because there have been many more fatalities at level crossings than there have been train accidents in the last ten years.”

Managing risk

Other areas that continue to pose risks are passenger safety in and around stations. While some of this is caused by slips, trips and falls, there has been a rise in the number of incidents at the platform-train interface, which the ORR is working to address with ongoing inspection work.

Prosser said: “Most of the passenger fatalities take place at the platform-train interface. We’ve been working to get the mainline railway to improve its risk assessment process and make the arrangements more consistent across the network.

“It’s about making sure platform staff and train companies understand the behaviour of passengers at certain stations,” Prosser explained, noting that some incidents are more likely to take place at stations where a lot of people change trains, such as Clapham Junction. Understanding where the risk is highest can allow the industry to target those areas effectively.

Although some passenger groups and unions have suggested that cutting station staff and closing ticket offices may negatively impact on passenger safety, Prosser claimed it was all about good management of risk, not just the number of staff present.

He said: “If it’s done properly, and properly risk assessed, it will not affect passenger safety. It’s very important when looking at changing staff patterns to take into account the risks involved at certain stations.”

Safety culture

Prosser wants the mainline railway to match the standards seen on London Underground, which in terms of its performance per passenger journey, from a platform-train interface point of view, is “twice as safe” as the mainline railway, he said, adding: “That’s a major achievement. We can get better and we will get better.”

Improving the safety culture of the industry is a very important aim for the ORR, with staff trained to be more aware of their immediate circumstances and to be able to engage effectively with passengers.

Prosser continued: “The key is continuous improvement. Its not about gold-plating, it doesn’t have to be an expensive solution; but with good management and a strong safety culture, our goal is to push the industry to really improve that. I would call it ‘average’ at the moment, in terms of worldwide industries, and I think we can take it to ‘excellent’.”

Expanding the role

From a health and safety point of view, the ORR is not set to change its role in any significant way. However, it is consulting on expanding the responsibility of the ORR, increasing its activities in terms of passengers and franchises, which could have an effect on safety.

Regulating the railway in a more consistent manner could bring significant benefits, Prosser suggests. He said: “Having a role that covers things like passenger information would enable us to take the whole system approach to ensure that the performance meets the actual needs of the end-user.

“This is a system. It is fragmented, but if you can try to join the pieces together effectively, you will provide a better outcome for passengers and in the end it’ll also have an impact on safety.”

Positive challenges

Future challenges for safety in the rail industry involve the change in infrastructure and franchises, and Network Rail’s devolution, Prosser explained.

He said: “It’s very important to manage that change so that we don’t lose sight of fundamentals like continuously improving safety for both passengers and the workforce. As a regulator, we’re focused on making sure that the new franchisees have effective management systems and work effectively with their partners for Network Rail.

“The other area is to be able to address the increased number of passengers. That’s a challenge that we all face – a positive challenge in the fact that more people want to use the railways than ever before – but something that we need to actively manage and ensure the duty holders as an industry are managing those risks.” 

Tell us what you think – have your say below, or email us directly at [email protected]