The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) has taken a decisive step in reshaping how rail standards are governed, announcing the appointment of Professor Clive Roberts as independent chair of its newly formed Industry Leadership Group (ILG).
Professor Roberts, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science at Durham University, brings internationally recognised railway systems expertise to a role designed to accelerate decision-making and strengthen accountability across the standards landscape. His appointment follows an independent review that highlighted the need for clearer leadership and a more effective route for resolving complex standards issues.
A new approach to standards leadership
The Industry Leadership Group has been established to provide strategic oversight and firm direction in the development and interpretation of rail standards. Unlike existing consensus-based forums, the ILG will make binding decisions by majority vote, providing a clear escalation route when agreement cannot otherwise be reached.
This structure is intended to remove delays, reduce ambiguity and ensure that standards better reflect the operational, technological and commercial realities facing the modern railway.
More than safety: unlocking efficiency and value
While safety remains fundamental, RSSB is clear that effective standards governance is also critical to performance and affordability. Rail standards underpin the efficient delivery of projects, the introduction of new technology and the long-term sustainability of assets across the network.
By providing clear and consistent requirements, standards help the industry to:
- avoid duplication and waste across projects and suppliers
- reduce costly delays by providing certainty in design and delivery
- enable innovation without compromising safety, ensuring investments deliver maximum value
- promote the compatibility of different assets
- take a long-term view of asset performance to help optimise whole life cost
RSSB believes the ILG’s streamlined governance will allow these benefits to be realised more consistently, ensuring standards keep pace with industry needs while protecting the interests of passengers and taxpayers.
Professor Roberts described the new role as timely and vital for the sector.
Professor Clive Roberts, Independent Chair of ILG, said:
“I am honoured to take on this role at such a pivotal time for the rail industry. The ILG will bring clarity and pace to standards decision-making, ensuring that we balance innovation with safety and efficiency. By reducing delays and avoiding unnecessary complexity, we can save money while delivering improvements that benefit passengers, freight customers, and taxpayers alike.”
RSSB Chief Executive Mark Phillips highlighted the importance of strong, credible leadership in making the new governance model work for the whole industry.
Mark Phillips, Chief Executive of RSSB, said:
“I’m delighted Professor Roberts has agreed to become he first chair of ILG. His world-renowned railway systems expertise will ensure the success of ILG. A clear escalation route and decisive leadership on rail standards will avoid costly delays and ensure standards enable greater efficiency and better reliability.
The ILG will convene for its first meeting in January 2026, marking the start of a new era in rail standards governance, and RSSB’s commitment to transparency, efficiency, and collaboration across the rail sector.”
The first meeting of the Industry Leadership Group in January 2026 will mark the formal launch of this new approach, signalling RSSB’s intent to modernise how standards support a safer, more efficient and more innovative railway.
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