RSSB sets out plans to enhance safety and efficiency
The RSSB (Rail Safety and Standards Board) plans to introduce a host of new reports and tools in a bid to enhance safety, efficiency and risk assessment on Britain’s railways.
On rolling stock, it will update Advanced Warning System and Train Protection Warning System standards to improve reliability, and specify a common driver interface when these are incorporated with European Train Control System (to avoid diverse designs). A new standard will also be published to define a common interface between traffic management systems and driver advisory systems.
RSSB says it will also support early adopters of double variable rate sanders in autumn 2018, to “de-risk and accelerate wider implementation”. Data gathered from this will allow RSSB to help identify potential capacity improvements from the technology.
It will also develop new standards to specify the technical and operational interface requirements of bi-mode and tri-mode rolling stock.
The compatibility standard between electric trains and electrification systems will be improved - to aid the introduction of new trains, the transfer of existing trains, and changes to electrification schemes and timetables.
New or improved standards will be developed to improve the risk assessment and control of permissive working, the risk assessment of AC electrification at stations, and onboard train dispatch technology for a wider range of door positions.
A new tool to enable train operators and Network Rail to better understand the frequency and risk associated with trains approaching individual signals at danger will be introduced, while an updated platform-train interface risk assessment tool will be released. This will run alongside a safety information campaign to engage passengers in the risks of boarding and alighting from trains.
The Confidential Information Reporting and Analysis System (CIRAS) will be improved, enabling more staff to have access to confidential reporting. And an improved standard of accident investigation will be developed to provide a more proportionate approach to root cause investigation.
The safety risk model will be redesigned, with member input to provide what the RSSB calls “a more flexible approach to risk assessment and decision-making”. The new methodology will provide risk profiles by geographic line of route as well as by types of operator. This is expected to be launched in 2019-20.
And as previously announced, RSSB will also produce a seat comfort specification.
The moves were announced in its 2018-19 business plan on April 9. RSSB Chairman Mark Phillips said: “Our new Business Plan sets out a step change in our engagement with industry as we build into the crucial Control Period 6 from 2019.
“We are pleased to be developing our work promoting health and wellbeing, sustainability and efficiency in response to industry demand, in addition to continuing to lead safety risk reduction and to address future challenges such as Brexit and big data.”