Regulator consults on new rail industry safety body

20 December 2001
ORR/27/01

Regulator consults on new rail industry safety body

Lord Cullens inquiry into the Ladbroke Grove collision recommended the establishment of a rail industry safety body. Lord Cullen also recommended that the Rail Regulator should take the lead in establishing such a body, which would be responsible for setting technical and operational standards and providing safety leadership.

The Rail Regulator, Tom Winsor, today published an initial consultation document on the establishment of the new body. This follows initial discussions between the Office of the Rail Regulator and the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, the Health and Safety Executive, the Strategic Rail Authority, Railtrack and Railway Safety.

Tom Winsor said today Todays document identifies the issues which will need to be addressed in setting up the body recommended by Lord Cullen. Any new body must inspire public confidence in its judgement and its commitment to continuous improvement in the safety of the railway. It must also be an industry body, able to use industry knowledge and skills and harness industry commitment, while treating all parties in the railway fairly and in accordance with the public interest.

He continued, As the industry safety leader the new body will need to foster and encourage cooperation between industry parties to deliver safety objectives. The Health and Safety Executive will of course remain the safety regulator for the industry.

The Regulator suggests that there would be considerable merit in using modifications to train operator and Railtrack licences to establish the new body in 2002. He also seeks comment on his recommendation that the skills and knowledge of Railway Safety, the existing Railtrack Group-owned standards body should be at the core of the new independent industry body. However, there will be a need for much wider industry involvement in the body and appropriate regulation in the public interest both from a safety perspective (by the Health and Safety Executive) and an economic perspective.

Notes for Editors:

1. Part 2 of the Ladbroke Grove Inquiry Report was published by the Health and Safety Commission on 20 September 2001. Recommendations 40 to 56 of the report relate specifically to establishment of the new safety body. Recommendations 2, 3, 17, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 31 and 37 are also highly relevant.
2. Railtrack PLC was placed in Railway Administration on 07 October 2001 but the provisions of its network licence concerning the establishment and operation of Railway Safety as a separate subsidiary of Railtrack Group PLC remain in effect. Railtrack Group PLC and Railway Safety are not in administration.
3. Responses to this initial consultation Establishment of a Rail Industry Safety Body are sought by 15 February 2002. These are also available from ORR Librarian. Sue MacSwan, 1 Waterhouse Square, 138-142 Holborn, London EC1N 2TQ, tel: 020 7282 2001;fax: 020 7282 2045. e-mail : rail.library@orr.gsi.gov.uk.

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