ASSOCIATION OF TOURIST RAILWAYS

30 MAY 2004

Improving safety management in tourist and heritage railways

Dr Graham Edkins

Director Public Transport Safety

Outline

•      Current DoI initiatives to improve safety

–    Victoria

–    National 

•      Issues for tourist and heritage railways

•      Suggestions for change

Reflections of past year – change has been constant

•       Refranchise process – metro train and tram

•       No serious accidents (exception Ballan)

•       Need for capital investment in rail safety

•       Waterfall implications

•       Rail Safety Regulator is never popular – ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’

–     Health Standards

–     W-Class Trams

–     Suspension of accreditation

Addressing safety issues from independent safety investigations

Capital Projects for Victoria

•       Improved Deadman and Vigilance Devices (Metro)

•       Data Loggers (Metro)

•       Modification of Signal Overlaps (Metro)

•       Train trip stops on country pax fleet

•       Auto park brake application (Comeng fleet)

Continuous Improvement in Rail Safety for Victoria

•       Train Protection Warning System (TPWS) – Regional Fast Rail

•       Improved Health Standards (Vic and National)

•       Alignment of Victorian Rulebook with NCOP

•       Review of governance and accountability arrangements for Public Transport Safety and Marine Safety Victoria

•       Transport Legislation Review – creation of stand alone Rail Safety Act (safety case approach)

National Initiatives in Rail Safety

•       Review of co-regulatory framework – National Transport Commission (NTC)

•       Review of AS 4292 Rail Safety Management Systems

•       Review of AS 5022 Rail Safety Investigations

•       Development of National Database for Rail Safety (Vic lead project)

•       Development of Code of Practice for Human Factors Training Competencies (Vic/NSW)

•       Improved Guidelines for Changes to Safety Management Systems (Material Change) (Vic/NSW)

Ongoing issues derived from safety audits for tourist and heritage railways

•      Document Control

•      Competency re-assessment and medicals

•      Infrastructure management

•      Rolling stock maintenance

•      Change management process

Suggestions for Change

•       Leadership role of the Vic ATR

–    Succession plan for certifying officers?

–    Central repository for technical specs, training etc?

–    Central liaison with DoI Public Transport Safety in regard to ongoing safety initiatives?

•       Need for National representation by Tourist and Heritage sector

–    Rail Safety Consultative Forum (RSCF)

–    Relationship with ARA 

How can DoI help?

•       Acknowledge that tourist and heritage sector have different needs

•       Better process for distribution of documents for comment by industry

–    Potential for secondary impacts

•       Improves safety education tools

–    E.g., update of 1994 “Guidelines for Railway Safety Accreditation”

Public Transport Safety Website

•       Code of Practice for Health Assessments for Rail Safety Workers

•       Drug Control Particulars

•       Accreditation Information

•       Investigations – Current and Completed

•       Transport Legislation and Regulations

•       Rail Crossing Safety Campaign

•       Education Programs

•       Contact Details

•       Rail Safety Statistics (under development)

www.doi.com.au/publictransportsafety

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