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Railways continue to be safest form of land transport says Railway Group Safety Plan
date 28 February 1997 source Railtrack plc type Press release
The fourth Railway Group Safety Plan is published today (February 28).
The plan addresses safety on the nation's railway network and it has the support of all companies who together provide today's rail service.
It provides the lead in setting objectives to protect passengers, the public and the workforce.
Safety management systems introduced in the late 1980s have led to major improvements in safety. Average passenger and workforce fatality rates have halved since 1991/2, and the trend is being maintained.
Put into context, the number of passengers killed on the railway in a whole year is matched each and every day on the roads. As most passenger deaths actually result from their own behaviour - for example, straying onto the track - the Railway Group are to target this in a new objective.
The Group's overall safety record has improved again and in his foreword Railtrack Chairman Sir Robert Horton pays tribute to the efforts of railway staff.
"The railway has undergone quite fundamental changes in recent times and last year has been no exception, he says, "yet the arrangements put in place to protect safety on the network have proved effective.
"The improved safety record is due to the hard work and collective efforts of many in the industry.
"Dedicated career railway men and women have played a part; so too have many of the newcomers, providing a mix of skills and experience which I am sure will bring benefits in the future".
