2000-10-27 Lord Macdonald welcomes Railtrack weekend blitz on track repairs (Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions)

2000-10-26 Prescott calls on industry to work together to produce a national track recovery plan (Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions)

2000-10-26 Revised timetable - London Crosslink services (Anglia Railways)

2000-10-25 Rail industry statement on rail speed restrictions (ATOC)

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date 19 March 2001
source Railway Safety
type Press release

The full Board of Railway Safety - the new not-for-profit body to help drive up safety performance in the industry - is in place.

The 11-strong Board comprises a majority of non-executive directors, five of whom are independent of railway businesses

Sir David Davies, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, was appointed independent non-executive chairman late last year with the Government's endorsement.

Executive directors are Chief Executive Rod Muttram, Director Policy and Standards Aidan Nelson and Director Safety Management Systems Dr Matt Walter.

Industry nominated non-executive directors are: Operations and Safety Director of First Great Western Alison Forster; Alternate Chairman of GT Railway Maintenance John Penney; and Director of Industrial Minerals at Rio Tinto, and non-executive director of Railtrack Group PLC, Gordon Sage.

Independent non executive directors are: Professor of Organisational Psychology Tom Cox; former Health and Safety Commission Chairman Sir Frank Davies (who is also deputy chairman of Railway Safety); Group Director of Safety Regulation for the CAA, Richard Profit; and Director of Safety for the Swedish National Rail Administration (Banverket), Hans Ring.

Building on the work done by Railtrack's Safety and Standards Directorate, Railway Safety has been fully operational since 31 December 2000. It is promoting safety improvements in the rail industry by developing long term strategy, setting standards and helping operators to achieve challenging safety targets, and measuring and reporting progress in key safety areas.

Sir David Davies said Railway Safety is providing leadership and support but that it must work with the industry and the Health and Safety Executive to improve broader safety issues.

He said: "Interest in railway safety has never been greater. We are using the technical expertise in Railway Safety to help spread understanding of safety issues and help the industry drive up safety performance. While we are only part of the solution, we are already making contributions to the drive to continually raise levels of safety on the national rail network."

Sir David also emphasised the need for all rail staff to continue to be aware that safety is everyone's business. "Safety is not someone else's problem - we're all responsible and we must all play a part," he said.

Ends

Contact Alison Flynn on 020 7904 7524 for further information.

Email: enquiries@railwaysafety.org.uk

Concerns about operational safety on the Railway should be reported to Railtrack's 24-hour helpline on 0845 711 4141.

Editors Notes

Additional notes

1.Railway Safety was set up following a review by the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions into safety management in the rail industry after the Ladbroke Grove accident. Although finding no evidence that commercial interests had been given priority, the review concluded a separate subsidiary of Railtrack be set up to demonstrably increase the separation of the standard-setting responsibilities, and activities of Railtrack's Safety and Standards Directorate from Railtrack's commercial and operational functions.

2. Railway Safety is a company limited by guarantee and a wholly owned subsidiary of Railtrack Group PLC - entirely separate from its operational sister company Railtrack PLC.

3. Further biographies and photographs are available upon request.

Railhub Archive ::: 2001-03-19 RSA-001