Managing and improving of railway safety across the whole system

It appears, based on the investigation, that rail network operators’ current self-regulation procedures and the authorities’ audits of safety management documentation are not enough to ensure adequate instruction and safe operation.
The operators involved in the investigated accident had widely different views on the causes of the accident. This leads the investigation team to conclude that rail network operators tend to only look at railway safety from their own perspective and not from the perspective of the whole system. This approach is not conducive to raising the standard of safety across the entire rail network.

The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency ensure not only compliance with the applicable rail transport operation guidelines but also the effectiveness of operators’ self-regulation procedures in practice. The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency should also take a more active role in managing and improving railway safety across the whole system.

Visible and transparent enforcement of the guidelines is the most effective way to improve safety across the whole rail network.