European Rail Safety Days 2025 Agenda
The next edition of the European Rail Safety Days will take place in Kraków, Poland, from 1 to 3 October 2025.
The conference agenda presented here is still a work in progress and may be subject to change. For any questions, please contact raildataforum2025
era [dot] europa [dot] eu (safetydays[at]era[dot]europa[dot]eu).
- 08:30 - 09:00
Registration
- 09:00 - 10:00
Opening
- 10:00 - 10:30
Keynote: The “causes” of your next accident exist today – Do something about it!
Speakers
- 10:30 - 11:00
Coffee break
- 11:00 - 13:00
Session 1: Closer to the tracks
Speakers
- 13:00 - 14:00
Lunch break
- 14:00 - 15:30
Workshop Session A
Ten workshops conducted in parallel:
Workshop 1Let’s improve HOF performance through monitoring
Workshop 3Creating a culture for safety – roles and practices of leaders and safety professionals
SpeakersWorkshop 4Bottom-up human error analysis: Finding abnormal amongst the normal
SpeakersWorkshop 5Sharing information to build a safe single European railway area
- 15:30 - 16:00
Coffee break
- 16:00 - 17:30
- 20:00 - 23:00
Networking dinner and “Women in Rail” Award Celebration
Click here for more information about the 2025 Women in Rail Award.
- 08:30 - 09:00
Welcome
- 09:00 - 09:30
Opening
- 09:30 - 10:00
Keynote: “Safety Culture in Practice: Employees for Employees”
Speakers
- 10:00 - 10:30
Keynote: The Risks of Risk Management
Speakers
- 10:30 - 11:00
Coffee break
- 11:00 - 13:00
Session 2: Bridging organisational boarders
Speakers
- 13:00 - 14:00
Lunch break
- 14:00 - 14:45
Interlude: Railway Safety Leadership – What’s new and what’s coming up?
- 14:45 - 15:30
Session 3: Beyond the railways
Speakers
- 15:30 - 16:00
Coffee break
- 16:00 - 17:15
Session 3: Beyond the railways (cont.)
Speakers
- 17:15 - 17:30
Conference closure
- 17:30 - 18:30
Networking cocktail
- 08:30 - 14:00
Technical visit
Please choose one of the five technical visits listed below.
Technical visit #1Visit to the Koleje Małopolskies Depot (Regional Rolling‑Stock Hub), the Kraków Station Local Signalling Centre (Nerve Center of Traffic Control) and the Kraków University of Technology Campus (Training Tomorrow’s Transport Experts)
At the Koleje Małopolskies Depot, we will explore the heart of regional train maintenance, where decades of railway tradition meet the cutting-edge technologies of tomorrow.
We will also visit the Local Signalling Centre (LSC) at Kraków Station, which orchestrates hundreds of train movements daily. Our visit will shed light on its vital role in keeping the network fluid.
To conclude the technical tour, we will visit the Transport Faculty Campus, which will immerse participants in all facets of railway engineering – from materials science to fluid dynamics.
Technical visit #2Visit to the TBM Tunnel Project in Męcina
We will visit the active tunnel construction site in Męcina, where a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) is carving an important new route through the Beskid Mountains.
Technical visit #3Visit to the Chabówka Rolling‑Stock Heritage Park (“Skansen”)
We will step back in time at Skansen Chabówka, where historic locomotives and carriages are preserved - and sometimes even steamed up for special events.
Technical visit #4Visit to the Kraków University of Technology Mechanical Faculty, the JMS Głowacz training center and the Kolprem’s AM siding in Kraków
The tour will include a visit to the Technology Mechanical Faculty, focused on precision engineering and aerodynamic research - key to advancing rail vehicle performance.
Besides, at JMS Głowacz, aspiring train drivers will gain both theoretical knowledge and hands‑on experience - underpinned by rigorous safety simulations.
To finish with, participants will visit the Kolprem’s and Arcelor Mittal Siding in Kraków which will demonstrate the intersection of rail logistics and heavy industry - showcasing advanced shunting operations and safety automation.
Technical visit #5Semiotic walk in the old town of Kraków
In the Hindu myth, the pigeon sees the cat and the pigeon closes its eyes thinking that the cat has disappeared. In workshop #8, Dr Nippin Anand invited us to see the world through the eyes of the pigeon and think about the role of perception that should form the foundation of all risk management.
This time, Nippin will take us on a semiotic walk to a church, a memorial, a museum or a graveyard. And if you still believe that the cat is gone, Nippin will leave you just there.
While there is a link between the two activities, it is not mandatory to register to workshop #8 before roaming with Nippin.