Skip to main content
EUMedRail workshop on safety certification and supervision

EUMedRail workshop on safety certification and supervision

Published: 28 May 2021 Updated: 12 October 2022

On 19/20 May, the EU Agency for Railways (ERA) organised a two-day workshop on certification and supervision of railway safety management systems, as part of its EUMedRail project. The event gathered close to 40 representatives of national authorities and operators from Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia and offered the possibility for experts of national safety authorities from Belgium, Finland and France to share their experiences with experts of the Southern Mediterranean region.

News

The purpose of the event was to reflect on how railway companies can demonstrate that they have established a functional safety management system, and how safety authorities can check and monitor the effectiveness and performance of such systems, as required by EU legislation. 

The first day focused on safety certification and informed about the requirements laid down in EU regulations on railway safety management systems and the defined harmonised procedures to obtain from European authorities a safety certificate, as a prerequisite, to operate on the railway network in the European Union. ERA presented the requirements structured in a Plan Do Check Act (PDCA) cycle and explained the overall safety assessment process, also supported by ERA guidance documents on safety certification: from the application submitted by railway companies, the role and task of assessors, and the assessment till the decision taken, including the conditions applicable for the renewal, modifications, restrictions or revocations of safety certificates. 

The French (EPSF) and Finnish (Traficom) national safety authorities reported on their experiences with issuing safety certificates and highlighted the benefits of the new EU legal regime, introduced under the 4th railway package. Specific attention had been given to the advantages of harmonised procedures, but also to the challenges posed by some requirements (e.g.  the integration of human and organisational factors or the development of a positive safety culture). The Ministry of Transport from Israel explained that a comparable safety certification scheme had been introduced in Isrel, and informed about the steps and processes used to certify, since 2018, the safety management system of its national railway operator, Israel Railways (ISR). 

On the second day, experts of ERA and national authorities described supervision as a key process to ensure the effective application of railway safety management systems, and pointed out the need for national safety authorities to design and implement a comprehensive strategy to supervise railway companies. The purpose of this strategy is to make sure railway companies effectively apply their safety management system provisions on a continuous basis during the period of validity of their safety certificates. 

To do so, ERA explained the way national safety authorities develop their strategies and implement subsequent plans addressing major railway risks, referring to some key principles such as proportionality, consistency, transparency, accountability, or cooperation to ensure sound and fair decision making.   The Belgian national safety authority (SSICF/DVIS) provided an overview of the different supervision techniques used, from operational controls, on-site inspections to system audits, highlighting the need to go beyond compliance, and drive railway companies towards more efficiency and efficacy of their safety management systems. 

The Ministry of Transport from Tunisia reported on some of the tasks carried out to regulate safety, and to monitor the performance of its national operator, SNCFT, through indicators. Debates with participants focused on the need to strengthen safety management systems, create safety authorities in the region and foster cooperation with the EU and between partners of the region.

EUMedRail workshop on safety certification and supervision