20 May 2004 - HSC Welcomes Second Report on European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS)
The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) recently welcomed a report from the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA)-led team that aims to develop a European signalling system that will that will incorporate the safety benefits of a national automatic train protection system. HSC is independently monitoring the progress of the national European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) programme.
Bill Callaghan, Chair of HSC, commented:
"I am pleased to see that good progress is being made in a number of important areas in the development of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). And I very much welcome the close co-operation between the various parties involved in this project; it is evident from this report that rail industry partners are working well together. HSC will continue to monitor the industry’s progress beyond these early stages of UK ERTMS development towards its national roll-out.”
The Southall and Ladbroke Grove Joint Inquiry into Train Protection Systems, conducted by Lord Cullen and Professor John Uff QC, recommended that ERTMS should be installed on those parts of the rail network where trains run over 100 mph, by 2010. Their Inquiry also recommended health and safety regulations to motivate the industry to meet this timescale.
Further information on ERTMS can be found on the HSE website here.
