The RSSB Train Protection Strategy aims to enhance safety, mitigate SPADs and overspeed incidents, and guide the industry before full ETCS rollout across Britain.
The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) has published a new Train Protection Strategy aimed at enhancing safety across Great Britain’s mainline railway network during the interim period before comprehensive fitment of the European Train Control System (ETCS). The strategy is designed to help the industry understand and mitigate the risks of Signals Passed at Danger (SPADs) and overspeeding incidents, which remain rare but potentially high-consequence events.
The development of the strategy involved extensive cross-industry collaboration and was informed by the latest data insights and research. This included SPAD risk modelling, incident analysis, and alignment with ongoing programmes of work to ensure outputs remain relevant and impactful. Monitoring against the delivery of the strategy will be coordinated by the RSSB-facilitated Train Protection Strategy Group (TPSG) with support from across the industry.
The strategy highlights several key areas. Its primary aim is to mitigate risk by defining what is as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP) in the context of train protection systems and applying targeted enhancements to reduce derailment and collision risk. Given that the ETCS rollout is expected to span over 30 years, interim technological and operational improvements are recommended to address residual risks.
Shared responsibility is a central principle, promoting cross-industry leadership and recognising the joint accountability between railway undertakings and infrastructure managers. The strategy also encourages cost-effective solutions, using a prioritisation matrix and lifecycle cost analysis to guide investment in enhancements that deliver maximum safety and performance benefits. Data-driven decision-making is emphasised, calling for improved incident reporting, risk assessment, and real-time data integration to support proactive safety management. Finally, the strategy looks to the future, investigating opportunities to optimise technology, including the potential automation of certain operational processes, while maintaining digital signalling as the long-term vision for a safer, more efficient railway.
Tom Lee, RSSB’s Director of Standards, said: "This strategy, that the industry has agreed to work together on, is about bridging the gap between where we are and where we need to be. ETCS is the long-term goal, but its rollout could take decades. This strategy provides a practical, risk-based framework to manage the residual risks of SPADs and overspeeding trains in the intervening period."
Richard Hines, ORR’s HM Chief Inspector of Railways, added: "We welcome RSSB’s new train protection strategy, which will help enhance safety across Britain’s mainline railway as the industry transitions to the European Train Control System over the coming years. Delivering this strategy will require collaboration, strong leadership, and shared commitment across the system, with all parties taking ownership of their role in driving continuous improvement at pace. By working together to ensure that risks are reduced as low as reasonably practicable, the industry can ensure Britain’s mainline railway remains safe for everyone, now and in the future."
Darren Jowett, Chair of the Train Protection Strategy Group and Head of System Authority at Network Rail, said: "Safety, reliability and performance are at the heart of Britain’s rail network. While ETCS is the long-term solution, we need to target enhancements to existing train protection systems where appropriate to reduce SPAD and over-speed risk. This updated Train Protection Strategy shows how we’ll strengthen existing systems and embrace innovation to keep passengers and freight moving safely and efficiently today, while building the foundations for a sustainable future."
Rupert Lown, Group Safety, Security, Health and Environment Director at DFTO, said: "As we continue the journey to Great British Railways, our collective mission is to deliver a safe and reliable railway for everyone, everywhere. This strategy demonstrates the value of close industry collaboration, one of the key benefits of common public ownership. Sharing data and best practices more freely across the industry is driving safety in the here and now, while fostering new ways of working, breeding innovative solutions and greater accountability for the future railway."
