Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom is continuing its efforts to develop the safety and reliability of the Finnish rail transport system. Functional rail transports also serve to promote sustainable mobility. The Rail Transport Safety Programme for 2021 emphasises the importance of security management and the development of risk management and safety culture in particular. As regards reliability, efforts will continue to focus on the development of the operating culture and the cybersecurity of rail transports.
“2020 was challenging in many ways and highlighted the need for Traficom to continue its systematic efforts to develop the reliability and promote the cybersecurity of rail transports in cooperation with rail transport operators. I am pleased that we launched several development projects last year aiming to develop the reliability of rail transports, for example. I believe that consolidated cooperation increases our opportunities to promote the operation of the rail transport sector,” says Deputy Director-General Jarkko Saarimäki.
The Rail Transport Safety Programme for 2021 emphasises security management and the development of reliability
Traficom promotes and monitors the realisation of rail transport safety and utilises the Rail Transport Safety Programme as a tool in its operations management.
This year, the Safety Programme focuses on developing security management, with the aim of comprehensively developing rail transport safety by improving on a number of different areas. These areas include the effectiveness of risk management, the practical implementation of safety culture, the enhancement of monitoring measures and the utilisation of monitoring results. Another important theme in the programme is the clarification of roles, responsibilities and powers in rail transports, especially in practical situations that have proven challenging in the multi-operator environment.
The second main focus of the programme is the development of reliability. In addition to objectives related to the development of reliability and cybersecurity, this includes objectives related to the transportation of hazardous materials and the utilisation of data on accidents and incidents. The aim is to ensure that rail transport operators are provided with adequate general guidelines and operating models for preparing and implementing operator-specific safety management systems, for example.
Extensive cooperation aimed at providing common solutions to everyday challenges
“We will continue to engage in frequent communication and close cooperation with rail transport operators, seeking solutions to everyday challenges as well. We have already put in a lot of work in the development of the cybersecurity of rail transports, for example, but there is still plenty of work to be done and things to learn in the coming years. We also actively develop our own operations, examples of which include the streamlining of our monitoring operations and the more effective utilisation of monitoring results,” says Saarimäki.
Further information:
- Rail Transport Safety Programme for 2021 (External link) (only in Finnish)
- The safety programme for 2020 (External link) (only in Finnish)
Kaisa Sainio, Chief Adviser, tel. +358 (0)29 534 6837, kaisa.sainio(at)traficom.fi