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Thursday 12 Jun 2025

Network Rail and RSSB host as global rail safety community comes together to encourage the world to make “safe decisions every time” when around the rail network

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National

Last week saw Network Rail and the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) proudly host over 200 delegates from 22 countries at the National Railway Museum in York for two landmark international rail safety events: International Rail Trespass Awareness Day (TReSPAD) on 4 June and International Level Crossing Awareness Day (ILCAD) on 5 June.

Organised by the International Union of Railways (UIC), ILCAD and TReSPAD are global campaigns dedicated to raising awareness and improving safety at level crossings and along railway tracks. This year’s theme, “Safe decisions – every time,” underscores the importance that the rail industry places on ensuring that it helps people to make better choices around railway environments.

The events brought together rail safety experts, infrastructure managers, law enforcement professionals, policymakers, technology innovators and academics from across Europe, the USA, and beyond. Attendees shared and discussed strategies, insights and practical solutions in critical issues including risk assessments, technical innovation, public education, and cross-sector collaboration.

Hosting the events at the National Rail Museum in York was especially symbolic, as 2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the world’s first passenger railway.

Martin Frobisher, Group Safety & Engineering Director at Network Rail said: “Great Britain is at the forefront when it comes to rail expertise, innovation and safety. Therefore, it was fitting for us to bring together rail safety professionals from all over the world to engage in a collaborative and impactful way in this, the 200^th anniversary of our railway’s creation.

“We’ve all been inspired to take our learnings from ILCAD and TReSPAD back to our respective corners of the world and continue in our efforts to reduce harm and suffering within rail settings.”

Dr. Ann Mills, Deputy Director System Safety & Health at RSSB, Chair of the UIC TreSP-Network and Vice Chair of the UIC Safety Platform added: "Bringing together the railway and its stakeholders to share experiences and approaches in trespass and suicide prevention is crucial.

“Despite differences in train design, tracks, signals, and landscapes, these are global issues. By collaborating and sharing knowledge on a worldwide scale, we can create more effective strategies to address them.

“The collective efforts at ILCAD and TRESPAD will not only enhance safety but also save lives, ensuring a safer and more secure railway environment for everyone.

 The UIC's Director General, Francois Davenne said:  “Rail safety is the backbone of keeping our trains and passengers running safely and ensuring safe working conditions for train crews. Level crossing collisions, rail trespassing and suicides are the leading causes of death in the rail industry. That is why we are particularly proud to have spearheaded ILCAD, a public awareness campaign on level crossing safety, launched in 2009 first in Europe and then extended to all five continents. In 2022, UIC launched a second campaign called TReSPAD to address trespassing on railway tracks. Not only our members, but also road safety advocates, academics, and researchers, participate in our official launch conferences  and/or conduct safety awareness activities in their own countries during ILCAD and TReSPAD. We thank Network Rail and RSSB for hosting us and for making this another successful year for our events." 

UIC data highlights the urgency of these efforts: in 2023, 36 railway companies from 33 countries reported an average of 10 victims per week at level crossings, with 77% of pedestrian collisions proving fatal. These events serve as a vital platform for sharing best practices and driving international progress in rail safety.

Great Britain sees an average of 19000 trespass incidents and 1500 near misses with trains at level crossings on its railway every year.  Next week, marks Rail Safety Week where the British rail community will partake in events across the whole spectrum of safety concerns  from workforce protections to passenger and public safety in all rail environments.