New Year message from Carl Williams, LRSSB Chief Executive

4 Jan 2023

Although 2022 has proved another challenging year on many fronts, when it comes to safety, the light rail sector has taken significant strides forward over the past 12 months and is well placed to make further gains in the year ahead.

Tramways and similar transit systems already offer one of the safest forms of public transport, but progress on a series of key projects led by the Light Rail Safety and Standards Board over the past year look set to further reduce the risk of harm to customers and employees.

Working in partnership with operators, regulators and external consultants our comprehensive risk management framework continues to evolve, providing a single platform for a series of projects that are already bringing significant benefits to the sector.

A central pillar of the framework is the Tram Accident and Incident Reporting (TAIR) database and work on a major upgrade to the system is gathering pace. An enhanced system is expected to be launched for testing early in 2023.

The year ahead will also see the further development of our industry risk model and continued support by the LRSSB for the sector-wide adoption of the RM3 modelling process developed by the Office of Rail and Road.

Alongside this vital work, we will continue to publish and update a wide range of guidance documents, as highlighted in our most recent business plan (which can be viewed here) while carrying out research on innovative new technologies that have the potential to further enhance light rail safety.

While there will clearly be challenges ahead for the sector, our customers can rely on the LRSSB to continue working in partnership to deliver the tools that operators need to run even safer tramways in 2023 and beyond.

Finally, on behalf of the LRSSB team, I would like to wish all our customers, partners and colleagues from across the sector, the very best for the New Year and we look forward to working with you over the coming months.