Conclusion

The railway sector is one of the oldest industrial sectors, which has built up a corpus of risk analysis and prevention methods based on a very extensive and rich history. Its safety challenges have changed with the advent of high-speed rail, the increase in freight train tonnages and operations in hyper-dense areas such as Japan or the suburbs of Paris and London. Over the decades, it has crystallized a doctrine summarized in seven Railway Safety Principles (RSPs), which are still relevant today, as recent accidents sadly demonstrate. The digital revolution is opening up extraordinary technological possibilities in terms of physical parameter measurements, short-time alerts on parameter variations, and statistical cross-analysis between sub-systems. Better control of convoy position and braking monitoring seems within reach in the next few years (if the industry manages to invest enough...