16 July 2001
CAMPBELL SEEKS COMMENTS ON NEW RAILWAY SAFETY BILL
Regional Development Minister, Gregory Campbell, MP, MLA, today encouraged all interested parties to comment on proposals for new legislation on railway safety.
Commenting on the recently issued proposals Mr Campbell said: "The primary purpose of the new Railway Safety Bill is to update and replace existing legislation in this field. Some of this legislation dates from the 19th Century and clearly needs to be brought up to date.
"My objective is to provide a legislative basis for modern, safe travel by railway. The Bill will accomplish this by applying Health and Safety at Work legislation to railway operations and by introducing new powers to approve new infrastructure and rolling stock and to limit speeds and loads."
The Health and Safety at Work provisions will require operators to produce ‘safety cases’, which are formal written documents that will include information about the operator’s activities, organisation, safety management systems and safety measures.
While the Bill will not set out the details of the new safety regime for railways, it will provide powers under which the necessary subordinate legislation can be made. These powers will also enable less rigorous regulatory regimes to be applied to smaller heritage operators, where lower levels of risk make this appropriate.
Mr Campbell said: "My Department has already sent out copies of the consultation document to all those organisations and individuals who we think are most likely to be interested, but we would be happy to send copies to others who wish to make their views known and who have not yet received a copy."
Copies of the consultation document are available from DRD, Transport (Policy & Support) Division, River House, 48 High Street, Belfast; BT1 2AR. The document can be viewed and down loaded via the Internet at
www.drdni.gov.uk/transportpolicy . E-mail replies will be welcome. All responses must be with the Department by 28 September 2001.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
- Legislation governing the operations of railways in Northern Ireland pre-dates partition and goes back to the 1840s. Much of the regulations still in force was in place by 1871.
- A recommendation of the A. D. Little Review was that legislation in Northern Ireland should be updated. Major rail traffic accidents in England also heightened public awareness of rail safety issues.
- The Bill will be largely technical in nature and its provisions should not be controversial.
- The impact of the Bill on equality of opportunity affecting the groups listed in Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act has been considered and no adverse or differential aspects were identified.