Translink is committed to providing a safe transport system for bus and rail staff, passengers and the public. This section reviews some of our key safety initiatives.
Safe Operations
Safety Development Programme
The Safety Development Programme commenced in 2000 and is now largely completed. It involved expenditure of £200M and included the Larne line re-lay and the purchase and commissioning of 23 new C3K trains to replace the class 80 trains. A programme to procure 350 buses commenced in 2004 and is on schedule. It has reduced the average fleet age significantly and improved safety standards for bus users.
New Safety Management System
The first phase of a new Safety Management System was completed at the end of 2005 and is currently being implemented across the whole of Translink.
Safety Legislation
A programme of new safety legislation is being introduced by Government. Changes in the approach to railway safety by the European Community are reflected in this programme.
Incident and Accident Reporting
A new computerised incident reporting system covering both bus and rail divisions is being implemented within NIR and the bus companies. Commissioning is expected to be finalised during 2006.
Safety Culture / Human Factors
Programmes to improve safety culture have been introduced and are ongoing. Translink plan a further review to measure progress in the third quarter of 2006/07.
Emergency Plan
During 2005/06 the railway and bus emergency plans were reviewed and validated by external experts. Updated plans were issued in April 2006, these are tested annually and close liaison with the Central Emergency Planning Unit of Government continues.
Automatic Half Barrier Conversions
During the past years Translink converted half barrier level crossings to full barrier CCTV crossings at Moira, Trummery, Jordanstown and Trooperslane.
Accommodation crossings
Translink continues to improve safety at railway accommodation crossings (non public roads) through a programme of closure, detours, bridge building or other safety measures.
Train Protection Warning Systems (TPWS)
A programme to fit TPWS to the highest risk signals, at an approximate cost of £4M, is nearing completion. This is already installed on the new C3K trains and is being retrospectively fitted on other rolling stock.
Safety at work
In line with the Translink commitment to safety, for both its passengers and its workforce, the rail engineering department ran a series of events to mark European Health & Safety Week, themed ‘Stop that Noise’.
The health, safety and environment department initiated a company consultation process to prepare a Translink ‘No Smoking at Work’ policy. This follows the decision to make all station premises smoke-free environments.
On 1 February 2006, Translink became the first Northern Ireland company to sign up to the European Road Safety Charter.
Translink held its 10th annual Health, Safety and Environment Conference in December 2005, focusing on safety management systems. Ninety one delegates attended, representing all areas of the organisation.
Public Safety campaigns
Safety Bus
Translink continues to bring safety education messages to schoolchildren and community groups. The special ‘Safety Bus’ and its team currently visit around 200 secondary and grammar schools each term, to educate and discuss the problems of stone throwing or unruly behaviour. A new Travel Safe DVD, prepared by Translink during 2005, is now in use on Safety Bus outings. Campaigns aimed at students, the farming community and their contractors are also ongoing.
Rail safety message
The hard hitting ‘Dead Cert’ advertising campaign launched in August 2005 reinforces the dangers of misusing trains and railway facilities, particularly as the new trains are faster and quiet.
Deterring anti social behaviour, vandalism and litter
A number of innovative initiatives were developed and introduced over the last year, each aimed at reducing incidents of anti-social behaviour on board trains and at stations:
During 2005 Translink’s environmental unit initiated a campaign to deter fly-tipping on the railway line and highlight the problems of litter, graffiti, trespass and fly-tipping around the network. In December, the campaign won a ‘Brighter Belfast Award’.
Late night service
In September, as part of the ‘No Bother’ initiative, Ulsterbus in Bangor, in partnership with the town’s police service, launched a scheme to provide a free late night bus service to transport Saturday night pub goers home from Bangor town centre. A similar late night bus service has operated in Belfast in early
2006.
Prosecutions
Translink’s determined stance against anti-social behaviour on buses and trains and on our properties is reflected in prosecution activity. The number of individuals successfully prosecuted through the courts continues to rise, as does the level of fines awarded by the courts to offenders.
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