The Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) and the Australasian Railway Association (ARA) are celebrating a major milestone following the official launch of Australia’s new rail safety data reporting scheme.

All accredited operators will now report under the terms of the National Rail Safety Data Strategy (NDS), a purpose-built system designed to deliver a relevant, consistent and quality national data set readily available to all stakeholders.

ONRSR Chief Executive Sue McCarrey said the new arrangements would deliver a multitude of benefits.

“The NDS is yet another terrific example of what is now possible with a national outlook, and I am really excited by the opportunities this resource will provide us all to continue making Australia’s railways as safe as they possibly can be,” she said.

“The NDS will deliver better focussed national data and comparability. It will also significantly reduce the number of occurrence types operators are required to report by focussing more on collection of the data that directly impacts rail safety.”

Development of the NDS was only made possible by extensive engagement with a range of rail safety stakeholders over several years which included the creation of a Rail Operator Steering Committee co-chaired by ONRSR and the ARA.

ARA chief executive Caroline Wilkie said achieving this milestone has been possible due to a truly collaborative approach between the regulator and industry.

“The ARA supports a national focus on rail safety and for the first time, the Australian rail industry will now have a truly national and consistent rail safety data set that will better  inform safety decisions,” she said.

For further information on the National Rail Safety Data Strategy, visit http://www.onrsr.com.au