Safety approval for new trains-is it reducing safety?

The aims of this paper are to discuss whether the UK railway has improved the safety approvals process for new rolling stock and to explore the feasibility of an "optimum" safety approvals process for new trains. Also explores the opportunities presented by the new interoperability and railway & other guided transport (safety) systems regulations. The ROGS regulations provide an opportunity to simplify the number of assessments undertaken, but an assessment under the interoperability regulations by a notified body only is still a long way off in the UK due to the non-compliant infrastructure and amendments are proposed to the existing safety approvals.