Rail safety expert praises work of Uni’s rail research institute

Colin Dennis received the award of Honorary Doctorate of the University for services to the safety industry at the University’s July Award Ceremonies

A LEADING expert has hailed the role played by researchers at the University of Huddersfield in helping to make UK railways the safest in Europe.

Colin Dennis, formally of the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB), had special praise for the University’s Institute of Railway Research (IRR) and its breakthrough in tackling the hazard posed by drivers passing red signals.

Mr Dennis was speaking a University of Huddersfield graduation ceremony, at which he received an honorary doctorate that recognises his pioneering work in the field of rail safety.

His contribution was described in an oration by Coen Van Gulijk, who is Professor of Railway Risk and Safety at the IRR.

“The railways in Great Britain are the busiest in Europe and yet they are the safest,” said Professor Van Gulijk, who went on to describe the contribution made by Mr Dennis.

“At the turn of the century, a series of tragic accidents at Southall, Hatfield, Ladbroke Grove and Potter’s Bar urged the railways to do better.  Colin Dennis played a key role in turning the tide,” said Professor Van Gulijk.

He told how Mr Dennis, with 20 years’ experience of nuclear and transport safety, joined the newly-formed RSSB, where he designed and implement the “railway safety risk model”.

“Colin’s personality traits of dedication, attention to detail and a clear head helped create one of the best-known risk models in the world,” said Professor Van Gulijk.

After receiving his honorary award, Mr Dennis said that after the “dark days of the late 1990s”, Britain’s railways had evolved into the safest in Europe, this was one of the UK’s achievements that was often undervalued or downplayed.

Research plays a vital role in improving railway safety, continued Mr Dennis, who cited the issue of Signals Passed at Red as case study.

“The rail industry really needed to know how many times a driver sees a red signal and is required to stop.  That might sound like an easy thing to do, but across an entire network it is a very complex task.”

When the RSSB formed a strategic partnership with the University of Huddersfield’s Institute of Railway Research, Mr Dennis challenged the Institute to resolve the difficult problem.

“They took on this task with great enthusiasm and they have now delivered an innovative and very successful working model to achieve what is a fundamental part of the understanding of these hazardous events in the industry.

“It is a real success story and shows why the University of Huddersfield is at the forefront of railway research,” said Mr Dennis.