International Railway Safety Network (IRSN), one of the seven UIC Safety Platform working groups, hosted by CP on 9 March 2023 in Porto

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Doris Horvath, from CFL, opened the hybrid meeting and welcomed all members. She also thanked our hosts from CP for their warm hospitality.

IRSN is composed of the below railway safety experts who meet three or four times a year to discuss and exchange information on incidents, accidents and safety performance within the various railway companies that compose the group.

Members: Doris Horvath (CFL), Alexandra Teixeira (CP), Sonja Van Waeyenberg, on behalf of David Van de Sype (INFRABEL), Takashi Otani (JR EAST), Ignacio Hernández Vallhonrat (RENFE), Kevin Thompson (RSSB), Guillaume Foeillet (SNCF), Andreas Hönger (SBB-CFF).

More members are welcome to take part in the group, so long as they are already members of the UIC Safety Platform. As Ms Horvath’s mandate is coming to an end, a call for candidates was launched for the position of Chair and Vice Chair of the Group from July 2023.

CP colleagues had the opportunity to present their safety related activities in more depth.

Amandio Gonçalves opened proceedings and presented CP in numbers, the Portuguese railway network and SMS.
Then Vitor Miranda, CP, presented the maintenance facilities in Portugal, including the Contumil maintenance workshop where our meeting took place. We had the opportunity and privilege to visit this workshop where we could see both modern and historical trains. It should be noted that CP is in charge of the maintenance of historical trains, including the rolling stock running in the touristic Douro Valley https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en/how-to-travel/For-leisure/Nature-and-Culture/miradouro-train; the steam Christmas train on the Vouga line (https://www.cp.pt/institucional/en/press/press-releases/christmas-vouga-line-steam-train); and the Presidential train (https://www.thepresidentialtrain.com/en/comboio and https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en/how-to-travel/For-leisure).
All drivers of historical trains are CP staff members.
Finally, Alexandra Teixeira, CP, presented the implementation of a change in the command and signalling system of the access doors of Intercity Coaches (CIC).
All other colleagues shared information on the latest incidents/accidents and safety performance in their respective company.
In addition, Ignacio Hernández Vallhonrat, RENFE, presented “ Shared risk management ”.
Kevin Thompson, RSSB, presented in particular “ Precursor Indicator Model = PIM ”