As Rail Safety Week 2025 gets underway, the UK rail industry is united by a shared commitment: to ensure every single person using, working on, or living near our railway returns home safe – every day.
This year’s campaign opens with a special podcast featuring Sir Andrew Haines, Chief Executive of Network Rail, in conversation with Will Rogers, Chair of Rail Forum and Managing Director at East Midlands Railway. Together, they explore the personal, moral, and strategic responsibilities that underpin safety in today’s complex and evolving rail landscape.
In the podcast, Sir Andrew articulates how ‘Everyone home safe every day’ is not just a slogan, it’s a “moral imperative” and applies to the 1.8 billion passengers the industry serves, the circa 200,000 people working across the sector, and every member of the public who interacts with the railway.
Rail Safety Week 2025 comes at a time of significant transformation across the sector. From operational changes and increasing demand to challenges such as workforce fatigue, mental wellbeing, and emerging technological risks, the rail industry is being called on to lead with innovation and culture.
Sir Andrew and Will discuss how the sector is increasingly adopting tools like geofencing, predictive diagnostics, and AI-enabled monitoring to proactively manage risk. At the same time, a people-first approach to safety highlights the growing importance of mental health, fatigue management, and psychological safety. Building a culture of trust and confidence — where everyone feels empowered to speak up — is fundamental to achieving lasting safety outcomes.
The upcoming establishment of Great British Railways represents a generational opportunity to simplify operations, align incentives, and re-focus on the fundamentals – like safety. Sir Andrew comments how a more joined-up railway enables better decision-making and creates more rewarding jobs. He encourages aspiring safety leaders to embrace the chance to shape a modern, smarter, and safer railway.
Will Rogers closes the launch podcast with a clear call to action: “Let’s work together to build a better, safer railway for everyone.” Rail Safety Week is a time to reflect, engage, and act, whether through depot safety initiatives, boardroom conversations, or community outreach, every action counts. Visit the Rail Safety Week website to learn more and get involved.
Watch the Rail Safety Week podcast with Sir Andrew Haines and Will Rogers here. Alternatively, listen via your preferred podcast platform.
A special thanks to the Department for Transport for sponsoring the Rail Safety Week 2025 podcast series and helping to bring rail safety to the forefront of people’s minds across the dedicated week and beyond. Next in the podcast series, a conversation between Rail Forum’s Laura May and Modern Railways’ Richard Clinnick on Mental Health – look out for the launch tomorrow!
Headline Sponsor of #RSW25
