Glossary
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This page provides a list of commonly used rail and bus safety terms and acronyms and their usual meanings. Definition sources have been provided where possible. This list has been prepared as a useful quick reference guide, therefore definitions taken directly from legislation may not be up-to-date.
For the purposes of meeting legislative requirements, always check the definitions in the latest versions of the relevant Acts and Regulations.
A
Accreditation | The process by which the Safety Director assesses a rail or bus operator's capacity and ability to operate safely.
ARA | Australasian Railway Association
ARO | Accredited rail operator: A rail infrastructure manager (RIM) or rolling stock operator (RSO) who is accredited under Part 5 of the Rail Safety Act 2006.
Audit | A planned, independent and documented assessment to determine whether agreed upon requirements are being met.
ATP | Automatic train protection
AWS | Automatic warning system
B
Broken rail | A rail which has a fracture through the full cross section or a substantial piece broken out of the railhead.
Source: United Kingdom Office of Rail Regulation website
Bus inspection | An inspection taken by an independent person who holds a testers license issued by VicRoads to examine and test buses.
C
CBA | Cost benefit analysis
Co-regulation | A type of regulation where the regulatory role is shared between the government and an industry body or occupational representative.
Contractor | In relation to an accredited rail operator, a contractor is a person engaged directly or indirectly by the accredited rail operator to supply rail infrastructure operations or rolling stock operations to that accredited rail operator. This definition includes sub-contractors.
D
Derailment | When a train's wheelset runs off or leaves the track
Source: United Kingdom Office of Rail Regulation websiteH
Human factors | Human factors is an applied science concerned with analysing and optimising the performance of individuals and teams in the workplace.
I
Interface coordination plan | A plan agreed between two or more parties (at least one of which is a rail operator) that details the responsibilities of each party for managing risks associated with the operations that interface (for example, where a railway track and road intersect).
Improvement notice | A notice served under Section 228ZZC of the Transport Act 1983.
M
Major incident (rail) | An incident or natural event that poses a serious and immediate risk to safety and includes a derailment of rolling stock, a collision, a fire or explosion.
P
Prohibition notice | In the rail context, a notice served under Section 228ZZJ of the Transport Act 1983.
Private siding | A rail siding that is managed by a person other than a person who controls the rail infrastructure that the siding connects with, or has access to.R
Rail infrastructure manager | A person who controls rail infrastructure.
Railway | A guided system designed for the movement of rolling stock that has the capability of transporting passengers or freight or both on a railway track with a railway track gauge of 600mm or more, together with its rail infrastructure.
Railway occurrence | Any accident or incident involving a train or rolling stock whether in motion or not, or other event on railway premises affecting the safety of persons, property or railway operations.
Rolling stock operator | A person who controls rolling stock.
Rolling stock | A vehicle or part of a vehicle that operates on or uses a railway track, and includes a locomotive, carriage, rail car, rail motor, light rail vehicle, train, tram and so on. It does not include a vehicle or part of a vehicle designed to operate both on and off a railway track when the vehicle is not operating on a railway track.
S
Safety culture | The underlying values within an organisation that affect the beliefs and attitudes of its members and guides their safety behaviours.
Safety Director | The Director, Public Transport Safety. The Safety Director is an independent statutory office established under the Transport Act 1983 to administer certain legislation relating to public transport safety.
SMS | Safety management system: A systematic, proactive approach to reducing the risk and severity of accidents and incidents. An SMS documents all standards, practices and procedures to promote and maintain safety, and the responsibilities of staff for implementing these standards, practices and procedures.
T
Track geometry | The level and alignment of the track
Source: United Kingdom Office of Rail Regulation website
TPWS | Train Protection and Warning System: An automated warning system fitted to passenger trains operating on the Regional Fast Rail (RFR) network in Victoria.
TSO | Transport safety officer: A person appointed by the Safety Director under the Transport Act 1983 to exercise certain powers under transport safety law.