Today, 17 October 2025, RAIB marks 20 years of independently
investigating accidents and incidents on the UK railway.
Railway and tramway passengers and workers have benefited from
safer journeys and working environments following two decades of
independent safety investigations by the Rail Accident
Investigation Branch (RAIB).
Since becoming operational on 17th October 2005, RAIB has
deployed investigators 777 times across Britain's railway
network. The organisation's 427 published reports have generated
1,891 safety recommendations and 447 learning points that have
directly contributed to improved safety standards across the
industry.
The organisation has issued 52 urgent safety advice notifications
when immediate action was needed to protect lives. Its 138 safety
bulletins and digests have highlighted 278 critical safety
messages to the industry.
Andrew Hall, Chief Inspector of Rail Accidents said:
Learning from accidents is a fundamental way of improving safety
and the railway has a long history of doing so, going back to the
19th century. Today our anniversary feels poignant, as it is also
25 years since the tragic accident at Hatfield, which took the
lives of four people and injured 70 more.
Thankfully over the last 20 years, the railway has become
statistically safer. Technological advancements, organisational
change and a better understanding of risk have all contributed.
Such improvements are no small part due to the structural changes
brought about by the Cullen Inquiry and the consequent
establishment of the tripartite railway safety structure: RAIB;
ORR; and the railway industry, including RSSB.
RAIB's role today is the same as it was on day one, to
independently investigate accidents to improve railway and
tramway safety and inform the industry and the public. After a
significant accident or incident, the travelling public must be
assured that a thorough and independent investigation will be
conducted and that the causes will be published so that everyone
can understand what happened and learn the lessons.
