Life Solved
Railway Safety Back On Track
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Episode notes
The railways are part of our country’s heritage – and for many of us, a regular part of our lives. What can we learn from the past to ensure train travel is safer than ever in the 21st century?
In the last in the current series of Life Solved, Dr Mike Esbester explains how a growing historical database of railway accidents, going back over 150 years, could create safer journeys and be a useful resource for those exploring their family’s past.
With 21,000 cases documented so far, the Railway Work, Life And Death Project reveals how staffing levels have changed over the years and how passenger and employee safety is addressed today, compared to the approaches of old.
The project is particularly timely as current-day rail union members have held industrial action in 2022, citing – amongst other things - concerns over staffing levels. And whilst advanced technology is increasingly available, can decades-old records of accidents inform today’s safety procedures?
You can find out more about this work and other research at the University of Portsmouth website: https://www.port.ac.uk/research/research-projects
Dr Mike Esbester is a Senior Lecturer in History
https://www.port.ac.uk/about-us/structure-and-governance/our-people/our-staff/mike-esbester
Read more about the project
https://www.railwayaccidents.port.ac.uk/
https://www.railwaymuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/caution-railway-safety-1913
The Railway Work, Life And Death database can be downloaded here
https://www.railwayaccidents.port.ac.uk/the-accidents/
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