Our role in rail safety

The NZ Transport Agency has primary regulatory responsibility for rail safety in New Zealand. The Transport Agency's role is to provide independent assurance to stakeholders and the public of the effective management of rail safety risks by rail participants.

Guidance and information on the rail safety regulatory operating model, risk management approach, rail safety monitoring and compliance tools are available below.

Rail safety regulatory operating model

The NZ Transport Agency has primary regulatory responsibility for rail safety in New Zealand. The Rail Safety team has a critical regulatory role in providing independent assurance to stakeholders and the public, of the effective management of rail safety risks by rail participants.

Risk management principles

Our operating model embodies a risk-based and responsive approach to carrying out our regulatory role, which enables the Transport Agency to target its activities efficiently and effectively.

Safety assessments

Ordinary and special safety assessments are the Transport Agency’s primary way of assuring rail participants are operating safely and complying with their rail safety licences.

Compliance

Compliance means meeting or exceeding the requirements of the regulatory framework that is designed to ensure high levels of safety on the rail transport system. The Transport Agency carries out its regulatory activities in a manner which is responsive, transparent, accountable, proportionate and consistent.

Safety investigations

A function of the rail safety regulator is to identify the safety issues that have caused a specific incident or series of incidents to occur. Find out more about the investigation process.

Relationship with other agencies

The Transport Agency has formal relationships with the Transport Accident Investigation Commission and WorkSafe.

Rail safety statistics

Data on rail accident deaths and serious injuries since 2009; and level crossing events, vehicle collisions, SPAD As (Signals Passed at Danger), and derailments since 2012. These statistics will be updated on a regular basis, with raw data available for download.

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