The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) has appointed Professor Clive Roberts as the independent chair of its newly established Industry Leadership Group (ILG), marking a significant step in the modernisation of rail standards governance.
Professor Roberts, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science at Durham University, will lead the new body as it takes on a central role in providing strategic oversight and decisive leadership in the development and interpretation of rail standards.
The ILG has been created following an independent review of standards decision-making. Its purpose is to introduce greater clarity, pace and accountability into how rail standards are agreed and applied. Unlike existing consensus-based committees, the ILG has the authority to make binding decisions by majority vote, providing a formal escalation route for complex or stalled issues and helping the industry move forward more quickly.
Rail standards play a critical role beyond safety alone. They underpin efficiency, cost control and the adoption of new technologies by providing clear and consistent requirements. Effective standards help avoid duplication and waste, reduce delays by giving certainty in design and delivery, support innovation without compromising safety, ensure compatibility between assets, and enable a long-term approach to asset performance and whole-life cost.
By streamlining governance, the ILG is intended to ensure that standards evolve in step with industry needs while continuing to protect passenger and taxpayer interests.
Professor Roberts said: “I am honoured to take on this role at such a pivotal time for the rail industry. The ILG will bring clarity and pace to standards decision-making, ensuring that we balance innovation with safety and efficiency. By reducing delays and avoiding unnecessary complexity, we can save money while delivering improvements that benefit passengers, freight customers and taxpayers alike.”
Mark Phillips, chief executive of RSSB, added: “I’m delighted Professor Roberts has agreed to become the first chair of the ILG. His world-renowned expertise in railway systems will be invaluable. A clear escalation route and decisive leadership on standards will help avoid costly delays and ensure standards enable greater efficiency and reliability across the railway.”
The Industry Leadership Group will hold its first meeting later this month, signalling the start of a new approach to rail standards governance and reinforcing RSSB’s commitment to transparency, collaboration and more effective decision-making across the sector.
