If an organisation wants to be a rail operator or access provider, or its activities are covered by regulations under the Railways Act 2005(external link), it must have a rail licence. One of the requirements to be issued with a licence is having a rail safety case which has been approved by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency as the rail regulator.

This section provides an overview of what a rail safety case is and explains how developing and implementing a safety case benefits your organisation as a whole, rather than just being a box to tick on your licence application.

While the guidance in this section is essential for anyone developing a new safety case or making a variation to their existing one, it is also useful for anyone interested in their organisation’s approach to safety on the railways.

Whether it’s the considerations behind safety decisions or how the safety culture in your workplace was developed, reading this guide will help you explain how your organisation identifies risks and the approach it takes when deciding on the best way to manage them.

Print version: You can also download a print version of these guidelines [PDF, 962 KB]