RSSB to develop Rule Book app for rail staff

The RSSB will be leading a programme to modernise rail safety guidance in the form of a Rule Book app for staff.

The new app will enable 120,000 members of rail staff responsible for operating Great Britain’s railways to refer to safety critical rules and procedures via a mobile smart device.  

Currently, rail staff receive paper copies or can view the Rule Book on the RSSB website, but an app will allow it to be more easily accessed and updated.  Over 70 percent of adults in the UK own a smartphone, more than half use a tablet, and rail staff are increasingly equipped with mobile devices to help them do their job.

Rule Book app expected to be launched in 2017

Content solutions provider Mekon has been selected by the RSSB to help develop the Rule Book app. According to the RSSB, a prototype is set to be tested by a sample of staff from across the industry. Outcome and analysis of the pilot will inform how the app can be developed into an industry-wide product. The app is expected to be launched in 2017.

Commenting on the development, RSSB’s Professional Head of Rail Operations, Gary Portsmouth, said: “The Rule Book going digital will bring a whole host of benefits in terms of the way users will be able to access Rule Book content.  It’s a potential win-win, where staff have a Rule Book which is easier to use and keep up-to-date, yet which is more cost-effective for the industry as a whole.  We’re currently working with people who use the Rule Book to develop the prototype that will influence the final design, thus ensuring we deliver a product that is intuitive and fit-for-purpose, whilst providing the industry with an opportunity to realise other related benefits.”