Scientific paper ID 2612 : 2024/3

Railway transport has gone through periods of prosperity and decline in its history. Its modern revival is due to a relative systemic advantage to other types of transport – higher safety. To preserve and develop this comparative advantage is essential for increasing the competitiveness of railways. The problems related to safety of the railway transport in our country, although always being under the public aim and priority, in most cases are considered and solved partially, only ”technically”, mainly with the own resources of railways. Hawever, before determining the specific ments and decisions it is necessary to clarify the strategic framework conditions of the system of elements and interdependencies. Safety can be defined as a systemic state of acceptable risk.

The freedom of mobility and the right to choose the way of its implementation are the fundamental logics of transport system development. Although this thesis seems too general, it is actually the right approach to analysis and synthesis of conclusions for transport development and safety. Free choice of the way of movement also means free choice and acceptance or non-acceptance of the related risk. In this sense safety is one of the system qualities of a given transport mode freely chosen by the customer and recognized by society.