Railway Safety Engineering and Regulation (interoperability, audits, accident investigation).
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in railway safety and regulation engineering: 12 modules covering the institutional framework, safety management systems, certification and authorisation, common safety methods, RAMS, accident investigation, human and organisational factors, interface safety, economic regulation, cybersecurity and safety supervision, with an assigned technical tutor.
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What you will be able to do
Explain the institutional and regulatory framework of railway safety.
Design and audit safety management systems.
Manage certification and authorisation of vehicles and subsystems.
Apply the common safety methods to significant changes.
Investigate accidents using a systemic approach.
Integrate human factors and cybersecurity into risk management.
Analyse the economic and market access regulation of the railway sector.
Who it's for
- Railway safety managers at operators and infrastructure managers.
- Safety authority technical staff involved in certification and supervision.
- Independent safety assessors working on railway projects.
- Safety management system auditors.
- Railway accident investigators seeking a systemic methodology.
- Railway regulation consultants advising operators and public bodies.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to enter the railway sector.
What you'll work with
- Directive (EU) 2016/798 (railway safety)
- Directive (EU) 2016/797 (interoperability of the rail system)
- Implementing Regulation (EU) No 402/2013 (common safety method for risk evaluation and assessment)
- Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/762 (CSM on safety management system requirements)
- Law 38/2015 on the Railway Sector (Spanish railway law)
- EN 50126-1:2017 (railway RAMS)
- Directive 2007/59/EC (certification of train drivers)
- RID Regulations (international carriage of dangerous goods by rail)
- Isograph FaultTree+
- Ansys medini analyze
- Microsoft Power BI
- Microsoft Excel
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1European Union Agency for Railways1.2Spanish State Railway Safety Agency (AESF)1.3Railway Accident Investigation Commission1.4Technical pillar of the Fourth Railway Package1.5Directive (EU) 2016/798 on railway safety1.6Law 38/2015 on the Railway Sector1.7National safety authorities1.8Notified and designated bodies1.9Relationships between actors in the system1.10Case study: institutional map of railway safety
2.1Safety management system requirements2.2Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/7622.3Leadership and commitment to safety2.4Operational risk management2.5Staff competence management2.6SMS document control2.7Monitoring and internal audits2.8Continuous improvement and learning2.9Railway safety culture2.10Lab: audit of an SMS against 2018/762
3.1Single safety certificate3.2Safety authorisation of the infrastructure manager3.3Vehicle authorisation in the European area3.4Authorisation of fixed subsystems3.5EC declarations of verification3.6ERA One-Stop Shop3.7Technical file for verification3.8European vehicle registers3.9Authorisation timescales and procedures3.10Practical exercise: authorisation roadmap for a vehicle
4.1CSM for risk evaluation and assessment4.2Determining significant changes4.3Acceptance through codes of practice4.4Comparison with reference systems4.5Explicit risk estimation4.6Assessment body (AsBo)4.7CSM for supervision by authorities4.8CSM for monitoring by operators4.9Common safety targets4.10Workshop: assessment of a significant change
5.1RAMS life cycle according to EN 50126-25.2Hazard log management5.3SIL allocation5.4Preliminary hazard analysis5.5FMECA of subsystems5.6Fault tree analysis (FTA)5.7Structure of the safety case5.8Independent safety assessment (ISA)5.9Railway software safety5.10Case study: hazard analysis of a level crossing
6.1Investigation obligations under Directive 2016/7986.2How the CIAF works6.3Systemic investigation methodologies6.4Technical, human and organisational factors6.5Causal analysis with AcciMap6.6Safety recommendations6.7Writing investigation reports6.8Lessons from the Angrois accident6.9European occurrence databases6.10Practical exercise: analysis of a CIAF report
7.1Human error in railway operations7.2Staff fatigue management7.3Competences of safety-critical staff7.4Train Drivers Directive7.5Training and continuous assessment7.6Just culture and occurrence reporting7.7Safety-related operational communications7.8Human factors in automation7.9Human factors indicators7.10Workshop: fatigue management plan for train drivers
8.1Level crossing safety8.2Prevention of trespass on the track8.3Suicide prevention on the railway8.4Safety of track workers8.5Passenger safety on platforms8.6Transport of dangerous goods (RID)8.7Safety in operational railway tunnels8.8Interface with public security8.9Third-party risk management8.10Case study: prioritising the removal of level crossings
9.1Access to railway infrastructure9.2Track access charges and their calculation9.3Capacity allocation and framework agreements9.4Railway regulatory body9.5Role of the CNMC in the railway sector9.6Public service obligations9.7Railway undertaking licences9.8Competition in high-speed rail9.9Rail market monitoring9.10Lab: calculation of track access charges for a service
10.1The NIS2 Directive in the railway sector10.2Cybersecurity according to CLC/TS 5070110.3Critical infrastructure protection10.4Law 8/2011 on critical infrastructure10.5Operator security plans10.6Physical security of stations10.7Cooperation with law enforcement10.8Exercises and drills10.9Resilience of the railway system10.10Practical exercise: security plan for a station
11.1Common safety indicators (CSIs)11.2Annual safety reports11.3Supervision by the authority11.4Regulatory compliance audits11.5Field inspections11.6Railway penalty regime11.7European safety benchmarking11.8Precursor data analysis11.9Accident trends11.10Case study: annual safety report of an operator
12.1Selection of the organisation or change12.2Analysis of the regulatory framework12.3Diagnosis of the management system12.4Risk assessment using the CSM12.5Human factors analysis12.6Supervision and audit plan12.7Safety improvement proposal12.8Regulatory roadmap12.9Master's Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, making it compatible with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Isograph FaultTree+, Ansys medini analyze, Microsoft Power BI and Microsoft Excel, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures: safety management system audits, assessment of significant changes with the CSM and analysis of accident investigation reports. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: Directive (EU) 2016/798, Directive (EU) 2016/797, Implementing Regulation (EU) No 402/2013, Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/762, Law 38/2015 on the Railway Sector, EN 50126-1:2017, Directive 2007/59/EC, RID Regulations.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- A university degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with Isograph FaultTree+, Ansys medini analyze, Microsoft Power BI and Microsoft Excel, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
A university degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent professional experience, plus a suitable computer and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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