Application of a decision support tool for the risk management of a metro system

Risk Management assumed over years a central role of safe management of metro railway operation. Since exposure of passengers to hazards cannot be avoided, risk cannot be cancelled but controlled and brought back to acceptable levels. The quantification of system risk level and of the effects of any decision on infrastructural or operational changes must be carefully evaluated. A methodology for in-depth risk analysis within a risk-based decision management is crucial not only to identify the risk, but especially to assess and manage it. This work introduces a complete Risk Management methodology which quantitatively analyses the causes and consequences, assessing all the influence factors of metro safety. Using as example the derailment risk level, an application to an operating metro is presented assessing the effects in terms of safety risk of three different management decisions and highlighting the impact that those choices have on safety.