A proper quality of a track and other infrastructure objects represents a basic requirement for train safety and punctuality. Most of the physical systems and their components deteriorate over time. This affects performance and may lead to failures. Albert Einstein said, "You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else." Only if we understand how the whole system works, taking into account its imperfections and how they influence its quality and performance will we be able to learn the rules of the game and "play better." The book provides the readers with the necessary functional knowledge of track behaviour and comprehensively covers the function of the various track components, their interaction as elements of the track system, as well as the interaction of the track with railway vehicles. By presenting important tools for a deep understanding of track-behaviour this book aims to be a reference guide for infrastructure managers and to help them to find ways improving track quality for optimum long-term behaviour.

This book offers a comprehensive and practice-oriented guide to risk management, with a special emphasis on the physical and environmental risks related to the operations of railway systems. It is intended to provide a roadmap for managing the risk by controlling safety. Starting with a concise historical introduction and by presenting basic concepts of risk management, the book describes in turn the railway systems and their complexity. Then, it goes in depth into the process of risk management, describing the main elements, from risk identification, analysis and assessment to risk monitoring and communication. Different risk assessment techniques are reviewed in detail, and the main components of a risk management plan are presented. The book concludes with an introduction to health risk management, describing strategies for performing health risk assessments for staff in safety-critical positions. Based on the conviction that controlling safety is the main strategy in managing risk, and on the fact that the systems we would like to control are complex ones, this book provides transport and safety engineers with the necessary knowledge to effectively managing the risks of the railway system.

A proper quality of a track and other infrastructure objects represents a basic requirement for train safety and punctuality. Most of the physical systems and their components deteriorate over time. This affects performance and may lead to failures. Albert Einstein said, "You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else." Only if we understand how the whole system works, taking into account its imperfections and how they influence its quality and performance will we be able to learn the rules of the game and "play better." The book provides the readers with the necessary functional knowledge of track behaviour and comprehensively covers the function of the various track components, their interaction as elements of the track system, as well as the interaction of the track with railway vehicles. By presenting important tools for a deep understanding of track-behaviour this book aims to be a reference guide for infrastructure managers and to help them to find ways improving track quality for optimum long-term behaviour.

This book offers a comprehensive and practice-oriented guide to risk management, with a special emphasis on the physical and environmental risks related to the operations of railway systems. It is intended to provide a roadmap for managing the risk by controlling safety. Starting with a concise historical introduction and by presenting basic concepts of risk management, the book describes in turn the railway systems and their complexity. Then, it goes in depth into the process of risk management, describing the main elements, from risk identification, analysis and assessment to risk monitoring and communication. Different risk assessment techniques are reviewed in detail, and the main components of a risk management plan are presented. The book concludes with an introduction to health risk management, describing strategies for performing health risk assessments for staff in safety-critical positions. Based on the conviction that controlling safety is the main strategy in managing risk, and on the fact that the systems we would like to control are complex ones, this book provides transport and safety engineers with the necessary knowledge to effectively managing the risks of the railway system.