ABSTRACT
Communications between frontline staff have a critical role in ensuring the safe operation of the railways, and in the late 1990’s it was highlighted as a key problem for the industry. Investigations of serious accidents pointed to poor communication as a contributory factor as did research looking at communication in railway maintenance: evidence that change was required. In 1997, the Communications Working Group (CWG), was set up and undertook work to analyse the full extent of the problem and produce a framework for competence in safety-critical communications.
