Safety is one of the key parameters defining the service level of a transportation system. A good safety level makes the system more competitive and attractive to the users and thus contributes to the increase of its potential patronage. Safety is evaluated by the number of incidents that take place during a certain time period which have negative effects on the track, on the rolling stock, on the passengers, on the cargo and on the environment. Incidents occur in all three components of the transportation system (permanent way, civil engineering structures and operational facilities). In particular, the accidents taking place on engineering structures have the worst consequences, including large numbers of fatalities, due to the difficult rescue and escape conditions (on bridges, in tunnels etc) and high cost of the applied mitigation measures. This paper focuses on the rail and road engineering structures applied in high–speed rail and highway networks. In this context, the incidents and their causes are examined and explained. Moreover, the mitigation measures used in order to increase the safety level are recorded and evaluated. The engineering structures under examination are a) tunnels, b) bridges, c) road overpasses, d) embankments, e) cuttings. The approach is based on the comparison between the two transport modes through their engineering structures. The results highlight significant differences in safety measures implemented to the two transport modes due to their different technical and operational characteristics. However, significant similarities are also apparent as the same fundamental safety principles govern rail and road projects. The results of this paper could form the basis of the drawing up of safety recommendations addressing the planning, design, construction, operation, inspection and maintenance, of engineering structures in the rail and road infrastructure.

road safety, railway safety, road engineering structures, rail engineering structures, safety measures