Tuesday, May 26, 2026
Safety Message: Conditions Affecting the Network
ONRSR is advising all rail transport operators (RTO) and rail safety workers of their responsibility for properly reporting and responding to Condition(s) Affecting the Network (CAN).
A CAN is an operational procedure used to report, record, and manage any situation that compromises the safety of railway operations, requiring immediate action to protect rail traffic, workers, and infrastructure.
Recently ONRSR has received multiple reports of train crews experiencing track faults and failing to report them to network controllers.
ONRSR has also been advised of a particular location where despite the identification and reporting of a CAN, at least three trains passed through at excessive speed, apparently unaware that a CAN had been reported.
Data collected by the national regulator for the five-year period from May 2021 to April 2026 shows there were 2046 reported occurrences involving Conditions Affecting the Network.
The most common causes of a CAN are track defects, environmental factors - such as extreme heat or flooding impacting track structure, signalling failures and operational incidents such as unsecured loads.
As part of their Safety Management Systems, rail transport operators must have documented procedures in place to report and respond to a CAN.
As referenced in ONRSR’s Safety Management System Guideline, operators must…make sure the organisation has a system to define, control and manage the operational and engineering processes to ensure assets are fit for purpose for rail infrastructure and rolling stock operations. Furthermore, at a minimum ONRSR expects…condition of the infrastructure/rolling stock (and any restrictions) has been reported to staff responsible for the day’s operation.
ONRSR is encouraging operators to complement if not replace any existing analogue (paper-based) procedures used to advise rail safety workers of a CAN with digital advice such as email or other electronic messaging, along with enhanced, repeatable audio advice and warnings from network control.
ONRSR will be monitoring compliance with requirements to manage and respond to a CAN throughout its regulatory activities, including compliance audits, inspections and site visits around the country.