July 18, 2025

‘During Shift Fatigue’ tool launched

Red railway signal beside train tracks at a station or rail yard

The Freight Safe Programme consists of four priority projects and a collection of collaborative projects which are led by the National Freight Safety Group (NFSG).

NFSG has delivered a ‘During Shift Fatigue’ assessment tool as one of these collaborative projects, which was driven by an identified need from the industry.

The tool is helping freight organisations better assess and manage driver fatigue levels during their shifts.

Following discussions around the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) report into a collision at Loversall Carr Junction, the NFSG Freight Fatigue Working Group found that assessing driver fatigue levels proactively during their shifts posed a significant challenge.

This incident occurred in July 2022 when a freight train passed a signal at danger and collided with the rear of a stationary freight train.

Most assessments rely solely on drivers self-reporting fatigue when levels have already reached an unacceptable level. But this leaves no room for mitigations other than finding a relief driver.

This new tool helps to better assess driver fatigue levels during their shift, and also gives guidance to control room staff on potential solutions to help with fatigue management.

Stuart Ash, Chair of the NFSG, said:

“The management of fatigue has been and will continue to be an area of focus for the industry, and whilst there are still insights to be gained and work to be done, the ‘during shift fatigue tool’ represents the progress the industry is making to better manage our frontline people’s fatigue in a dynamic way. The project is an indicator of how important we know the management of fatigue to be and is evidence that good things can come from caring about our people and working together with a common aim.”

Two successful trials

The tool was trialled successfully by Direct Rail Services and Colas Rail.

You can read their stories of implementation in the following case studies:

The tool is available for organisations to use. Click here for more information.