About the author:
Stephan Marstrander is a traffic planning enthusiast with an affection for light-rail transit as an effective urban transport mode. He was born and raised as a Norwegian, but has lived in Germany since 2010, completing his master’s degree in traffic engineering at the TU Braunschweig in September 2017.

Safety of the Interaction Between Light-Rail and Other Road Users
Light-rail transit is an urban transport mode usually sharing street space with other road users. This causes a high level of interaction between the light-rail and other road users, necessitating a careful consideration of the safety aspects of this interaction.

This master’s thesis examines the safety of six operating light-rail systems in the Nordic countries. Both substantive safety and safety perception are covered in the study, through analyses of accident data and interviews conducted with local light-rail experts, light-rail drivers, as well as inhabitants of cities with light-rail transit.

Furthermore, existing legislation and regulations that apply to light-rail transit in the Nordic countries are analysed, and previous research regarding the safety of light-rail transit is reviewed.

The findings of the study are used to compile a set of recommendations for how to optimise the safety of light-rail systems in the Nordic countries. Recommended measures include amendments to legislation and regulations, an increased cooperation between the different light-rail systems at minimum in such aspects that have an impact on safety, and improved procedures related to the operation of light-rail transit.