Qatar Rail has received a commendation in the Health and Safety in the Workplace category at the 2026 awards organised by the UK-based Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT), recognising progress made through its workplace safety and wellbeing programme.

The recognition followed a multi-year initiative implemented across 2024 and 2025 aimed at improving safety performance, strengthening governance and embedding a more proactive safety culture across rail operations. The programme formed part of broader operational planning and introduced structured performance indicators, defined milestones and enhanced risk management processes.

According to Qatar Rail, health and safety objectives were integrated into annual business planning to create greater accountability across operational teams. The organisation also updated its Zero Harm framework and introduced a three-year roadmap focused on improving leading safety indicators, increasing employee engagement and strengthening management oversight.

The programme included expanded workforce training, closer collaboration with internal and external stakeholders and initiatives designed to improve employee wellbeing. Feedback gathered through organisational assessments, incident reviews, behavioural observations and workforce engagement activities informed areas for improvement and helped shape targeted interventions.

Qatar Rail reported measurable changes in safety performance during implementation. The organisation stated that its Accident Frequency Rate reduced from 0.025 in 2024 to zero in 2025, remaining below its stated internal threshold. Employee participation in safety initiatives also increased through programmes including annual Zero Harm Awards and awareness campaigns.

Alongside operational safety measures, Qatar Rail introduced additional wellbeing initiatives in partnership with Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health, including mental health support and workplace learning activities.

For health and safety professionals, the initiative reflects a broader shift towards combining traditional compliance approaches with behavioural, wellbeing and governance-led interventions. Organisations responsible for transport and infrastructure assets continue to place greater emphasis on measurable safety outcomes, workforce engagement and continuous improvement programmes as part of long-term resilience planning.

Read more in the original report on Qatar Rail’s workplace safety programme.