Risk analysis of Hazardous Materials transportation by railway

In the present paper we propose a methodological approach for the characterization of railway routes, on which to base a decision support system (DSS) for identifying minimum risk routes. Risk analysis assumes a fundamental importance in the transport of dangerous goods in order to identify possible alternative routes and choose among these the route of minimum risk. It is necessary to appropriately integrate risk analysis with planning and transport management to prevent a potential danger being transformed into a real event. The illustrated model aims to estimate the risk for hazardous material transportation by rail using a stochastic geometry approach.