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Metrolink and the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering have agreed to create an advanced rail system safety certification program designed to standardize safety leadership principles.

Viterbi's Office of Master's and Professional Programs and Metrolink plan to develop the program, which will cover topics such as human factors, safety management systems, risk identification and other issues relevant to improving the railroad safety culture, USC Viterbi and Metrolink officials said in a prepared statement.

The certification program is needed because railroads each have their own safety rules and procedures, but there is no consistent safety certification program available in the industry, they said. Positive train control and other technological advances will create even higher levels of human interaction with technology, "which is why it is critical that a standardized system safety curriculum be created," the officials said.

"This partnership and its outcome will raise the bar on system safety training as Metrolink continues to set the standard for rail safety," said Metrolink Chairman Richard Katz.

Added Metrolink Chief Executive Officer John Fenton: "This training, initially designed for Metrolink managers and supervisors, is an integral part of the development of total safety culture where every employee understands what drives safety performance, and how to lead people in the consistent application of standard principals to achieve world-class safety."

USC has been recognized internationally as a leader in system safety development, starting with its aviation safety curriculum developed for the U.S. Air Force in 1952.