Features of administrative liability for violating railway safety standards

In this paper, the author presents an analysis of administrative liability for safety violations in the railway sector. This analysis is based on the specifics of this segment and is driven by the increased risks and consequences of accidents at railway infrastructure facilities and on railway vehicles. The author argues that the specifics of administrative liability for violations of railway safety regulations stem from the technological complexity of the industry, the multiplicity of business entities operating in this sector, and the high potential public danger of the consequences of violations. Furthermore, the author presents the results of her own study of the regulatory system, examining the composition of subjects of administrative liability, and the types of administrative offenses specific to the operation of railway transport and railway infrastructure. Moreover, the author pays special attention to the problems of delineating administrative liability between business entities in the context of industry reform, as well as the classification of related offenses. The study established that administrative liability for violations of railway safety regulations forms a complex, multi-layered legal institution. At the same time, a number of pressing issues in law enforcement practice have been identified. Given these circumstances, the paper formulates proposals for improving administrative tort legislation. The main ones include a review of administrative tort provisions in the railway transport sector with the aim of further codifying and systematizing them, a clearer delineation of the responsibilities of the infrastructure owner and the carrier for various types of violations, the establishment of differentiated administrative fines, and the development of methodological recommendations for law enforcement officers on the classification of complex, related administrative offenses.