Abstract
The South African railway industry plays a pivotal role in the country's economic development, as a service provider for transportation of passengers and goods, as well as providing employment. It has had both successes and failures in managing risks within their projects.
Although several studies have pointed out numerous factors that may be linked with project success, there was still a gap in the inefficiencies of risk management in railway projects that needed to be closed and documented so that future projects can benefit from it. The current study used a survey as a data collection method to shed light on the critical success factors that should be in place for risk management in railway projects, and the risk factors that contribute to railway project failure.
The literature reviewed by other authors and a questionnaire distributed to engineering practitioners in South Africa were used to collect data. The typical critical success factors identified in the literature and the survey were effective project communication, stakeholder roles, resource, time, and quality management. On the other hand, typical risks were identified as design errors, a lack of communication, safety risks, and force majeure.
The study's findings established a direct link between the South African railway industry and the literature by confirming that the critical success factors and risk factors identified in the literature review were mostly effective in risk management of railway projects, particularly larger projects.
It is recommended that strategies and systems be implemented and utilised to detect, respond, and mitigate project risks for organisations to meet their objectives. It is also suggested that the industry looks into improving its communication channels in order to avoid miscommunication between stakeholders.