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The purpose of the article is to define the risk factors in rail transport and to show that the lack of sufficient identification of risks in individual phases affects the implementation of this type of transport. A literature study has been conducted to identify key risk factors and their impact on rail transport in Poland. For this purpose, a list of railway accidents in 2010–2020 in which people were injured, or there were significant losses in terms of the environment was presented. The realization of the objective focused on research proceedings covering the theoretical and cognitive sphere. This study included an analysis of the existing theoretical heritage in the area of risk management processes in rail transport, as well as a survey of the empirical research, which concentrated on the identification and assessment of key factors that influence the realization of rail transport in Poland. The work is of a utilitarian nature, as the need for conscious risk management has been demonstrated in rail transport, and guidelines for risk management in rail transport have been developed. In addition, the paper presents the possibilities offered by modeling a problem situation with the help of network thinking methodology for solving complex problems, including supporting creativity on the example of railroad transport in Poland. To define problem situations in the studied area, a complex process of a multifaceted approach to the analyzed issue is required. When assessing the effectiveness of risk management in rail transport, one should take into account the adverse factors influencing the studied phenomenon. The main sources used to write this article were the available literature in the field of emergency management and publications on railroad transport. The conclusions have been based on the results of logical analysis, verified empirically with the use of statistical methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]