I don't believe that safety is one size fits all, especially when it comes to railways. You need to consider the terrain, the rail traffic, whether it's in a residential area or not. There are so many factors. You do need to have certain standards, but I think you've described it well. You need flexibility or a recognition of the different risks and different considerations in different areas.
Having at least a minimum standard with follow-up done on a systematic and regular basis is better than having no standard.