Your Global Rail Consultancy

Ricardo Rail are a global rail consultancy providing technical expertise, assurance and specialist engineering services.

With capabilities in all disciplines, from rolling stock, signalling and telecommunications, to energy efficiency, decarbonisation, safety management and operational planning, we support a client portfolio that ranges from some of the world’s largest rail administrations to niche component suppliers.

We work with governments, operators, infrastructure managers and manufacturers to ensure railways deliver the highest possible value to their customers and wider communities.

Whether you are looking to develop new regional transport plans, introduce low-emission technologies or improve the journey experience for your customers, we bridge the divide between core engineering disciplines and the economic and environmental challenges of rail transport.

Independent Railway Assurance

Like many safety-critical sectors, railways have influential stakeholders; governments, regulators, financial institutions and passengers; who expect a degree of third party assurance on issues related to safety and quality.

Whether we are assessing new signalling products against international standards such as EN 50126, or the construction of entire rail systems, we offer a portfolio of independent assurance services that includes:

• Notified Body (NoBo)
• Designated Body (DeBo)
• Assessment Body (AsBo)
• Independent Safety Assessment (ISA)
• Independent Verification and Validation (IVV)
• Plant Assessment Body and Assessment Party
• Railway product certification
• Software Assurance

Railway Project Delivery

Our value to clients comes from our belief in a ‘whole-system’ approach to railway projects.

Even in specialist areas such as design engineering, procurement, RAMS and digital security, we provide experts chosen not only for deep knowledge of their discipline but also for their understanding of how your project can integrate seamlessly into the wider rail system.

Services include:

• CSM RA training
• Design and analysis
• Digital resilience / Cybersecurity ERTMS Expert Centre
• Human factors
• RAMS
• Systems engineering
• Testing services
• Vehicle procurement

Railway Asset Optimisation

Our experience in railway maintenance and operations comes from work on hundreds of critical and complex projects for clients around the world. We add value to your projects by focusing on achieving outcomes rather than just applying specific technologies. Areas of expertise include:

• Vehicle-track interfaces
• Reliability and maintenance engineering
• Rolling stock asset management
• Digital Monitoring
• Energy efficient driving – DriveSmart
• Track Geometry Assessment – PUPIL

Reducing Environmental Impact

We can help your organisation reduce the environmental impact of its operations and, in turn, gain competitive advantages and efficiency improvements.

We support a huge range of initiatives from feasibility right through to delivery and commissioning. Notable projects include a partnership role in the world’s first solar-powered railway and providing technical support to projects converting diesel rolling stock to hybrid-battery or hydrogen power. Areas of expertise include:

• Decarbonisation: Net Zero roadmaps / Battery Traction / Hydrogen Traction / Hybrid Traction / Electrification and Energy sources
• Air Quality
• Ecology

Rolling Stock

We help vehicle manufacturers, operators and owners provide vehicles that are reliable, durable and optimised for the needs of the 21st century railway.

• Design and engineering
• Design and analysis
• Maintenance support
• Intelligent rail and RAMS

Train Control and Automation

Our signalling, control and communications specialists provide assurance and technical consultancy services to clients across the world who turn to us for our industry expertise and risk- based approach.

In Asia, we support the introduction of signalling technologies through our product certification services.

In Europe, we assist infrastructure managers to introduce ETCS and are at the leading edge of ERTMS knowledge. We were the Independent Safety Assessors for the first deployment of ETCS in the UK and are performing the same role for the migration of the Danish rail network to ERTMS.

We are a leading Independent Safety Assessor of urban transit signalling technologies and sub- systems across Asia, Europe and the Middle East, the majority involving the application of CBTC technology. Our work with metro operators has included manual, ATO and UTO (GOA1, GOA2 and GOA4) systems.

Work areas include:

• ERTMS, ETCS and derivatives
• CBTC
• Technical consultancy
• Independent assurance
• Training – ATB

Track and Civil Engineering

Our track and civil infrastructure teams are specialists in supporting infrastructure owners, track maintainers and service operators across the asset lifecycle, covering design, installation, condition monitoring, renewals, maintenance and incident investigation.

Services we can support you with include:

• Vehicle-track interface measurements analysis and advice
• Ballasted and ballastless track form guidance
• Wheel and rail profile measurement and optimisation
• Noise and vibration mitigation Switches and crossings advice and optimisation
• Testing, validation and assurance of new, high-risk or novel designs
• Condition Marking Indexes for tunnels and bridges
• Technical support with rail structures and buildings management
• Expert witnesses for formal inquiries and investigation

In-Depth Knowledge of Complex Rail Systems

We are a global rail consultancy offering extensive capabilities for railways of all sizes and purpose.

From conventional mainline railways to automated people movers, from state-of-the-art high-speed systems to heritage steam trains, we offer support across all operational, regulatory and commercial aspects, including design and approvals, maintenance regimes, migrations to ETCS and CBTC technologies and energy efficiency strategies.