Ricardo Rail

Address: 5 Pinacle Way
Pride Park Derby
Derbyshire
DE24 8ZS
United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (0)1273 455611 Connect: Website: View website Contact: Contact supplier

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.

As our work covers so many areas of both work and geography we urge you to take a look at our case studies here to get a picture of our work and capabilities.

Some example case studies are:

Find more case studies on our website: rail.ricardo.com/projects

Read more

Ricardo Rail News

How Data Can Drive Actionable Insights

How Data Can Drive Actionable Insights

Rushab Shah, Digital Strategy Lead at Ricardo, comments on the challenges associated with throwing the words data and digital at a problem.

Ricardo Supports Procurement of Zero-Emission Fleet

Ricardo Supports Procurement of Zero-Emission Fleet

Ricardo has been appointed to develop the technical specifications for a zero-emission rail fleet serving the Latvian capital, Riga.

Ricardo Partners with Cordel Group PLC

Ricardo Partners with Cordel Group PLC

Ricardo has partenered with railway AI technology specialists Cordel Group PLC to bring its products to the global rail market.

Belgian Test Campaign FLIRT3 Train Set with Ricardo SMART

Belgian Test Campaign FLIRT3 Train Set with Ricardo SMART

Stadler has requested Ricardo Certification to test and certify its FLIRT3 Train Set against the requirements applicable in Belgium.

Ricardo Rail Gains Designated Body Status for Ireland’s Railways

Ricardo Rail Gains Designated Body Status for Ireland’s Rai...

Ricardo Rail has achieved Designated Body (DeBo) status in Ireland, following a rigorous assessment process.

Ricardo Opens First North America Rail Office

Ricardo Opens First North America Rail Office

Ricardo has opened its first North America office dedicated to the rail market, enabling the company to expand its rail services.

Technical Support for New Monorail Line in Panama City

Technical Support for New Monorail Line in Panama City

Ricardo Rail has been chosen to provide RAMS technical support for Metro Line 3, a new monorail line in Panama City.

Opportunities and Challenges in Sharing Digital Twins

Opportunities and Challenges in Sharing Digital Twins

Ricardo explores the benefits and obstacles of sharing digital twins during all phases of the train and infrastructure lifecycle.

Improving Railroad Crossing Safety

Improving Railroad Crossing Safety

Ricardo has been working with Wavetrain Systems on a new system targeted squarely at previously passively protected crossings.

Ricardo Partners on Innovative Hydrogen-Electric Train Trial

Ricardo Partners on Innovative Hydrogen-Electric Train Trial

Ricardo and partners have received funding to develop their innovative Holistic Hydrogen Approach to Heavy Duty Transport (H2H) project.

Ricardo Performs Safety Assessment of Signalling Overhaul on UK Main Line

Ricardo Performs Safety Assessment of Signalling Overhaul on UK M...

Ricardo has performed a safety assessment to help support the signalling overhaul of a key stretch of the UK’s West Coast main line.

Systems Integration Support for Extension of Ottawa’s O-Train

Systems Integration Support for Extension of Ottawa’s O-Train

Ricardo has been appointed to provide Systems Integration Verifier Services for the extension of the O-Train network in the Canadian capital, Ottawa.

Ricardo Rail Earns International Safety Award

Ricardo Rail Earns International Safety Award

British Safety Council recognises Ricardo Rail with an International Safety Award and shortlisting for 'Team of the year.' 

Ricardo Completes Accredited Assessor Role for London’s New Barking Riverside Station

Ricardo Completes Accredited Assessor Role for London’s New Barki...

Ricardo Certification has completed its role as the accredited independent assessor for London's newest passenger station, Barking Riverside.

Opinion: Best-in-Class Systems Engineering for High-speed Rail

Opinion: Best-in-Class Systems Engineering for High-speed Rail

Techniques developed in the Defence sector can deliver similar efficiencies during the development of major high-speed rail programmes.

Opinion: Making Virtual Testing a Reality

Opinion: Making Virtual Testing a Reality

An expert at Ricardo Rail explores how virtual testing can reduce real-life test requirements, improving project performance.

Ricardo to Bring High-Definition PanMon Technology to North and Latin American Railways

Ricardo to Bring High-Definition PanMon Technology to North and L...

Ricardo has partnered with PantoInspect to bring the PanMon pantograph monitoring technology to railways across North and Latin America.

Opinion: Engaging Early for Smoother Safety Assessment

Opinion: Engaging Early for Smoother Safety Assessment

Waiting until late in a project to start railway safety engineering can be a costly mistake that leads to extensive delays to the programme.

Opinion: What Should Be Considered When Planning System Integration Testing for a New Railway Line?

Opinion: What Should Be Considered When Planning System Integrati...

For new railway infrastructure projects of any size, system integration testing will need to take place at multiple levels.

Ricardo Forms Strategic Alliance with MxV Rail

Ricardo Forms Strategic Alliance with MxV Rail

Ricardo and MxV Rail have signed a Strategic Alliance Agreement that will bring together the two rail organisations’ engineering and testing capabilities.

Improving Level Crossing Safety

Improving Level Crossing Safety

Thursday (June 9th) is International Level Crossing Awareness Day, a worldwide drive to raise awareness and reduce incidents.

From Big Bangs to Sling Shots – 3 Routes to Hydrogen Adoption in Rail

From Big Bangs to Sling Shots – 3 Routes to Hydrogen Adopti...

Ricardo Rail explores 3 routes to hydrogen adoption in rail as many make the decision to use hydrogen in a rail decarbonisation journey.

Elizabeth Line: Ricardo Successfully Completes UK Rail’s ‘Largest and Most Complex’ Assessment Role

Elizabeth Line: Ricardo Successfully Completes UK Rail’s ‘Largest...

The opening of London’s Elizabeth Line brings to an end one of the largest and most complex assessments ever performed by Ricardo Certification.

Ricardo Appointed to Support Transformation of the Greater Toronto Rail Network

Ricardo Appointed to Support Transformation of the Greater Toront...

Ricardo Certification will act as the ISA for the forthcoming transformation of rail transit across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, Ontario, Canada.

Webinar: Making the Move to Condition Based Maintenance

Webinar: Making the Move to Condition Based Maintenance

Join the experts of Televic GSP and Ricardo in a joint webinar on June 2nd to discuss how to make the move to Condition Based Maintenance.

Ricardo Appointed as Independent Safety Assessor for skyTran PRT System

Ricardo Appointed as Independent Safety Assessor for skyTran PRT ...

skyTran, the developer of a Personal Rapid Transit solution, has chosen Ricardo to perform a safety assessment of its magnetic levitation technology.

Webinar Transurb and Ricardo: Lifelong Learning

Webinar Transurb and Ricardo: Lifelong Learning

Join Ricardo for the webinar Lifelong Learning: How to address skill shortages in the public transport sector and how to prepare the workforce of tomorrow?

Ricardo Certification and DB Systemtechnik Partner for One-Stop Shop Testing and Approval Services

Ricardo Certification and DB Systemtechnik Partner for One-Stop S...

Ricardo Certification and DB Systemtechnik will intensify their partnership to provide a complete one-stop shop in testing and approval services.

Ricardo Performs Assessment of Safety Technology for China’s Latest Maglev System

Ricardo Performs Assessment of Safety Technology for China’s Late...

Ricardo will soon complete its Independent Safety Assessment of a signalling technology for a new Maglev system in China’s Hunan Province.

Ricardo Receives Innovation Funding for Rail Projects

Ricardo Receives Innovation Funding for Rail Projects

Ricardo has secured funding for two projects through a £450m energy network initiative, focusing on the decarbonisation of the rail sector.

Ricardo to Support Copenhagen S-Bane’s Journey to Fully Automated Operation

Ricardo to Support Copenhagen S-Bane’s Journey to Fully Automated...

Ricardo Certification has been appointed as the Assessment Body for the transformation of Copenhagen’s S-Bane railway.

Etihad Rail Passes Major Milestone

Etihad Rail Passes Major Milestone

The Etihad Rail network reached a major milestone this month with the opening of a direct line between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Ricardo Named Assurance Partner for Recreation of 1950s Steam Locomotive

Ricardo Named Assurance Partner for Recreation of 1950s Steam Loc...

Ricardo has been appointed as the Independent Certification Body for the development of a new steam locomotive that will operate on the UK network.

Ricardo Leads Development of Unified Decarbonisation Plan For UK Rail

Ricardo Leads Development of Unified Decarbonisation Plan For UK ...

Ricardo has been tasked with developing a new Action Plan to support UK rail industry decarbonisation efforts.

Ricardo Authors FRA Research into High-Speed Rail Noise Level Compliance

Ricardo Authors FRA Research into High-Speed Rail Noise Level Com...

The report, High Speed Rail: Cost of Compliance for Noise Mitigation Procedures, has been published by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

Upgrading University of Huddersfield Bogie and Wheelset Test Rig

Upgrading University of Huddersfield Bogie and Wheelset Test Rig

Ricardo is delighted to have been chosen by the University of Huddersfield to upgrade its bogie/wheelset dynamics testing rig, HAROLD.

Ricardo Completes Safety Assessment of Hyundai Rotem Fleet for Seoul Metro Route

Ricardo Completes Safety Assessment of Hyundai Rotem Fleet for Se...

Ricardo Certification has issued an ISA certificate to Hyundai Rotem, confirming that a new fleet of EMUs have met international safety standards.

Ricardo Partners with Korea Transportation Safety Authority to Strengthen Rail Safety

Ricardo Partners with Korea Transportation Safety Authority to St...

Ricardo has signed an MoU with the Korea Transportation Safety Authority (TS) to bolster railway safety practices across Korea.

Case Study: Certification of ETCS for Rhine – Alpine Corridor

Case Study: Certification of ETCS for Rhine – Alpine Corridor

In 2021 Ricardo was appointed by DB Netz AG to provide TSI certification alongside ISA and AsBo safety assessment services for the Rhine – Alpine Corridor.

Case Study: Hitachi Rail Intercity Express – Systems Engineering Support

Case Study: Hitachi Rail Intercity Express – Systems Engine...

In 2012 Ricardo was appointed by Hitachi to provide specialist advisory services during the development and delivery of the Intercity Express Train.

Case Study: Riding Sunbeams – The Solar Powered Railway

Case Study: Riding Sunbeams – The Solar Powered Railway

Riding Sunbeams is a unique organisation we are supporting that explores the potential for solar power as an alternative energy source for the rail sector.

Case Study: Elizabeth Line Assurance Services

Case Study: Elizabeth Line Assurance Services

Ricardo's accredited Certification business has been performing key assurance roles during the construction of London's Elizabeth Line.

Case Study: Dubai Metro and Tram – Independent Safety Assessment

Case Study: Dubai Metro and Tram – Independent Safety Asses...

Ricardo has a long and established history of providing technical support during the development of an integrated transport network for Dubai.

Ricardo Rail Videos

Ricardo Rail Images

Ricardo Rail | Inspection of Tunnel Works

Inspection of tunnel works

Ricardo Rail | Rolling Stock Inspections in Asia

Rolling stock inspections in Asia

Ricardo Rail | Discussions during Vehicle Approval Testing

Discussions during vehicle approval testing

Ricardo Rail | ATO Safety Assessment

Ricardo completed the safety assessment for the first use of ATO in the Netherlands

Ricardo Rail | PanMon Pantograph Monitoring System

Ricardo PanMon pantograph monitoring system installed in Scotland gains Network Rail product approval

Ricardo Rail | Wheel/Rail Adhesion Testing

Undertaking wheel/rail adhesion testing

Ricardo Rail | Stadler WINK Certification

The newly developed Stadler WINK train was certified against both Dutch and European standards by Ricardo

Ricardo Rali | Hitachi Specialist Advisory Services

Ricardo provided Hitachi specialist advisory services - including systems engineering, RAMS, human factors and EMC - for the Bi-mode Intercity Express Train Programme

Ricardo Rail Documents

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