TÜV SÜD

Testing, Inspection and Certification Services for the Rail Industry

TÜV SÜD is among the leading independent providers of testing, inspection and certification services for the rail industry, including conventional and high-speed systems as well as metro and light rail. With over 450 industry experts at our Rail Services Business Unit, we offer support to manufacturers, operators and official authorities throughout all phases of your projects and complete life cycles.

We operate our own testing facilities and proprietary testing tools for rail-based applications and hold all necessary international accreditations and approvals as a testing, inspection and certification body, Notified Body (NoBo), Designated Body (DeBo) and independent Assessment Body (AsBo).

Rolling Stock

As an accredited testing, inspection and certification body, TÜV SÜD has its own rolling stock testing centre and offers services for the certification of all rail vehicle aspects such as:

Conformity assessment according to TSI, NNTR, CSM and relevant standards
Certification of vehicles and components (incl. TCMS)
Certification of maintenance procedures and workshops (ECM)
Testing and modelling of running dynamics, acoustics, special expertise for wheel-rail contact and instrumented wheel sets (IWT5)
Strength tests, determination of mechanical vehicle parameters
Crash tests
Examination of coupling systems
Brake performance tests
Analysis of vehicle kinematic envelope
Safety measures against derailment
Tests on interaction of pantographs and catenary
EMI / EMC tests

Signalling

We support you on your signalling systems meeting relevant international safety standards.
Evaluation of generic products, generic applications and specific applications according to CSM as an independent Assessment Body (AsBo)
Evaluation of generic products, generic applications and specific applications according to the CENELEC standards (EN 50126, EN 50128, EN 50129, etc.) as Independent Safety Assessor (ISA)
Independent quality and safety audits
Plan checking and acceptance testing as well as the inspection of functional and technical safety for rail signalling systems
Certification with TÜV SÜD-Mark, e. g. according to CENELEC standards (EN 50126, EN 50128, EN 50129, etc.)

Infrastructure

In the field of track infrastructure, TÜV SÜD provides a comprehensive range of assessment, testing and certification services to ensure the conformity and safety of track-work, earthworks and civil works. Our laboratories are equipped with specialised equipment to conduct tests on a wide variety of track components according to applicable standards.

Proof checking (e.g. rail infrastructure and E&M design, structural analysis)
ISA and O-ISA for rail infrastructure (e.g. earthworks, civil works and trackworks) and E&M (e.g. according to EN 50126)
EC-certification of subsystem infrastructure
BOStrab evaluation
Construction supervision, quality control and safety audits
Assessment of fire protection, emergency and rescue concepts for tunnel and stations
Assessment of concepts for personal protection and safety

Complete Railway Systems

TÜV SÜD provides a comprehensive range of inspection, testing and certification services for complete railway systems.

Overall-Independent Safety Assessment (O-ISA)
Assessment of subsystem interfaces and of subsystems integration
Assessment of O&M Operation and Maintenance
Testing and assessment of IT security

Functional Safety Services for Rail Automation and Embedded Systems

Relevant standards include IEC 61508, ISO 13849, ISO 26262, Machinery Directive, EN5012x and IEC 62443.

Hardware, software and system analyses incl. probabilistic methods
Gap analysis of safety development processes
Testing and assessment of safety features
EC Type examination according to the Machinery Directive
Safety element out of Context (SEooC) & generic products: certificate of conformity
Environmental testing (EMC, electrical safety and optical characteristics)
Certification of electronic systems and applications according to functional safety standards
Certification of functional safety management systems (FSMS)
Certification of products and processes according to industrial IT security standards

Supporting New Technologies

TÜV SÜD also participates in pioneer projects in the field of hydrogen technologies. We review the safety issues associated with hydrail and hybrid railway equipment and systems and discuss how risk assessment practices can help manufacturers to speed up the development process by enabling the resolution of safety concerns already early in the development phase, thereby reducing the likelihood of last-minute design changes and delays. Some of these technologies are for example: