Lloyd's Register - Expert Advice and Assurance Services for the Railway Industry

We are the specialist team of railway experts within the Lloyd's Register Group. From offices across the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, we provide a wide range of expert advisory and assurance services that help improve the safety, performance, quality and management of the world's rail systems.

Our services are delivered by a highly experienced international team of rail engineers and technicians with deep experience across all key disciplines, from rolling stock, signalling and telecommunications, to civil engineering, power systems, human factors and operations. We also draw upon a wealth of knowledge gained from our work in other sectors such as marine, energy and manufacturing.

Our independence from shareholder dividends is central to our ability to deliver technically correct judgements. This is why our rail clients trust us to be impartial, objective, and uncompromising in finding safe and reliable solutions. In an industry where safety and performance is paramount, there are few names you could trust more.

Independent safety assessor services for the railway and metro industry

To many people, Lloyd's Register is synonymous with independent assurance. We inspected and certified our first locomotive boiler in 1929 and have been assuring products, systems, processes and whole railways ever since.

In the Middle East we were the Independent Safety Assessor (ISA) for the entire Dubai Metro and have been appointed as the ISA for the 1,200km Etihad Rail project in the UAE. In Asia, we have supported the introduction of new signalling technologies in China through our product certification services and provided independent assessment for projects ranging from urban metros to high-speed main lines.

In Europe, we have supported infrastructure managers during the introduction of ETCS and are at the leading edge of ERTMS knowledge. We are the ISA for the Cambrian Early Deployment Scheme, the first ETCS system in the UK, and for the scheme to migrate the Danish rail network to ERTMS operation and control.

Technical expertise for rail businesses

Though renowned for our assurance expertise, we also provide expert advice and support across a range of disciplines including rolling stock, signalling, human factors, energy efficiency, project management, power systems, civil engineering and asset management.

This includes the provision of system-engineering solutions throughout the project lifecycle, from the development of specifications through to full system integration. For example, we develop risk assessments, safety management systems and RAM studies that cover anything from signalling systems to entire railways. We provide tools and analysis to help operators measure and reduce train energy and we undertake specialist human factors assessments of workplace environments from control centres to vehicle cabs.

Safety management services for the railway industry

Safety is the most important characteristic of a modern railway and influences procedures, technologies and standards in every aspect of the industry. But as railways become increasingly complex, achieving the appropriate balance of safety and railway performance becomes a major challenge in itself.

Lloyd's Register has a global reputation for safety management and our professionals continually advise and guide operators and infrastructure controllers on lowering risk and improving safety standards. We have particular expertise in train control and protection systems, ERTMS and ETCS, and also provide strategic consultancy on pre-implementation preparation and tailor-made solutions for ATP systems.

Vehicle and railway infrastructure testing

Testing and certification of rolling stock is a pre-requisite in most railway administrations. We have class-leading capability and experience in this area, with certification bodies accredited by national safety authorities across Europe. We are an EN17025-accredited railway vehicle testing body and test new and modified vehicles on a broad cross-section of railway infrastructure. Our team of EMC experts also undertake testing of new or modified railway infrastructure systems and vehicles.

Infrastructure and train-based condition monitoring systems

We have developed a range of infrastructure and train-based condition monitoring systems that can help prevent reasonable wear and tear on a railway escalating into costly or even life threatening failures.

We are European leaders in wheel-rail interface monitoring through our open wayside monitoring platform, 'Gotcha', which is today used for a variety of purposes, from track and rolling stock maintenance planning through to passenger counting and track access charging.

Training for transport professionals

The Lloyd's Register Transportation Academy provides tailored courses to meet the requirements of all transport professionals - whether qualified engineers, senior managers or recent graduates - who are looking to share experiences, exchange views or keep up-to-date with regulations, technologies and practices within their industry or specialist profession. Our current course prospectus is available at all times from our website.