RAIL E-SSENTIALS

TÜV SÜD Rail becomes the first certification body for ECMs in Germany

Since February 2022, TÜV SÜD Rail is now recognised by the German Federal Railway Authority (EBA) as the first certification body for Entities in Charge of Maintenance (ECMs) in Germany. Responsible for the organisation of a maintenance management system, ECMs play an important safety role in the European railway system. TÜV SÜD Rail gained recognition as the first Designated Body (DeBo) for rolling stock in Germany as early as 2018.

Maintenance plays a central safety role for rail operations as a whole. For this reason, the role of ECM was established at European level and the provisions on certification laid down in Regulation (EU) No. 2019/779. The regulation establishes the requirements for both ECMs and certification bodies. ECMs are responsible for establishing and controlling a structured and transparent management system for the maintenance of rail vehicles. Certification of ECMs improves the traceability of maintenance measures, thereby ensuring higher safety in rail operations.

TÜV SÜD is one of the leading providers of testing, inspection and certification services to the rail industry – from conventional rail systems to high-speed trains and metro and urban rail systems. Over 450 experts from the Rail Services business unit support manufacturers, operators and authorities worldwide throughout all stages of a project and all phases of a product’s life cycle. To do so, TÜV SÜD maintains its own test facility for rail applications and proprietary testing tools and holds all necessary international accreditations and approvals.