Maintenance of rolling stock and ECM certification

Rail rolling stock maintenance includes the routine inspection, servicing, and repair of railway vehicles to ensure their safe and efficient operation.

Rolling stock manufacturers, keepers, ECMs, and operators face the challenge of guaranteeing personal safety while protecting the value of their assets and the environment, all while complying with statutory requirements and product liability regulations.

TÜV SÜD offers a wide range of rail maintenance assessment and training services to guide you on all of the above.

Rail maintenance is vital to meet stringent safety and regulatory requirements. Well-maintained rail systems minimise system downtime and reduce operational costs. They achieve this by avoiding unexpected failures that can lead to costly delays and repairs. Efficient maintenance processes help anticipate potential issues before they cause major disruptions, thereby saving time and money. 

These maintenance activities need to take place while ensuring safe and smooth travel experiences for commuters. Integrating maintenance activities seamlessly requires strategies that balance operational demands with maintenance requirements. 

Another factor that necessitates a thorough approach is resource allocation. Effective allocation of personnel, materials, and equipment is crucial for both operations and maintenance. Poor resource management can lead to delays, increased costs, and compromised safety. It takes expertise to support efficient and optimised resource management from planning to execution.

As rail systems become more advanced, operators must integrate new technologies while ensuring compatibility with existing systems. This requires continuous learning and adaptation to incorporate new tools and techniques that enhance operational efficiency and safety.

TÜV SÜD has over 50 years of experience in the rail sector and possesses extensive specialised expertise in all types of systems and subsystems related to rail transport and rolling stock.

We are recognised worldwide as a railway safety assessor, and many of our experts hold accreditation from Germany, as well as other European and international authorities.

We provide you with overall testing support in the fields of rail maintenance and relevant management processes. We assess your existing solutions, support you during your projects, and offer suitable training.

We are your partner for all testing services throughout the entire scope of rail, light rail, and metro system assessment, providing services as a Notified Body (NoBo), Designated Body (DeBo), Assessment Body (AsBo), and ECM Certification Body (ECM CB) under one roof.

Our assessment and testing services will support you in maintenance and the relevant management processes. These include evaluating your existing solutions, assessing strategies, and verifying entire concepts and programs.

ECM certification

Entities in Charge of Maintenance (ECMs) are responsible for organising a maintenance management system and thus play a crucial role in the safety of the European railway system.

ECM Regulation (EU) 2019/779 is a trusted ECM certification that validates improved safety and reliability in railway transport. Compliance with this regulation can minimise potential risks, increase efficiency of rail maintenance processes, prevent accidents, and reduce operating costs.

The Federal Railway Authority of Germany has recognised TÜV SÜD as the first certification body for ECMs in Germany. We have many years of experience in the field of ECM certification and the certification of ECM maintenance functions.

Rail maintenance training

We offer training on various topics related to the maintenance of rail vehicles. These include ECM training and risk management training. Our specialist trainers have many years of practical experience.

Internal auditor training with a focus on ECMs

Our training for internal auditors focuses on implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/779. It prepares auditors comprehensively for the challenges of legal requirements and the ISO 9001 quality standard. We can conduct the training virtually via MS Teams or face-to-face.

Minimum number of participants: 6

Maximum number of participants: 14

Requirements for ECM training:

• Access to the current version of Regulation 2019/779 for group work. 
• Access to MS Office programs or comparable for group work. 

We also provide other training content covered by our partner, TÜV SÜD Academy

Maintenance assessments

This comprises:

• Maintenance theory and strategies.
• Maintenance concepts and planning processes.
• Organisation of maintenance. 
• Maintenance processes.

Management processes for maintenance

This comprises:

• Maintenance (e.g.; ECM).
• Risk management (Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 402/2013 – risk analysis/evaluation and assessment).
• Quality and requirement management.
• Documentation and information.
• Safety at work and environmental protection.
• Management systems (requirement and interface specification).

Certifications in cooperation with our affiliated groups

This comprises:

• International Railway Industry Standard (IRIS) certification for Quality Management Systems (QMS).
• Welding (EN 15085). 
• Non-destructive testing. 
• Systems requiring obligatory monitoring.