Rail refurbishment services

Rail refurbishment services are a set of services that involve the upgrading and modernisation of rolling stock. With technological advancements and increased passenger expectations for safety and comfort, railway operators are frequently faced with the decision to upgrade their fleet or replace aging rolling stock. This increases the need for a trusted third-party such as TÜV SÜD to evaluate rolling stock refurbishments.

Rail refurbishment allows operators to maximise the utility of existing assets, adapt to current technological standards, and reduce environmental impact by prolonging the life of existing rolling stock.

Rail parts and components are often no longer available from the original suppliers, introducing a more complex process of obtaining appropriate parts. There is a need to balance the costs of refurbishment against the potential benefits. Seamlessly integrating modern equipment with older systems can be a challenge. Once refurbished, the rolling stock should meet current safety and performance standards.

TÜV SÜD offers comprehensive rolling stock refurbishment services including quality assurance, conformity and safety assessments, obsolescence management, assessment of maintenance procedures to help you make informed decisions about rolling stock upgrades and refurbishments.

With decades of experience in rail refurbishment projects, we can assure high standards of quality and safety. We can do this while helping you to achieve cost-efficiency through strategic refurbishment.

We can customise our service offerings to meet your specific refurbishment needs. Our deep knowledge of national and international regulatory requirements means we can facilitate your market access.

We offer quality assurance and safety assessment through the following services:

• Acknowledgement of intended improvements of the refurbishment.
• Inspection of rolling stock regarding remaining lifespan.    
• Evaluation of changes and analysis of imposed risk (CSM).    
• Obsolescence management.    
• Assessment of new subsystems to be introduced or parts to be replaced.    
• Analysis and assessment of necessary control software to ensure functional safety with new hardware units.    
• Analysis of reactive effects of changes on other subsystems and the total system (total weight and weight distribution, clearance, safety against derailment, braking system, electric power supply, fire safety, EMC, operation modes, qualification of staff and maintenance).    
• Definition of required inspections and tests.    
• Verification of final design.    
• Production inspections.    
• Assessment of conformity to EN standards and other international or national standards.    
• EC-assessment and certification.    
• Assessment of maintenance procedures.