History of CORREL Rail Limited
In 1995 ALSTOM Transport UK (formally GEC Alstom) decided that it was necessary to have its own Vehicle Acceptance Body (VAB). Three Principal Engineers were put together as a team to generate a process that would satisfy both the requirements of Railtrack and the requirements of the new build industry that was undergoing significant change of its own in terms of lead times, supplier base etc.
After considerable effort and thought a systematic Requirements Capture, Verification and Validation process was put in place and the ALSTOM Vehicle Acceptance Body was fully licensed by Railtrack to operate.
Over the intervening years it has built up an enviable reputation as the number one VAB for new build and has registered a large number and variation of rolling stock. In this time it has always been managed by one or other of the original Principal Engineers responsible for its set up.
In 2001 two of these engineers have teamed up with another VAB manager to form a Management Buy Out team to whom ALSTOM have sold their VAB business.
With the approval of all parties, including Railway Safety, CORREL Rail Ltd officially started trading as a new company and VAB on April 1st 2001. This new company is totally independent from ALSTOM and is free to offer its unique and market leading services across the whole European Traction and Rolling Stock manufacture and repair industry.
In 2004, following detailed assessment UKAS recommended, and the Department for Transport appointed, CORREL Rail as a permanent Notified Body under the Interoperability (High Speed) Regulations 2002. In 2006 CORREL Rail's notification was extended to include Conventional Rolling Stock
CORREL Rail offers a wide range of independent services including assessments, audits, approvals and certification required by the Rail industry.