Railway Industry Supplier Assessment Scheme - RISAS

The Background

The Rail Industry Supplier Approval Scheme (RISAS) has been developed by a cross-industry working group in the UK, comprising the Railway Industry Association (RIA) and the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) under the banner of "ATOC and RIA - Transforming Trains Together".

RISAS aims to provide economies of scale to the railway industry by reducing duplication in the auditing and assessment of suppliers of critical materials and services. Initially RISAS is focused on the market for the overhaul of assets and components for trains. RISAS will help to ensure that suppliers of critical products to the railway industry have the right systems, processes, competence, resources, and procedures.

What can we offer?

CORREL Rail Ltd has been accredited as one of the first Railway Industry Supplier Approval Bodies (RISAB's) in the UK. This allows us to assess suppliers' overhaul and repair of products in the following product groups for material and services:

  • Running gear
  • Brake products
  • Mechanical equipment
  • Electrical equipment
  • Electric traction equipment
  • Diesel traction equipment
  • Transmission equipment
  • Trainborne safety and monitoring equipment
  • Door and windscreen equipment
  • Train interior equipment
  • Procurement of vehicle maintenance, repair, modifications, overhaul and refurbishment
  • Delivery of vehicle maintenance, repair, modifications, overhaul and refurbishment

RISAS is currently aimed at critical components used in train overhauls and the procurement and delivery of vehicle maintenance and modifications. This is an area that represents a major opportunity for efficiency, as there are many customers and a complex supply chain.

Up to now, suppliers may have been audited separately by their different customers. RISAS seeks to simplify this by means of a single, thorough, transferable third-party assessment, in which customers can have confidence, and which identifies a supplier as RISAS Approved for various defined product (material and service) groups.

To gain accreditation our assessors have demonstrated their technical and assessment skills, a thorough appreciation of the key issues and the ability to see beyond simple processes. Accreditation was undertaken and overseen by Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB).

CORREL Rail Ltd has been involved in the development of the scheme with RIA and ATOC and has actively tested the assessment process for the material product groups.

CORREL Rail Ltd continues at the forefront of the development of the assessment process for new product groups and is working with RSSB on the accreditation process, including implementation of a pilot audit on a major vehicle maintainer.

Further information about RISAS can be found at www.risas-online.org.