Rail and metro-Government

We support the delivery of a wide range of rail projects on behalf of government including rail franchising, research analysis and modelling.

Help and guidance for rail government organisations

We have supported the delivery of a wide range of rail franchising projects on behalf of the UK Department for Transport (DfT). Our experienced engineers and rail professionals can help rail government organisations to:

Develop safety cases for the introduction of new equipment, technology, vehicles and systems
Encourage and enable businesses in the rail industry to innovate
Understand cyber security risks, and develop strategies for the integration of cyber risks into the rail safety case system
Define the requirements for new rail equipment, to enable safe and effective deployment into the UK Network
Develop the requirements for rail franchise competitions, including comparator reviews, franchise financial modelling, and franchise bid evaluation

We work both nationally and internationally, and have supported the rail safety and standards board (RSSB) in the UK, and the rail industry safety and standards board (RISSB) in Australia. Our work on whole-system reliability for RSSB, looking at rolling stock, infrastructure and operations, was referenced by the McNulty Report in the UK. We have also developed guidance for the rail regulator in Queensland regarding driver only operation (DOO).

We supported the radical train competition, run by the rail industry's enabling innovation team (EIT - now under the banner of Future Railway), with technical evaluation and process support. Frazer-Nash assisted the EIT in shortlisting the entries, through a process which evaluated delivery challenge, cost, export potential, contribution to raising the profile of innovation in UK Rail, and technology maturity. These bidders were then invited to present their concepts to a review team comprising of EIT and representatives from train operating companies (TOCs), rolling stock operating companies (ROSCOs), and London Underground.

Our rail safety teams have significant experience in providing robust safety assessments for government clients. We are familiar with the processes and the requirements of safety cases and assessments, and have a successful track record.