RAMS planning and management
RAMS and system safety plans, RAM targets apportioned to subsystems, and the RAMS activities scheduled against the EN 50126 lifecycle.
SYSTEM ASSURANCE & RAMS
Railway RAMS and system safety assurance
Independent RAMS engineering, hazard analysis and safety case development for railway systems, aligned to EN 50126, EN 50129 and IEC 61508, from concept to entry into service.
WHAT WE DELIVER
RAMS and safety work, end to end
We plan the RAMS programme, carry out the analyses, and assemble the evidence into a safety argument that regulators, assessors and operators can follow.
A note on terms: in railway engineering, RAMS means Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Safety as defined in EN 50126, not construction "risk assessments and method statements".
Hazard identification and hazard logs
HAZID and HAZOP workshops, preliminary, system, subsystem and interface hazard analyses, and hazard log management through to verified closure.
Reliability and availability analysis
FMEA/FMECA, fault tree analysis, reliability block diagrams, Markov models and reliability prediction, demonstrating RAM targets are achievable.
Safety integrity and SIL
SIL determination using risk graphs or LOPA, tolerable hazard rate apportionment, and SIL allocation to safety functions under EN 50126-2 and IEC 61508.
Safety case development
Generic product, generic application and specific application safety cases to EN 50129, with GSN-structured arguments traced to evidence.
Independent review of RAMS deliverables
Technical review of supplier and contractor RAMS and safety submissions, gap analysis against the standards, and preparation of evidence for independent safety assessment.
STANDARDS
Aligned to the railway RAMS standards
- EN 50126-1 / -2Railway RAMS lifecycle and the systems approach to safety; the international equivalent is IEC 62278.
- EN 50129Safety-related electronic systems for signalling, including safety integrity levels and safety case structure.
- EN 50716Railway software development, replacing EN 50128 and EN 50657 for new projects.
- IEC 61508Functional safety of electrical, electronic and programmable electronic safety-related systems.
- IEC 60812 · IEC 61025 · IEC 61078 · IEC 61165Analysis techniques: FMEA, fault tree analysis, reliability block diagrams and Markov techniques.
DELIVERABLES
Typical deliverables
- RAMS plan and system safety plan
- Hazard log and hazard analysis reports (PHA, SHA, SSHA, IHA)
- FMECA and fault tree analysis reports
- RAM apportionment, prediction and demonstration reports
- SIL determination and allocation report
- Safety case and safety case report
- Verification and validation evidence matrix
HOW WE WORK
From hazard to accepted safety argument
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Scope the system
Define the system boundary, interfaces, operating context and the risk acceptance principles that apply.
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Identify and analyse
Run hazard identification, then FMECA, FTA and RAM modelling to understand failure behaviour and risk.
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Control and verify
Agree safety requirements and mitigations, allocate integrity levels, and verify each control is implemented.
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Argue and close
Build the safety case, trace every claim to evidence, and close hazards with the right stakeholders.
FAQ
Common questions
What does RAMS mean in railway engineering?
RAMS stands for Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Safety. EN 50126 defines a lifecycle process for specifying and demonstrating these characteristics for railway systems, from concept through to decommissioning.
When should RAMS work start on a rail project?
As early as the concept and system definition phases. RAM targets and safety requirements shape the architecture, and adding them late usually means rework and delayed approvals.
What is the difference between a RAMS plan and a safety case?
The RAMS plan sets out what will be done, by whom and when, to achieve and demonstrate RAMS. The safety case is the structured argument, supported by evidence, that the system is acceptably safe for its intended use.
Can you review RAMS deliverables from our suppliers?
Yes. We review supplier and contractor RAMS and safety submissions against the standards and your contract requirements, and give you a clear list of gaps and actions.
Which tools do you use for the analyses?
Our analysis work runs on Reliframe, our own platform, so FMECA, fault trees, hazard logs and requirements stay cross-linked. We also work in your toolset when a project requires it.
KEEP EXPLORING
Other services
Need RAMS or safety case support on a rail project?
Tell us where you are in the lifecycle and what you need to assure. We'll come back with a focused view of how we can help.