Wagon Condition Programme

The WCP has three core workstreams:

1. Wagon maintenance practices and processes, the organisation of responsibilities for maintenance between ECMs and other industry actors. And, how the industry can successfully deploy and exploit technology to inform and manage vehicle condition in real time.
2. The practices and procedures for train preparation as the train enters the network, yard operation and facilities, tools, training, and competence of staff charged with undertaking safety check and intervention.
3. New research to fill industry knowledge gaps of freight train behaviour. Particularly, those associated with freight train performance under braking, including in conditions of low adhesion.

It has two additional workstreams:

• To improve the clarity of the legal duties between ECMs, freight train operating companies, manufacturers, and suppliers who overhaul equipment off-vehicle.
• To assess the risks that freight vehicles pose when being presented to the network as a result of their condition.

In 2024, the Wagon Condition Programme and RSSB undertook a review to assess the scale and nature of the risk associated with the condition of freight wagons. They:

• reviewed current practice among entities in charge of maintenance
• quantified the safety risk from wagon-related derailments
• evaluated the costs that can be saved through the avoidance of these incidents to develop a quantified risk assessment and business case for further improvement
• identified the potential benefits from WCP workstreams to support the direction and allocation of resources.

The review found that safety is not the dominant driver for wagon condition improvement. The monetised safety benefit from further risk reduction is low. There is a very low case for substantial investment on this basis alone. However, there is a modest but not insignificant case to do more to prevent wagon condition related incidents at an industry level.

The report is available to RSSB members.

The Condition of Freight Vehicles on the Network (CFVN) programme was supported by National Freight Safety Group. It was set up to address issues relating to freight vehicles on the network. It had two objectives:

• Develop a new agreed rail industry standard for train preparation activities.
• Develop and enhance the competency for our safety critical workers.

The Wagon Condition Programme supersedes and builds on the work of the CFVN programme. Outputs from the CFVN programme  are available from the RSSB website.

This document summarises the work that took place to review all relevant law and guidance and give clarity on who’s responsible for delivering safety through train preparation.

It sets out the obligations of the FOC and the ECM, describing what each party can expect from the other. This will ensure that both groups can properly and carefully do their jobs and trust that the other is also doing what’s needed to keep the system safe.

The document has also, in the absence of any existing legal or guidance requirements, developed the scope and content for train departure technical examination.

Download the document here.

This document summarises the work that took place to explore whether the current rail legislative framework in GB could result in an overlap of duties between ECMs and OEMs/suppliers or, worse, some gaps in safety management.

The goal was to provide absolute clarity on the roles and responsibilities of the ECM and OEMs/suppliers to assure the safety of safety-critical services and components. This was done by:

• reviewing all applicable law and guidance
• identifying any gaps and deficiencies in the law
• identifying the principal obligations of ECMs and suppliers.

Download the document here.