It has two principal functions:

  • It acts as the custodian of the former British Railway Board’s library of traction and rolling stock drawings and other associated documents (also known as RMD).
  • It provides copies of such documentation to people and organisations who are entitled to access them, including the public.

Management of the RDDS library

The library contains up to 300,000 drawings and 30,000 maintenance documents that relate to traction and rolling stock introduced onto the GB railway network before 1996, as well as many other associated documents. The library is closed to new material.

Serco Raildata manages the provision of documents to rail organisations with access rights, and to other parties, on behalf of RDDS under a business services agreement.

Management of RDDS

Mark Phillips, Luisa Moisio and Mark Oakley, of RSSB, as executive directors of RDDS. Since the beginning of 2009 the annual budget for RDDS and the allocation of standing charges for subsequent years has been approved by the RSSB Board. With effect from 2011, RSSB members fund the bulk of the RDDS fixed costs through their basic membership levy. Two organisations that are not RSSB members pay a separate levy to RDDS. RDDS' operational costs are funded through call-off charges for copies of documents, which all parties pay. Changes to these charges are approved by the RSSB Board, usually annually.

Access to the documents

The general arrangements for access to the documents can be summarised as:

Access to BRB (now RSSB) IPR documents

Any party can have access to these documents in exchange for payment of the relevant call-off charge.
     
Access to third party IPR documents Only parties to Universal Licence Agreements can have access to third party IPR (non-BRB documents), again in exchange for payment of the relevant call-off charge.

RSSB’s acquisition of RDDS

RSSB, on behalf of the rail industry, acquired RDDS from the British Railways Board (Residuary) BRBR for a notional consideration on 30 March 2007. BRBR retained the ownership of the IPR vested in the documentation in the library until September 2013, when BRBR was abolished and the Secretary of State for Transport transferred it and all the rights and obligations of BRBR with respect to RDDS to RSSB.

Contact Information

PADS helpdesk

Contact the PADS helpdesk at Serco Raildata for most queries about documents in the RDDS library.

Tel: 0330 1098865
Email: padshelp@serco.com

RSSB company secretary

Contact RSSB’s company secretary for enquiries about entitlement to access third party IPR or about usage agreements.

Email: company.secretary@rssb.co.uk

Company information

RDDS is registered in England under company number 03128142. The registered office address is 5th Floor, 25 Fenchurch Avenue, London, England, EC3M 5AD.