Rolling Stock

Explore how industry sets and maintains standards for the design, operation, and maintenance of rolling stock.

The term ‘rolling stock’ refers to the trains. It covers many different types of vehicles used to operate services or maintain the track. There are over 16,000 individual rail vehicles on Britain’s railways. The majority of these are units, carriages and locomotives for passenger services, as well as wagons and locomotives for freight. Engineering activities, freight handling and accident recovery work need cranes and maintenance vehicles.

This area of discipline can be further categorised into:
the physical structure of rolling stock – all aspects of vehicle design, construction and maintenance associated with vehicle structures, wheels and axles, brakes, draw gear and couplings

the safety aspects of rolling stock – such as fire resistance, derailment risk, gauge, cab design and interior environment (air quality, lighting, noise and vibration), visibility and audibility, train safety systems, doors and windows, the supply of safety critical products and services

power and control issues – electromagnetic compatibility issues, train control and communication systems and associated data recorders, vehicle conformance assessment, maintenance and testing.
How our experts work with industry

We have a team of experts with considerable experience in all aspects of rolling stock, and who have worked first-hand on the challenges that industry faces. They lend their expertise to the creation and review of relevant standards.

RSSB provides cross-industry governance for industry decisions and activities in many areas of rail improvement. Rail industry standards relating to rolling stock are managed by the Rolling Stock Standards Committee. Specifically, the committee in conjunction with RSSB, oversees the development and maintenance of standards, guidance notes and other documents which train operators, infrastructure managers, and train manufactures use in developing rolling stock designs, operating and maintaining rail vehicles, and developing safety management systems, associated processes and procedures. It also considers the interfaces between rolling stock and other systems of the railway (energy, plant, signalling, infrastructure, operations).