Ricardo gains Designated Body status for Ireland's railways

Ricardo has achieved Designated Body (DeBo) status in Ireland.

Awarded by the Commission for Railway Regulation (CRR) in Ireland, it follows a rigorous assessment process and allows Ricardo to check compliance against the National Rules for railways in Ireland.

As part of the European Interoperability Directive, Member States are required to publish National Rules to address gaps in European Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSIs), and to notify these to the European Commission. In Ireland these are published by CRR. Designated Bodies are recognised by the Member States to be able to check compliance with the published National Rules.

The new DeBo recognition means that Ricardo is now able to offer clients and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) wishing to provide new or upgraded railway subsystems in Ireland a “one stop shop” for all relevant independent assurance services in Ireland. Ricardo Certification B.V. * is now able to issue Designated Body Certificates of Verification that can be used to support applications made for the authorisation of railway subsystems in Ireland.

Ricardo has several projects already underway with Irish clients and OEMs, where accredited Assessment Body (AsBo) and Notified Body (NoBo) services are already being provided. The Designated Body service can therefore be bolted on to these services in a seamless manner to offer our clients a smoother project assurance journey. Examples in Ireland include Track Recording Vehicle (TRV), On-Track Inspection Cars (OTIC) and ballast ploughs. 

This latest Designated Body recognition expands our portfolio of rail recognitions throughout Europe – with existing accreditations, appointments, or recognitions already in place for the provision of Designated Body services in the UK, The Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, and Spain. Further recognitions are being sought in Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

The DeBo recognition certificate from the Commission for Railway Regulation (CRR) in Ireland is accessible here.

* - Ricardo Certification B.V. is part of Ricardo Certification, a set of companies within the Ricardo group performing independent assurance and testing services, including Notified Body, Designated Body, and Independent Safety Assessments. For more information see here.