The primary purpose of the RAL Supervisory Board, is to review the controls in place within RAL's management systems to ensure the impartiality, independence and confidentiality of the certification services it provides. In accordance with RAL's certification promise, the views of all customers of its certification work should be represented at this forum and all customers are invited to attend should they so wish.

The next RAL Supervisory Board is scheduled for Friday 14th May 2010, at the RAL Pride Park Offices, Derby. If you would like to attend the meeting, or discuss any views that you wish to be represented, then please contact the RAL Office on 08701 407633 or e-mail us using the site contact information.

RAL becomes approval body for new railway vehicles in France

Railway Approvals Limited (RAL), the well established approval body for railway rolling stock in the UK, has been appointed as an approval body in France.

The expansion of RAL’s approvals expertise into France forms a natural development of its recognition by the French authorities as a competent OSTI body (Organisme ou Service Technique Independant). In recent years RAL was responsible for ensuring the modified class 66 locomotives for rail freight operator Euro Cargo Rail complied with French technical requirements to operate on the French rail network.

From January this year, French law replaced the OSTI with a new body called EOQA (Expert ou Organisme Qualifié Agréé) to provide the approvals service for new railway rolling stock. RAL was appointed as an EOQA by EPSF, the French safety authority, on 13 March 2009. As a result, the scope of RAL’s accreditation in France is now for:

• Rolling Stock (locomotives, power cars, EMUs, DMUs, coaches and track maintenance machines)
• Freight Wagons

This expansion of RAL’s approval expertise has led the company to win contracts from the following suppliers to approve locomotives for use in France:

• OSTI for EMD : Diesel locomotives JT42CWRM-120 (Class 77 120kmh)
• OSTI for Vossloh : Diesel locomotives E4000
• NoBo (SRT) for Alstom Transport : Diesel locomotive BB475100

In addition, RAL has been awarded another contract from Alstom Transport for their new Electric PRIMA ELII locomotive. The contract requires RAL to take the role of a NoBo for Noise and Safety in Rail Tunnels as well as EOQA for the whole vehicle acceptance.

Dev Anand, Managing Director of Railway Approvals Limited, said: “We are honoured that RAL has met the high standards required to be an EOQA, enabling us to expand into France. I am particularly pleased for our team whose considerable experience is enabling new locomotives to be safely approved for operation on the French network.”

- ends -

Notes to Editors:

• The accreditation declaration for RAL is on the EPSF website: http://www.securite-ferroviaire.fr/fr/index.php?mod=1&id=70 . The EOQA accreditation is for a period of five years at a time.