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Smart Rail Services Provides Specialist Forensic Engineering Services to Businesses in the Rail Sector and Associated Engineering Led Organisations

From time to time when things go wrong, it is important to quickly, efficiently and effectively understand why. As an Engineering led, independent organisation with a wealth of experience in the highly regulated rail industry, Smart Rail Services can provide a range of expertise in these circumstances, such as :

Failure scene analysis, advice on residual safety risks, evidence collation and preservation

Detailed inspection of failed vehicles, vehicle systems and components to identify potential failure mechanisms

Microscopic examination and analysis of systems and components, to establish failure initiation mechanisms

Presentation of findings in detailed technical reports

Technical Expert or Expert witness services

Failure Scene Analysis

By their nature, when failures occur the impacts on surrounding equipment or components can be extreme. In circumstances such as these, it is imperative that a true record of the scene is made if meaningful investigations of root cause are to be carried out. It is also vital that when working in these circumstances, the safety of all personnel is paramount and risks may not always be obvious to those attending the scene. In these circumstances Smart Rail Services can provide expertise to emergency services to enable quick assessment and remediation of residual risks.

Vehicle and Component Inspections

Given the size, mass and levels of energy involved in the majority of incidents involving rail vehicles and rail vehicle components, the levels of damage that occur when things go wrong are typically significant. In these instances, it is important to effectively identify which aspects of the damage are associated with the root cause of the failure, and which are consequences of the failure occuring. With more than ten years experience of Rail Vehicle Engineering and Operation, Smart Rail Services is able to quickly assess even the most confused of circumstances to establish the sequence of events leading up to and after a failure. This ensures that more detailed examination of individual components can be carried out in a systematic and effective manner.

Detailed Examinations and Analysis

To effectively identify the root cause of a failure, it is often necessary to carry out detailed examinations and analysis of failed components and associated equipment. Smart Rail Services is able to carry out extremely detailed examination of components, working in a systematic and logical manner, and regularly leads such investigations for major clients. Using a variety of techniques, including microscopic analysis, Smart Rail Services can quickly and effectively identify the initiating cause and establish the mechanism by which the failure was able to progress. Smart Rail Services Engineers are also experienced in the assessment of results from other means of analysis, such as oil sampling and spectroscopic sampling, and the effective assimilation of information gained from these techniques.

Technical Expert and Expert Witness

Smart Rail Services Engineers are regularly engaged by a number of major clients to act as Technical Experts when Warranty Claims, or other detailed engineering investigations are required. These clients recognise that the independence, extensive experience and fundamental engineering expertise these Engineers provide is invaluable in ensuring that investigations are handled in a fair manner and the results presented without fear or favour.

In some circumstances, in spite of the best efforts of the investigating parties, it is not not possible to achieve an equitable resolution following a failure event. In other circumstances, the failure may have resulted from a failure to apply or comply with mandatory standards or regulations. In both circumstances, Smart Rail Services can provide Engineers with the necessary levels of expertise, experience and industry credibility to act as Expert Witnesses on behalf of Client organisations.

For more details on any of the services provided by Smart Rail Services, please Contact Us.