Starting a Railway asset maintenance company.

[Coyno86]

Please help. I’m looking to find out as much information a possible with regards to starting a new company on the railway and the specific requirements needed.
I assume you would need public liability and a health and safety policy. Also how do you get into a position to self sponsor? Thank you in advance

 

[PupCuff]

It's a case of 'where do you even start' really to be honest. I'd suggest looking at bringing in a consultant (or consultants) with experience in new businesses in the rail maintenance sector. Consider, premises, suitable directors and senior management, competent staff, competent safety management people, finance & accountancy, HR arrangements, insurance requirements, contracts experts and suchlike, and once all those questions have been answered then look at the things you'll need to box off to supply to rail organisations, this could be things like meeting environmental standards, having fatigue management systems in place or having staff trained to certain competencies etc. A lot will depend on what you want to do. If it's changing lightbulbs in railway stations for instance then that's a lot less specialised than if your company is going to be maintaining OHLE, but what you will find is many organisations on the railway will already have long-term contracts with people for these kinds of tasks. Will you be able to offer your services more competitively than the trusted suppliers who already hold agreements to supply this work?

 

[LCC106]

Think your last sentence says a lot, PupCuff. If Coyno86 already has experience, contacts and great working relationships with prospective clients then that’s half the battle. Of course, even if it’s a one person outfit he or she still needs to tick a hell of a lot of boxes in a highly regulated industry.

Coyno86, you may struggle to get the info you’re looking for here as many forum members are based in or looking for operational roles such as driver, guard etc.

 

[Coyno86]

Thank you. To start with would be a basically a 3 or 4 man gang. Probably to start with we would aim for deveg work along Lines of route and minor brickwork repairs to structures like bridges and culverts. Access gates installations and platform works such as coper and tactile replacements. Once we have established ourselves then obviously we would grow and hopefully move on to bigger contracts.

Think your last sentence says a lot, PupCuff. If Coyno86 already has experience, contacts and great working relationships with prospective clients then that’s half the battle. Of course, even if it’s a one person outfit he or she still needs to tick a hell of a lot of boxes in a highly regulated industry.

Coyno86, you may struggle to get the info you’re looking for here as many forum members are based in or looking for operational roles such as driver, guard etc.

Yes this is my issue, I’ve gained several good contacts over the last few years and at a stage where I could start to turn the idea into reality. If I know exactly what the boxes are I need to tick then I can start to put a business plan together. Thank you guys. Really appreciate all the feed back

 

[endofthetunnel]

I can’t speak for specific railway needs, but in general if you’re running a company that employs people and does service contracts for industry, you’ll need more than just ‘public liability and a health and safety policy”
Apologies if you were just being succinct and this is stuff you already know -

You should expect to need employers liability insurance as well as public liability, and business insurance that covers your sector, and includes professional indemnity.
You’ll need more than a policy for health and safety - you would be expected to have risk assessments and method statements for every job you will be carrying out, written by competent people, and which all staff are trained and competent in following.
If you’re employing people you’ll need to know they’re trained and competent in what you’re employing them to do, and you’ll need to ensure you have the paper trail for the whole process in case of incidents. And then if you need to have a paper trail and hold staff details, you’ll inevitably need a GDPR policy and systems in place for that too!

 

[Coyno86]

Thank you. All these bits of information are really helpful to give me the full picture. Yes I was only outlining what I had been told about requirements in the previous posts. If I’m set up as an agency will this differ much rather than a company as I could have self employed sub contractors that I can use when needed. Rather than have employees and a big wage bill between contracts?
Still unclear about self sponsoring also if someone could help please? Sorry I’m not very good at wording all this. Thank you

 

[Philip Phlopp]

The starting point is what is your current railway industry experience. What qualifications and certifications do you currently have.

I notice a comment above about changing light bulbs on stations - a seemingly simple and easy task, but in addition to the usual working at height risk assessments, you will need to risk assess drifting into the electrical clearance envelope for any 25kV OLE when you're on your scaffolding or up your ladder (and given there's some areas of the network where 25kV AC and 750V/1500V DC OLE can be found, you'll want to ensure additional electrification systems are included in your risk assessment).

For many risk assessments, you'll potentially have to compromise between what the HSE says is safe, and what is achievable and considered safe under RSSB rules and guidance. If we use the lightbulb analogy again, that could be changing the lightbulb above head height rather than at waist level so it prevents your incursion into the electrical clearance envelope.

 

[Coyno86]

The starting point is what is your current railway industry experience. What qualifications and certifications do you currently have.

I notice a comment above about changing light bulbs on stations - a seemingly simple and easy task, but in addition to the usual working at height risk assessments, you will need to risk assess drifting into the electrical clearance envelope for any 25kV OLE when you're on your scaffolding or up your ladder (and given there's some areas of the network where 25kV AC and 750V/1500V DC OLE can be found, you'll want to ensure additional electrification systems are included in your risk assessment).

For many risk assessments, you'll potentially have to compromise between what the HSE says is safe, and what is achievable and considered safe under RSSB rules and guidance. If we use the lightbulb analogy again, that could be changing the lightbulb above head height rather than at waist level so it prevents your incursion into the electrical clearance envelope.

I have 3 years experience in the following areas:
Structures/Culverts - Brickwork Recase, Stitching and Repointing. Minor nap cem repairs. Handrail installations, deveg, Pigeon netting.
Station Platforms -Coper and tactile installations and repairs, tarmac renewals. Access gates installation Suicide gates installation.

I realise that this is not a huge amount of experience nor a very wide range of jobs but I intend on starting with what I know I’m confident and experienced to do.

I have the following tickets:
- SMSTS
-SSSTS
-CPCS 360, Telehandler, Dumper
- CSCS
- 3 Day first aif
- IPAF
-Pasma
- COSS
-Strapman
- Ironman
- Small Tools
- Track Trolley

 

[endofthetunnel]

I don’t want to get into a discussion about self employed subcontractors vs employees, but look up IR35 and consult a proper accountant. It’s a very grey area.

Playing devils advocate here, I’ve never worked a day on the railway in terms of track work etc but from my other job I have a very similar long list of electrical/plant/IPAF/First aid tickets and also health and safety/management qualifications, and unfortunately if you’re bidding for work, it’s the H&S/legalities and legislative things you’ll need rather than just knowing what the job is and how to do it, I expect.

I’m sure your fully skilled for the tasks and could maybe just operate an agency to a company already contracted for work but to bid/tender for a project with a company like NWR will have to jump through lots of compliance hoops and have every ‘I’ dotted and ‘T’ crossed!

 

[Coyno86]

Thank you for your reply. I’m happy to operate as an agency and establish myself that way. The big jump for me will be going from a worker to a business. That for me is the unknown. I guess I’m comfortable doing what I’m doing. But I give advise to all my friends and sat you have to take risks sometimes in life. If I weigh it up all I’ve got to lose is the money I invest. I can get a job with a handful of companies easily. Thank you everyone. Really appreciate it

 

[thecrofter]

Just to add...a lot depends on who are you offering your services to. Network Rail can only directly contract suppliers who have a Contractor's Railway Safety Case. That's why many smaller suppliers work via main contractors as sub (and sub-sub) contractors.

 

[Coyno86]

Just to add...a lot depends on who are you offering your services to. Network Rail can only directly contract suppliers who have a Contractor's Railway Safety Case. That's why many smaller suppliers work via main contractors as sub (and sub-sub) contractors.

Ok thank you. I think as this would be a new venture I would be better off doing work with main contract or sub as you say. Do you have any other information that could be useful? I’m also still trying to find out how you become a self sponsor? Thank you in advance.