RSK Business Solutions

With more than 170 professionals, RSK-BSL provides tailored solutions to a global client base spanning the UK and Europe, the USA, Canada and India. By bringing practical industry knowledge together with purpose-built technology, RSK-BSL helps organisations manage risk, improve safety, optimise performance and deliver projects with confidence.

Rail safety assurance and risk management

RSK-BSL provides safety assurance and risk management services across heavy and light rail infrastructure. Its specialists support the full project life cycle – from early design and feasibility through commissioning and handback to in-service operation – assessing and modelling risk at every stage.

RSK-BSL works alongside Network Rail, rail operators, principal contractors and supply chain partners to embed proportionate safety assurance within project delivery.

Rail engineering services

Signal overrun risk assessments

• SORAT and SORAT-LX assessments, workshops, reports and handback support
• Development and application of the SORAT toolset
• Application of the Signalling Risk Assessment Handbook

As an industry technical authority, RSK-BSL co-developed the Signal Overrun Risk Assessment Tool (SORAT) with Network Rail. SORAT was launched in 2013, followed by SORAT-LX in 2020.

Driveability and signal sighting

• Driveability assessments
• Signal sighting and signal sighting committee support
• Minor and major scheme assessments
• Safe integration of infrastructure changes in accordance with driveability standards and industry codes of practice

Engineering safety assurance

• Common Safety Method for Risk Evaluation and Assessment (CSM-RA) compliance and conformance
• Hazard identification (HazID) and hazard and operability (HazOP) workshops
• Independent verification and validation (IV&V)
• Interoperability conformance and technical compatibility assessments
• System Operator Change Assurance Tool (SOCAT) reviews
• Digital hazard management

Level crossings

• Nine-day usage census and traffic/usage surveys
• Level crossing risk assessments and safety case support
• Ground plan design
• Level crossing orders and consultations
• Asset inspections, condition audits and photographic records
• Drone-based surveys and innovation projects, including RSK-BSL’s Census Map

Other operational risk

• European Train Control System (ETCS) and other signalling risk assessments
• Bespoke risk modelling
• Train dispatch and platform–train interface (PTI) risk assessments
• Ergonomics and workload assessments
• Pedestrian flow analysis
• Trap point, buffer stop spacing and High Performance Switch System (HPSS) risk assessments

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Traffic and road surveys

Building on its level crossing census capability, RSK-BSL delivers traffic and road surveys for rail, highways and transport planning projects, from individual locations to network-wide studies.

• Classified vehicle, pedestrian and cyclist counts
• Road traffic and vehicle speed surveys
• Origin–destination surveys
• Queue length and journey time surveys
• Parking and parking stress/beat surveys
• Active travel monitoring
• Public transport passenger and usage surveys
• Drone-based traffic and network surveys

Digital rail solutions

RSK-BSL develops bespoke digital platforms that streamline safety assurance, data collection, analysis, action management and reporting. These tools reduce programme time, cost and administrative effort while improving consistency, visibility and traceability.

RSK-BSL’s digital hazard management solution supports the application of CSM-RA and wider safety assurance requirements. It replaces fragmented, error-prone spreadsheets with a single, auditable environment for managing hazards, causes, consequences, controls, evidence, decisions and actions.

The solution is aligned with Common Hazards for the Management of Industry Safety (CHAMOIS, also known as RSSB T1194), incorporating the British rail industry’s 18 core hazards. It provides real-time visibility of assurance progress and measurable efficiencies across hazard record creation, compliance management, evidence tracking, mitigation actions and reporting.

RSK-BSL’s rail technology track record

RSK-BSL does not simply apply industry risk tools – it develops them. Its track record includes:

• co-development of SORAT and SORAT-LX with Network Rail
• development of the Signalling Risk Assessment Handbook
• development of the RSSB platform–train interface (PTI) Tool
• development of the Iarnród Éireann Level Crossing Risk Model
• development of NIR-SORAT for Translink
• development of IE-SORAT for Iarnród Éireann
• support to Metrolinx in Canada with speed and depot protection risk models
• development of the Trackside Risk Assessment Tool (TRAM).

This experience demonstrates RSK-BSL’s ability to combine specialist rail engineering with software development to deliver safety-critical tools in the UK and internationally.

Information technology services

Alongside its rail expertise, RSK-BSL provides custom software development, smart sourcing and offshore product development. These services are tailored to organisations across sectors including energy and utilities, logistics, fintech and healthcare.

Its cybersecurity services include bespoke protection plans, proactive defence strategies and rapid threat response, helping organisations safeguard their systems and digital assets.

RSK-BSL also develops innovative proprietary applications, including:

• CompassEnviro Suite: A project management and environmental compliance platform that improves data accuracy and supports the management of legal compliance, sustainability and project risk
• Check Me In: A secure workforce safety platform for managing employee check-ins, notifications and emergency responses.

With a focus on functional, scalable and user-friendly solutions, RSK-BSL’s teams develop applications using platforms including Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS). Its smart sourcing services also provide flexible, cost-effective resources that enable organisations to respond to changing business demands.

Why RSK Business Solutions?

RSK-BSL offers:

• long-standing rail industry experience
• technically rigorous and practical safety assurance
• rail engineering and software development under one roof
• proven risk models and digital tools
• support across the full project life cycle
• technical engineering and digital tool training
• collaborative and proportionate project delivery
• experience supporting Network Rail, Iarnród Éireann, Translink and Metrolinx.

Moving projects forward – safely

RSK Business Solutions combines specialist consultancy, safety assurance, operational risk management and advanced technology to help organisations deliver safer, more efficient and better-informed projects.