Certifer
Belgium
Certifer Belgorail is an inspection and certification body founded in June 2004 to cover the need for voluntary and regulatory certification in the rail sector.
Belgorail’s founders were Vinçotte (inspection, certification, testing and measurement services), Transurb (an engineering consultancy that also provides services from technical experts and engineers) and Agoria (Federation of Belgian Industries in the sector).
Certifer Belgorail, a member of the Certifer Group since July 2017, specializes in providing inspection and certification services to meet national and international needs. It is accredited by BELAC, the Belgian accreditation body, according to the ISO/IEC 17065, ISO/IEC 17020, and ISO/IEC 17021 standards (references 335-PROD, 335-INSP, and 335-QMS). Certifer Belgorail operates under the supervision of its Board of Directors. The governance also includes a Certification Committee, a Committee for safeguarding impartiality, and an Appeals Committee. This governance structure is essential for ensuring the impartiality and integrity of the certification processes. Since its inception, Certifer Belgorail has gradually expanded its activities and has grown into:
- A Notified Body (NoBo) in accordance with European Directive (EU) 2016/797
- An officially recognised body for verification of compliance with Notified National Technical Rules in Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Spain, the Netherlands and Portugal (in European terminology a “Designated Body”/DeBo)
- A body responsible for coordination and execution of Rolling Stock Testing
- An Inspection Body in the rail sector
- An Independent Safety Assessment body (ISA)
- A Risk Management Methods Assessment Body (AsBo) in the framework of Common Safety Methods regulations
- A Certification Body for Entities in Charge of Maintenance (ECM certification) and Maintenance Workshops
- A Voluntary Verification body for all cases where a rail sector company wishes to ascertain the quality of a product, items of equipment or a service and compliance with the relevant standards.
Our company has also established various partnerships that have enabled it to broaden its battery of inspectors and auditors and extend the range of services offered.
PARTNERSHIP
Certifer Belgorail has established various collaboration and partnership agreements since its inception, allowing access to additional expert resources and specialist laboratories for testing. These partnerships enhance our capabilities and ensure high-quality testing and certification services.
ACTIVITIES
Certification services
We offer diverse certification services for both technical products and management systems.
Directive on the interoperability of the rail system in the European Union
- Conformity Assessment: We assess interoperability components and conduct “EC” verifications for railway systems in accordance with European Directive (EU) 2016/797.
- National Technical Rules Compliance: We certify railway system components and subsystems according to National Technical Rules when Technical Specifications for Interoperability are absent or do not cover certain technical aspects, in cases of deviations.
Railway Safety Directive
- Maintenance Management System Certification: We certify maintenance management systems for entities responsible for the maintenance of rolling stock in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2019/779 (ECM) and for maintenance functions. This includes, among other things, the certification of maintenance workshops. For freight wagons, we offer the option to combine the ECMF IV audit with an FTB evaluation from the VPI European Rail Service (VERS).
Management Systems Certification
- ISO 9001 certification: We offer voluntary ISO 9001 certification for the quality management systems of railway-related organizations. This can be combined with the certification of maintenance systems for freight and passenger vehicles under Regulation (EU) 2019/779. Certifer Belgorail is accredited for ISO 9001 certification in rail-related sectors.
Our Certification Process
Our management system certification process follows a 5-stage plan:
- Request for Certification: Clients describe the scope and context of the desired certification. We provide forms to collect the necessary data.
- Evaluation and Offer: Based on the information provided, we draft a tailored offer, including an evaluation plan with details on the certification audit and associated surveillance during the certification cycle.
- Audit: Stage 1 (Evaluates readiness for certification and includes a documentary audit or identification of changes. Typically performed in our offices, but may require a site visit) and Stage 2 (On-site evaluation of conformity with the standard or directive. An audit report is generated for each part).
- Certification Decision: Based on the Stage 2 audit report and collected evidence, the certification committee decides on granting the certificate. The certificate’s validity can range from 1 to 5 years, depending on the certification scheme.
- Surveillance and Renewal
Inspection
Certifer Belgorail provides on-site inspections and technical visits for rolling stock and infrastructure, either at the client’s request or during ownership changes and new registrations.
We also inspect historic rolling stock used on tourist routes within the Belgian rail infrastructure.
Additionally, we verify conformity and inspect special on-track plant to ensure compliance with national regulations before commissioning.
Arrangement of tests
Certifer Belgorail organizes and coordinates various tests to ensure rolling stock or its components are compatible with rail infrastructure and comply with European and national legislation. We have direct access to the Belgian and Luxembourg rail networks (Infrabel and CFL-GI respectively). In other countries, we conduct tests with the support of local partners.
A list of available tests can be provided upon request.
Independent Assessment
Independent Safety Assessor
Certifer Belgorail acts as an Independent Safety Assessor (ISA), evaluating Safety Systems based on standards EN 50126-1, EN 50126-2, EN 50128, and EN 50129. This evaluation focuses on signalling (track-side or on-board equipment) and software, ensuring systems meet Reliability, Availability, Maintainability, and Safety (RAMS) requirements. This service benefits designers, manufacturers, and users of new systems, ensuring their products comply with RAMS standards.
Assessment body with respect to Common Safety Methods or CSMs
Certifer Belgorail also serves as an independent Risk Management Assessment body under European Regulation 402/2013/EU, relating to the Common Safety Method (CSM) for risk assessment as per the Railway Safety Directive (CSM-RA). This regulation is applied during significant changes impacting safe operations, when required by Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSIs), or to ensure technical compatibility in the absence of TSIs or national rules. This service is relevant to rail system companies, infrastructure managers, maintenance entities, and manufacturers of rolling stock or other railway equipment.
Other
Any other mission involving assessment of conformity, inspection or verification of constituents, products, subsystems or operations in the rail transport arena on a voluntary request basis.
Monitoring the construction of new rolling stock, monitoring the manufacture of constituents or monitoring the quality of works in projects involving conversion of existing equipment.
Certifer Belgorail can also assess fire protection systems deployed in railway complexes and tunnels. These assessments are based inter alia on applicable requirements in the fire protection field.
Some examples of projects
Notified Body
•Alstom: certification of ERTMS constituents : JRU, EVC, RBC, etc.
•Bombardier: Regio 2N rolling stock
•Infrabel: major infrastructure projects, railway tunnels, ETCS projects
Designated Body
•Bombardier: TRAXX locomotives
•Vossloh: diesel locomotives
•Voith: diesel locomotives
Arrangement of tests
•Thalys: ERTMS and national systems: track-side / on-board interface testing
•ICE 3: testing of on-board signalling systems
•Siemens Velaro D and new Eurostar high speed trains: rolling stock compatibility and brake performances, signalling systems
•Alstom TRAXX: rolling stock compatibility and signalling systems
•Siemens AM08 EMU: rolling stock compatibility and signalling systems
• Stadler Euro 6000 & Euro 9000 locomotives: rolling stock and signaling system compatibility, and electromagnetic compatibility
Voluntarily certification
•Railway Testing Centre in Valenciennes: assessment of conformity of a system for measuring track twist in accordance with EN 14363
•Monitoring the manufacture of rolling stock
ISA
•Alstom: development of new signalling equipment
•Infrabel: ETCS and national systems
•Infrabel: automated announcement system for the protection of workers on track
•Siemens India: Kolkata metro
ECM(F) Certification
•Ateliers de Basse-Ham
•Ateliers d’Occitanie
•Atir-Rail
•CFL Technics
•CHW •Antwerpen
•ECM Wagons SNCB
•EIFFAGE Rail
•European Rail Forces
•Ferrovías
•GMF Railways Maintenance Services
•GEFCO
•Infraestruturas de Portugal
•LINEAS NV
•LORMAFER
•Metaal- en Onderhoudswerken van den Broek B.V.
•MODALIS
•NMBS CW Mechelen
•NMBS PW Melle
•Rail Service Net
•RailReLease
•ROLANFER
•SIM BOEREMA B.V.
•SNCB-Antwerpen
•SOGEEFER
•TAKARGO
•Talleres Alegría
•TOUAX
CSM-RA
•Infrabel: Diabolo infrastructure project (new rail connection to Zaventem including a tunnel under the airport)
•Infrabel: ETCS level 1 on Corridor C (PPO4, etc.)
•Infrabel: automated announcement system for protecting workers on track
•Infrabel: ETCS braking curve baseline 2 and 3
•Infrabel: Liefkenshoek tunnel
•Infrabel: train detection system for level crossing announcement
•SNCB: DICE Departure In a Controlled Environment
ISO 9001
•Atir-Rail
•The Signalling Company
Certifer Belgorail Documents
The following documents may be downloaded:
General Terms and Conditions of Sales : General conditions of Sales
Términos Generales y Condiciones de Venta : 00_8202_ES_01 Condiciones generales de venta
Conditions générales de vente : 00_8202_FR_01 Conditions Générales de Vente
Algemene verkoopsvoorwaarden : 00_8202_NL_01_Algemene verkoopvoorwaarden
Technical conditions for inspection and certification : 00_8201_EN_02_Technical conditions for inspection and certification
Conditions techniques d’inspection et de certification : 00_8201_FR_02_Conditions Techniques d’Inspection et de Certification
Condiciones técnicas para la inspección y certificación : 00_8201_ES_02_Condiciones técnicas para la inspeccion y certificacion
RFU & Q&C – NB-Rail
The Recommendations for Use and Questions and Clarifications drawn up by the coordination group of Notified Bodies for Railway products and systems, NB-Rail, are available on their website (www.nb-rail.eu) and may be downloaded. These documents are regularly updated after NB-Rail Plenary meetings.
Recognitions
External evaluation body – CERTIFER BELGORAIL SA
External evaluation body provided for in articles 24 and following of the GRBC decree of 14/03/2019 relating to the management of the safety of rail transport systems operated by STIB/MIVB.
Qualified Body - CERTIFER BELGORAIL SA
Qualified and Selected organization for NoBo, DeBo and IA / ISA for the French and bilingual markets (infrastructure works)
DeBo in Belgium - CERTIFER France & CERTIFER BELGORAIL SA
by the kingdom of Belgium. CERTIFER France & CERTIFER BELGORAIL SA perform the verification process towards national rules in force in Belgium
CERTIFER BELGORAIL SA ECM CERTIFICATION BODY
CERTIFER BELGORAIL SA is an Entity in Charge of Maintenance certification body
CERTIFER BELGORAIL SA Sucursal en Espana
Assessment Body for all subsystems in the frame of the Common Safety Methods for Risk Evaluation and Assessment
CERTIFER BELGORAIL SA
Assessment Body for all subsystems in the frame of the Common Safety Methods for Risk Evaluation and Assessment
CERTIFER BELGORAIL SA NoBo #1615
by the European Commission for all subsystems. CERTIFER BELGORAIL SA is authorized under the European directive (EU) 2016/797 concerning the conventional and High Speed Trans-operational railway systems's interoperability
Accreditations
CERTIFER BELGORAIL SA CERTIFICATION BODY #335-QMS
CERTIFER BELGORAIL SA is accredited under 335-QMS number by BELAC (Belgian accreditation body). The scope is available on www.economie.fgov.be
CERTIFER BELGORAIL SA PRODUCT CERTIFICATION BODY #335-PROD
CERTIFER BELGORAIL SA is accredited under 335-PROD by BELAC (Belgian accreditation body). The scope is available on www.economie.fgov.be
CERTIFER BELGORAIL SA INSPECTION BODY #335-INSP
CERTIFER BELGORAIL SA is accredited by BELAC (Belgian accreditation body). The scope is available on www.economie.fgov.be
News
Certifer
Belgium
CERTIFER Belgorail
Sablon Tower, 15th floor,
Rue Joseph Stevens, 7
1000 Brussels, Belgium