Transport

Public Passenger Transport (PPT) operators provide their services directly to customers. Therefore, the quality of service perceived by customers will have a significant impact on their choice of supplier.

EN 13816 is a standard certifying the quality capabilities of public passenger transport operators, applicable throughout Europe. It serves as a guideline for defining and measuring service quality in contracts between purchasers and providers of public passenger transport services.

European Standards establish the definition and specification of objectives and targets as well as the measurement of the quality of services provided in public passenger transport (PPT) and provide suggestions for the selection of appropriate measurement techniques.

In the EN 13816 standard, quality is assessed as the degree of customer satisfaction. In this respect, customer satisfaction is understood as the degree of correspondence between the performance expected and required by the customer and the services provided by the transport service provider.

Integrating the EN 13816 standard into a quality management system or integrated management system creates a seamless and unified system. This helps reduce the amount of documentation required compared to standalone systems. Furthermore, compliance with the EN 13816 standard supports a company in using resources in a targeted manner that meets customer needs, leading to increased customer satisfaction and a commensurate increase in sales.

The level of railway safety in the European Union is generally very high.

Conformity certification system and railway safety management system certification system in accordance with Article 9 of EU Directive 2016/798 (2004/49)

In accordance with EU Directive 2016/798 (2004/49) - Articles 10 and 11 - compliance of the safety management system is required in accordance with Article 9.

In Austria, certification of the railway safety management system by a body authorised under the national accreditation act (Akkreditierungsgesetz (AkkG)) as well as the issuance of a certificate are additionally required in accordance with § 39c of the Railway Act.

In this context, compliance with the requirements for safety certification and/or safety approval, as defined in EU regulations, must be demonstrated. Once a safety certification has been issued by public authorities, registration is certified. The certification will be valid for five years.

EN 15085-2: Welding certification for railway vehicles

The applicable ERA (ERA = European Railway Agency) guidelines require demonstration of compliance with the requirements in this technical standard when meeting maintenance and production requirements. The requirements of DIN 27201-6 and DIN 3834-2 are also taken into account.

Entity in Charge of Maintenance (ECM) Certification System

This is a required safety and quality standard for entities in charge of maintenance (ECM) of freight wagons in accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) 445/2011 (still applicable until 15 June 2022), which will receive an ECM certificate upon successful certification.

Novelty: From 16 June 2022 or in the event of new applications the criteria of EU Regulation 2019/779 will apply.

This Regulation specifies the requirements applicable to any entity in charge of maintenance of vehicles under the Railway Safety Directive (EU) 2016/798 (including all rail vehicles, from rail traction units to railcars, passenger trains, freight trains, road rail vehicles...).

The entity in charge of maintenance (ECM) ensures the safety of the vehicles it maintains through a certified maintenance system. As part of their responsibility, vehicle owners must determine the necessary vehicle maintenance measures and either undertake these measures themselves or entrust ECM-certified maintenance workshops.

ECM certificates are valid for 5 years if annual surveillance audits are conducted.

Education and training in railway safety management systems

Companies have the opportunity to provide their employees with further training in Railway Safety Management Systems. In Austria, the "Railway Safety Management Systems" course provides in-depth education in safety management systems in accordance with EU Regulation 2019/762 and the new ECM Regulation 2019/779 and provides an overview of key elements of railway law, taking into account national regulations based on Directive (EU) 2016/798 and the related 4th Railway Package.

After completing the training, participants will be able to implement the requirements of the Fourth Railway Package in their own companies. Upon successful completion of the exam, participants will receive a personalized certificate. Attention: The working language of the open course training Is German. For more information, please write e-mail or take advantage of the training offer in this area in Poland (trainings marked with the Polish flag below).

• Training Schedule 2026 – QualityAustria – Poland - pdf (476 KB)