Beijing Metro Construction Administration has appointed Ricardo Certification to provide Independent Safety Assessment (ISA) services for the new metro line in the eastern side of the city.
Beijing’s new Line 17 will offer a new north-south route through the city’s eastern districts, extending from Changping’s Future Science Park North station to Yizhuang Zhanqianqu South station in Tongzhou. The first section is planned to enter into operation in 2021.
Ricardo Certification is assessing the new Line 17 against European standards EN 50126, 50128 and 50129. It will be responsible for assuring the safety of passengers, staff and surrounding communities is accounted for during the construction, installation, testing and eventual commissioning of the new line.
The scope of the assessment extends across the core rail sub-systems, including rolling stock, signalling, route infrastructure and communications technologies.
Ricardo will assess each system in isolation as well as their interactions with other safety-critical systems, such as the interface between pantographs and overhead catenary, and the vehicles and platform screen doors. A further area for assessment will be the wheel-rail relationship along the route.
The team will also examine Line 17’s safety management system, including its emergency evacuation and rescue plans, and deliver training on reliability, availability, maintainability and safety for engineers from both MTR and the core equipment suppliers.
The assessment will be performed by Ricardo Certification’s Beijing office and follows the team’s delivery of similar system-wide ISA services for the city’s Yanfang Line, which opened in December 2017.
