London Underground (LU) has been certified against BSI PAS 55, the international asset-management standard, following a rigorous independent assessment by Lloyd’s Register.

The certification is recognition that LU has met the requirements set out in the British Standards Institute’s PAS 55 specification, the recognised cross-industry framework of best-practice systems for asset management.

“The team from London Underground has shown great commitment and I congratulate them for the dedication and hard work they invested to achieve this certification,” said Chris Knowles, Technical Director, Transportation, at Lloyd’s Register. “Assessments conducted by Lloyd’s Register are always probing, exploring the details that are important to properly test the system and its effectiveness. London Underground demonstrated to our specialist assessment team that their asset-management approach meets the PAS 55 specification and that it is consistently applied. This is a significant accomplishment.”

The certification applies to the management of all operational assets across the rail networks managed by LU. This includes all track, signalling and control equipment, rolling stock, infrastructure (power, premises, lifts and escalators), civil structures and station systems (fire protection, communications, mechanical and electrical) on the passenger lines under LU’s direct control — the Bakerloo, Central and Victoria lines — and four sub-surface lines. It also covers the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines that are indirectly managed by LU’s sister firm Tube Lines.

“This is a great tribute to all our staff involved in managing assets at every stage of their development. It shows that our approach to asset management is up there with the best in the world," LU’s Managing Director, Mike Brown, said. "Being PAS 55 certified demonstrates that the whole organisation is aligned to one single strategy that ensures we have effective, long-term plans in place that are linked to our upgrade and maintenance activities. This helps us to deliver our commitment to give customers a world-class ‘Tube’.”

Organisations looking to achieve PAS 55 certification must show how they use the appropriate management systems to understand and optimise the operation of their assets. During an independent assessment by Lloyd’s Register, those systems are rigorously challenged and tested, helping to provide assurance to all stakeholders that the applicant’s corporate risks are understood and being managed.

The full range of asset-management requirements across the lifecycle was covered, including strategy and planning, managing the supply chain, asset acquisition, project management, risk management, operation and maintenance performance review and continual improvement, logistics support and decommissioning.

As part of the assessment process, which took place over a five–month period, Lloyd’s Register interviewed more than 160 members of LU — from senior management through to frontline staff — to assess whether the organisation fully and consistently complied with the stringent PAS 55 criteria.