Prequalification register · Last verified
RISQS
RISQS is RSSB's supplier qualification scheme for the UK rail industry, used by Network Rail only for direct, safety-critical (RICCL-coded) suppliers. RISQS has been run by RSSB Ltd since 2018, not Achilles; Network Rail states it does not mandate RISQS on its Tier 1 suppliers.
- Class
- Prequalification register
- Owner
- RSSB Ltd
- Last verified
What it is
RISQS's own page states it has been run independently of its original operator since 2018: "Since 2018 we have been run entirely for the benefit of the railway and its supply chain" and "We have stakeholders, not shareholders." The page's footer credits "© 2026 RSSB Ltd. All Rights Reserved."
Who owns it
RISQS is owned and operated by RSSB Ltd (Rail Safety and Standards Board), not by Achilles. Achilles operated RISQS between 2014 and 2018; RSSB has run it since 2018 according to RISQS's own page.
Who asks for it
Buyer-driven. Network Rail's own page states it "uses the Railway Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) Rail Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme (RISQS) as a 'Qualification System'" and states directly: "We do not mandate RISQS on our Tier 1 suppliers and it is up to them how they assure their own sub-contractors and sub-suppliers." Network Rail uses RISQS only for suppliers it contracts with directly for RICCL-coded (safety-critical) goods and services; it is not a general construction-sector requirement and does not reach below Tier 1.
Network Rail's own page states: "Network Rail uses the Railway Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) Rail Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme (RISQS) as a 'Qualification System'." The same page states: "We do not mandate RISQS on our Tier 1 suppliers and it is up to them how they assure their own sub-contractors and sub-suppliers." Network Rail's use of RISQS applies to suppliers it contracts with directly for safety-critical (RICCL-coded) goods and services.
Sources
- RISQS — About RISQS (scheme owner) ↗ — accessed
- Network Rail — Becoming a supplier ↗ — accessed
Last verified:
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