V/S SIC
Vehicle/Structure
System Interface Committee
Vehicle/Structure SIC
Remit
19 February 2014
1
Introduction
1.1
System Interface Committees shall be comprised of Members, who shall consist of
representatives of the Industry Categories, a Chair, Participants and Observers.
1.2
The Vehicle / Structures SIC (V/S SIC) was established to provide the focus for the interface
between vehicles and the fixed infrastructure in the areas of physical clearance (gauging)
and vehicle loading (route availability).
1.3
This document outlines the remit for V/S SIC to undertake its business, including its Purpose,
Objectives, Scope, Specific Actions and Structure.
2
Purpose and scope of the SIC
2.1
The purpose of the V/S SIC shall be to assist the Railway Industry to manage all aspects of
the vehicle / structures system interfaces in a safe, cost effective and efficient way.
2.2
The scope of the V/S SIC includes relevant aspects of human factors, managerial, and
process issues as well as technical engineering matters.
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Objectives of the SIC
3.1
Champion of Rail Technical Strategy portfolio:
3.1.1 The SIC Protocol requires that SICs support the development and implementation of the Rail
Technical Strategy (RTS) by working with Future Railway to define and take forward
research and innovation projects in pursuit of the RTS vision:
3.1.2 With this in mind the role of the SIC, in agreement with TSLG, includes championing
portfolios of the Rail Technical Strategy (RTS). The Protocol states the following:
‘3.2
The approach adopted by SICs shall be:
(b) Strategic – resulting from the Rail Technical Strategy, and its further
development as the Rail Technical Strategy 2012, and any consequent direction
from TSLG through formal remits to SIC Chairs, and
(b) Tactical – dealing with more immediate issues, but aligning where necessary
with the trajectory of the Rail Technical Strategy and its successor, the Rail
Technical Strategy 2012.’
3.1.3 V/S SIC and V/T SIC will provide support to Network Rail, the infrastructure portfolio
champion.
3.1.4 All SICs will provide support to the cross-cutting Whole System Approach that is being
championed by TSLG.
3.2
Work programme
3.2.1 V/S SIC aims to:
 Establish the Committee as a recognised industry stakeholder / client group for the review
and development of vehicle to structure interaction strategies, statutory requirements,
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System Interface Committee
standards and business processes at European and national level and the promotion of
their implementation.
 Support and inform the development, management, maintenance and publication of
infrastructure gauging and loading capability information, associated vehicle characteristics
and the requirements for ensuring compatibility.
 Support the development of a credible and sustainable future gauge and loading capability
across the national rail network, which optimises the needs of customers and funders.
 Support and develop classification methods (gauging, loading etc.) that simplify access to
the national rail network.
 Support and develop appropriate techniques for optimising the vehicle / structure interface.
 Support and inform the industry’s Rail Technical Strategy.
 Act as principal client for the RSSB infrastructure research topic group on vehicle / structure
interface issues.
3.2.2 V/S SIC will sponsor R&D projects relevant to its scope and act as a client for projects
managed within the RSSB R&D programme. The aim of this research is to provide the
knowledge and information necessary to support key decisions made by the SIC and advice
given by it to the industry.
3.2.3 The Committee will review relevant research and work undertaken by other groups (outside
its Working Groups) and decide if it should promote that work within the industry.
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Membership of SIC
4.1
The membership of V/S SIC shall be appropriate to its scope. However each industry
category, RSSB, DfT and ORR is entitled to have one member on the V/S SIC. The role of
each member is to represent the views of the constituency to which they belong.
4.2
The current membership of the committee comprises representation from:

Railway undertakings (passenger train operators)

Rolling stock owners (including rolling stock leasing companies)

Railway undertakings (non-passenger train operators; excluding any party which
operates non-passenger trains wholly or mainly in connection with its role as an
infrastructure contractor)

Network Rail and other infrastructure managers

Infrastructure contractors

Office of Rail Regulation (ORR)

Department for Transport (DfT)

Suppliers (including rolling stock manufacturers)

RSSB
Supporting technical and operational expertise will be invited as and when required.
5
Specialist Skills and Knowledge
5.1
The SIC will review members' skills and experience to ensure they enable the SIC’s scope of
work and objectives to be achieved.
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Disclosure of Interests
6.1
Disclosure of interests applies to both SICs and sub-groups. The SIC Protocol states:
‘If a member, or a person for whom that member works, has a direct or indirect personal
interest in a matter to be discussed by the committee, as distinct from a common interest of
the industry category as a whole, the member shall declare that interest to the Chairman of
the committee of which they are a member at the earliest opportunity:
a) On the first occasion at which the matter is discussed, or
b) If a member is not aware of an interest at that time, at the next committee meeting after
which they become aware of that interest, regardless of whether the matter is being
discussed at that meeting.
Once disclosed, an interest need not be disclosed again.
When a member declares an interest, the other members shall decide whether that
member may continue to participate in discussions on the matter concerned or whether that
member shall be excluded from the meeting while the matter is discussed.’
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SIC Funding and Budget Management
7.1
RSSB will provide support to the SIC for the non-R&D activities in line with the SIC
agreement signed by RSSB and the V/S SIC Chair.
7.2
Representation by the stakeholders on the V/S SIC shall be in kind.
7.3
Funding for specific packages of research and development will be made available from
RSSB subject to support from the System Interface Committee and authorisation by RSSB.
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Process to nominate and appoint a new Chairman or new members
8.1
The V/S SIC shall follow the process set out in the SIC Protocol.
9
Organisation and Operation of Meetings
9.1
The V/S SIC may regulate its proceedings as it sees fit providing they meet the objectives of
this remit.
9.2
Unless otherwise decided by the V/S SIC, it shall meet at least once every four to six weeks.
9.3
The meeting will operate to a pre-agreed agenda.
9.4
If there are insufficient agenda items to be discussed at any single meeting the Chairman
will, with consultation, cancel the meeting with a minimum of five working day’s notice.
9.5
Where applicable, the V/S SIC shall form a separate sub group to review and report on
specific issues. The Sub Group will be the forum for the discussion and identification of
issues and system enhancements relevant to the remit of the group and the subsequent
development of work streams to identify appropriate solutions that can be recommended to
the V/S SIC. The meeting frequency will be decided at the discretion of the sub-group
chairman and the requirements of the SIC.
10
Meeting Quorum
10.1 A meeting quorum comprises 5 members (in accordance with Section 4.1) or their
nominated alternates. If a meeting is not quorate, decisions will be taken in agreement with
Section 11.1.1 of this remit.
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11
Delegation of Authority
11.1 Decision Making
11.1.1 If the meeting is not quorate absent members will have two weeks after issue of the
draft minutes of the meeting to make an objection to any decision taken in the
meeting. If no such objections are made the decision will stand.
11.2 Reporting
11.1.1 The V/S SIC will submit an annual report to TSLG.
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Administration
12.1 Minutes
12.1.1 Draft minutes will be reviewed by the RSSB technical expert, RSSB R&D member and
then by the Chair before distribution to the group.
12.1.2 The draft minutes will be distributed to the group via group email.
12.1.3 The draft minutes of each meeting will be approved at the following meeting.
12.1.4 The final approved minutes of each meeting will be distributed to the group via group
email.
12.2 Meeting Documentation
12.1.1 The meeting documentation will be provided to the group no later than five working
days prior to the meeting.
12.1.2 The meeting documentation will be distributed to the group via group email.
12.3 Remit Review
12.1.1 This remit shall be reviewed by the V/S SIC at least once every 12 months..
12.1.2 Any amendments shall be endorsed by the V/S SIC.
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