Principal Contractor Licence

Once you have achieved RISQS certification you may be invited to apply for your Principal Contractor Licence (PCL), to work directly with Network Rail. In order to achieve this you will need an Extended Rail Compliance System and a Network Rail Sponsor.

Acting as a Principal Contractor you are a main contractor in the execution of Rail Infrastructure Projects across the UK.

What you will need to do:

To achieve your PCL, you will require RISQS certification as a minimum, plus an extended Rail Compliance Management System which is subject to an external audit.

Your RISQS certification must include the Sentinel, CDM and Safe Work Planning modules in addition to the Industry Minimum Requirements.

The extended Rail Compliance system demonstrates the suitability of your organisation with regards Health, Safety and Environmental management plus having a robust quality management system in place.

You may also have to demonstrate an understanding of control of trackside works, temporary works, co-ordination of on-track plant and behavioural safety programmes.

How we can help:

The first step is to contact the Network Rail Licensing Team and submit your application, which must be signed by a Network Rail Sponsor.   Once your application has been accepted, we can help by explaining the process and work with you to write the documentation, transfer knowledge of how the system works, help you implement the system to run in line with your day-to-day business activities and assist you with submitting your evidence for audit by the Network Rail Licensing Team.

Once you have achieved your PCL, we can help you maintain your system prior to your next audit.

If you would like to discuss how we can support your organisation, please get in touch.