The vehicle is the showpiece of every rail passenger system and the focal point of the rider's experience. It must deliver quality, safety, comfort, ease of use and reliability, and do it as cost-effectively as possible. Having assisted in the design, procurement, construction, refurbishment, repair, inspection and testing of more than 10,000 passenger rail vehicles, LTK's experience is unmatched and covers every type of vehicle and every phase of rail vehicle engineering, from preliminary engineering through start-up and reliability demonstration. Whether for new procurements or overhaul of an existing fleet, we work to ensure that vehicles are delivered on time and within budget, with equipment and systems that perform safely and reliably over the long haul.

Our vehicle engineering services include:

• Design Criteria
At the onset of the project, we assist in establishing design criteria to identify basic vehicle parameters and performance requirements. These criteria form the basis for the specifications.

• Specifications
Focused on securing reliable, maintainable equipment at a reasonable cost, we develop both detailed and performance-oriented specifications and contract documents for new or overhauled rolling stock.

• Procurement Strategy
Our experience with the various procurement strategies–negotiated, low bid, two-steps–can help our clients understand the best approach for their procurements.

• Bid Evaluation
We assist clients in evaluating proposals and bids from qualified carbuilders. Our ability to make professional judgments concerning technical and contractual issues is based on having worked with virtually all of the world's leading carbuilders and suppliers.

• Engineering During Manufacture
We provide client support during review of design submittals, drawings, technical documents and contract submittals.

• Inspection Services
We provide source inspection, quality assurance monitoring, and final inspection of hardware during manufacture. As an independent inspection resource, LTK has saved clients millions of dollars in retrofit, modifications and maintenance costs, and many of our recommended product improvements have resulted in increased reliability and maintainability.

• Testing
Knowledgeable in all phases of rail car and component testing, our engineers and inspectors are qualified to review and approve test procedures and to witness both static and dynamic tests. Our capabilities include tests to prove compliance with performance requirements.

• Warranty Administration
During the warranty phase, we review failures and failure data, working with the contractor to resolve warranty issues. LTK also recommends modifications and retrofits to correct deficiencies and meet client needs.