Abingdon, UK, 17 June 2026 – Achilles, a global leader in supply chain risk and performance management, today, at TRACCS Rail Day 2026, announced a new partnership with TRACCS (Transit & Rail Association), a standardized supplier certification and risk management network for Canada’s passenger rail industry, and B-Smart to offer two new services designed for the Canadian rail sector.
TRACCS Assurance, powered by Achilles, provides independently verified insight into supplier compliance, competence and performance, creating a clear and consistent view of supply chain risk. Learn more.
TRACCS Insurance, powered by B Smart, is a rail-specific insurance product built to meet the project and operational requirements of rail operators. Learn more.
Together, these services combine tailored insurance cover with structured assurance data, enabled by Achilles’ verified supplier insight, that informs how risk is assessed and priced. By giving insurers greater clarity on contractor and supplier performance, TRACCS supports more accurate underwriting and enables well-managed operations to be more clearly distinguished in the pricing of risk.
Contractor and supply chain risk remain among the most complex exposures in rail. While operators have long invested in managing these risks, demonstrating consistent oversight of third-party performance has often been more difficult.
For the first time, the combined TRACCS services enable rail operators in Canada to combine rail-specific insurance with independently verified assurance data, creating a clearer and more complete view of how risk is managed across the supply chain.
This allows organisations to move beyond relying solely on insurance thresholds and contractual controls, to demonstrating how contractor and supplier risk is actively understood, managed and evidenced in practice.
The TRACCS proposition addresses this by giving operators both appropriate insurance cover and a clear, defensible way to evidence how risk is being managed.
Paul Murphy, Vice President at TRACCS said: For years, rail operators have managed contractor risk internally, but struggled to evidence that externally. The introduction of TRACCS Insurance and TRACCS Assurance brings those elements together, enabling how risk is managed to be more clearly understood and reflected.”
Tony Davis, Founder of B Smart said: ““Consistent, independently verified data gives us a much clearer view of contractor and supplier risk. That reduces uncertainty in underwriting and allows us to better differentiate how risk is assessed and priced.”
Katie Ferrier, Regional Director at Achilles, said: “The UK rail sector has shown that when assurance is used to control risk at source, insurers can take a more informed and proportionate view of that risk. Bringing that approach to Canada creates a clearer link between how supply chains are managed and how risk is assessed.”
As rail operations become more complex, the way contractor and supplier risk is evidenced is becoming an increasingly important factor in how that risk is assessed and priced, with greater emphasis on reducing uncertainty through verified data.
The TRACCS Insurance and TRACCS Assurance services are now available to rail operators across Canada. For more information, visit https://bsmartinsurance.com/traccs/.
ENDS
More information about TRACCS Assurance and Insurance.
TRACCS Assurance: Independently Verified Supply Chain Insight
TRACCS Assurance provides a structured, independently verified view of supplier compliance, competence and performance across the rail supply chain. By replacing fragmented and self-declared information with consistent, audited data, it enables operators to clearly understand who is working on the network and how risk is being managed in practice. This creates a more reliable foundation for decision-making, strengthening oversight of contractor activity and improving confidence in how risk is controlled. In turn, it supports a clearer, more credible view of risk that can be consistently understood across both operational and financial contexts.
Supplier prequalification and onboarding:
Ensure only capable and compliant suppliers enter the rail supply chain, with structured validation of credentials, certifications and financial standing.
Independently audited safety and management systems:
Verify that suppliers operate to recognised standards, with audited processes that demonstrate how work is managed safely and effectively.
Competence and capability verification:
Provide clear evidence of workforce qualifications, experience and technical capability, reducing reliance on self-declared information.
Ongoing supplier monitoring:
Maintain up-to-date visibility of supplier performance and compliance, rather than relying on point-in-time assessments.
Supplier improvement and development:
Support suppliers in identifying gaps and improving performance over time, helping raise standards across the supply chain rather than simply filtering entry.
Centralised supplier risk visibility:
Create a consistent, auditable view of supply chain risk across projects and operations, enabling more informed decision-making.
A growing, connected rail supplier community:
Benefit from a shared network of prequalified suppliers across the Canadian rail sector, increasing visibility, improving access to capable suppliers, and strengthening overall market participation.
Structured data for risk assessment:
Deliver standardised, independently verified data that supports clearer understanding, evidence and assessment of contractor-related risk.
TRACCS Insurance: Rail-Specific Coverage, Designed for Operational Reality
TRACCS Insurance is built specifically for the demands of rail operations, providing coverage that aligns with both project delivery and ongoing operational risk. It is tailored to the complexity of rail environments, from contractor-heavy project work to long-term infrastructure management. By combining sector-specific underwriting expertise with a clearer view of how risk is managed in practice, TRACCS Insurance enables more accurate assessment of exposure across the supply chain. This allows operators to secure cover that is better aligned to their activities, with greater clarity in how the risk is structured, understood and priced with insurers.
Key features:
Rail-specific coverage design:
Policies structured around the realities of rail operations, covering both project delivery and ongoing operational risk.
Alignment with rail contract requirements:
Insurance designed to meet standard client, regulatory and project requirements, reducing complexity in procurement and contract compliance.
Integrated project and operational cover:
Access to both short-term project risks and longer-term operational exposures within a consistent framework.
Access to specialist rail underwriting expertise:
Informed underwriting and sector-specific knowledge in the context of rail operations, ensuring risks are adequately assessed within a consistent framework.
Informed risk assessment through assurance data:
Ability to take independently verified supplier and contractor data into account, providing greater clarity on risk exposure.
Tailored approach to risk and coverage:
Enables a more complete view of risk and risk management practices which provides tailored coverage to the actual risk profile.
