Fast-track your ASPRO approvals, protect your programme
Working near the railway? If Network Rail’s ASPRO team is involved, delays and extra cost can quickly become the norm. We help you navigate the ASPRO process, get the right information in front of the right people, and keep your project moving.
Who we are
We are Fast Track Rail – specialist interface consultants between organisations carrying out works on or near Network Rail infrastructure and the Network Rail Asset Protection and Optimisation (ASPRO) teams.
We do not replace ASPRO and we do not cut corners. Instead, we make sure your proposals, designs, RAMS and programmes meet Network Rail’s expectations first time, so ASPRO can focus on approving safe, well-prepared schemes rather than sending multiple rounds of queries.
Who we are
We are Fast Track Rail – specialist interface consultants between organisations carrying out works on or near Network Rail infrastructure and the Network Rail Asset Protection and Optimisation (ASPRO) teams.
We do not replace ASPRO and we do not cut corners. Instead, we make sure your proposals, designs, RAMS and programmes meet Network Rail’s expectations first time, so ASPRO can focus on approving safe, well-prepared schemes rather than sending multiple rounds of queries.
The problem we solve
If you are planning construction, maintenance or inspections close to the railway, you will already know that:
- ASPRO requirements and guidance notes are technical and hard to navigate
- Submissions are often rejected or queried because key information is missing
- Possessions, isolations and access need long lead times and detailed planning
- Each delay in sign-off feeds straight into programme risk and rising costs
Many third-party schemes lose months simply because nobody on the project team “speaks ASPRO” fluently. That is the gap we fill.
How we help
We provide a single, experienced interface between your project and Network Rail’s ASPRO team. In practical terms, that means we:
- Review your proposals early and identify where ASPRO will have concerns
- Build a realistic ASPRO plan into your programme and budge
- Prepare and quality-check the information ASPRO expect to see
- Submit through the correct channels and manage queries and clarifications
- Support you through design approval, site access and construction phase changes
The result is fewer surprises, fewer rejections and a far more predictable path to sign-off.
Snapshot of our services
ASPRO interface and liaison
We act as your single point of contact for ASPRO, coordinating all communications, submissions and responses so nothing is lost, duplicated or misunderstood.
ASPRO submission management
We help you compile the right drawings, reports, calculations, RAMS and forms, check them against applicable standards, and manage submissions and resubmissions.
Programme and access planning
We integrate ASPRO review periods, possessions, isolations and access arrangements into your programme, helping you avoid unrealistic assumptions and late changes.
Early feasibility and route engagement
We review your outline proposals against Network Rail requirements and flag the likely ASPRO implications, constraints and timescales before you commit to a programme or price.
Design review and standards compliance
We review designs ahead of ASPRO, highlighting gaps and issues that typically trigger queries or rejection, and working with your designers to address them.
Construction phase interface
We support ongoing liaison with ASPRO during construction, managing changes that affect the railway interface and helping you avoid site stoppages or access being withdrawn.
Our process
Step 1 – Initial enquiry and scheme review
You send us your drawings, a brief description of the proposed works and the current programme. We review them and confirm whether ASPRO involvement is required and at what level.
Step 2 – ASPRO requirements and strategy
We outline what Network Rail will expect to see, what agreements and documentation will be needed (such as BAPA, design submissions and RAMS), and how this affects your timescales and costs.
Step 3 – Scope and fee agreement
We agree our scope of support, deliverables and fee structure, aligned with your programme and key milestones.
Step 4 – Preparation and submission
We help you gather and refine the necessary information, coordinate your design and construction teams, and submit the ASPRO pack through the appropriate channels.
Step 5 – Queries, approvals and access
We track ASPRO responses, manage any queries, and support you with possessions, isolations and access planning so that approvals and site access line up with your programme.
Step 6 – Construction phase support
During works, we remain available to manage changes affecting the railway interface, update ASPRO where required and keep your scheme compliant and moving.
Why work with us
Rail and ASPRO experience
We understand both the pressures on project teams and the safety and assurance expectations within Network Rail. We know what ASPRO will look for and why.
Right-first-time submissions
We focus on quality submissions that answer typical ASPRO questions up front, reducing the number of review cycles and time lost to clarification.
Programme and cost certainty
By building realistic ASPRO milestones and access planning into your project from the start, we help you protect your programme, avoid last-minute changes and manage cost risk.
Collaborative, not confrontational
We work with ASPRO, not against them. Our role is to improve the quality and clarity of information they receive, so approvals can be given with confidence.
For Network Rail and ASPRO stakeholders
Our aim is to support safer, more efficient delivery of third-party works by improving the standard of information and planning that reaches ASPRO. We help outside parties understand and meet Network Rail’s requirements, reducing poor-quality submissions and protecting the operational railway.
