The Rail Method of Measurement (RMM) was first published by Network Rail in 2014 as the common language for comparative measurement, valuation and analysis of railway engineering construction projects. It is now used throughout Network Rail and its supply chain. The Office of Rail Regulation expects relevant funding submissions in this format.
Five RMM tips
You can only improve what you measure. RMM covers elemental cost analysis for owner and contractor costs. Volume 1 is cost planning and measurement of rail infrastructure works. Volume 2 is standard rail activity cost models. Volume 3 is maintenance measurement.
Compare RMM with NRM2 and CESMM4. Steven Blakey set four questions: should cost, will cost, did cost, and why. Network Rail is aligning unit-cost models to RMM.
RMM still needs a possession that actually ran
The bill is only as good as the possession you can prove. Isolation, handback and the hours that ran belong in the site diary that night, not in a reconstructed period return.
A rail QS uses Rosie to read those lines against the NEC4 contract so an over-run possession becomes a compensation event while the eight-week clock is still open.
Key Takeaways
- RMM is Rail Method of Measurement, not a planning tool. It sits in the contract. Price what the method measures, including possessions and system interfaces.
- A 72-hour possession is not three times a 24-hour one. Access, isolation and handback change the cost. Write the possession that actually ran in the site diary that night.
- Rosie reads those diary lines against the NEC4 contract so a missed isolation or an over-run possession becomes a compensation event while the eight-week clock is still running.
Related blogs you may like
GRIP vs PACE: What Changed for Network Rail Projects
Network Rail replaced GRIP with PACE in 2021. See what changed, the Dartmoor success story, and what PACE means for your rail projects.
2025 Network Rail Calendar Download
Download the free 2025 Network Rail calendar. Thirteen four-week periods, not calendar months. Miss a period end and the payment or possession waits another four weeks.
Project 13 & Site Records for Infrastructure Success
Project 13 is the ICE enterprise model for infrastructure. What it is, how owners and suppliers work as one team, and why the daily site record still decides whether you get paid.
.webp)
