Senior Independent Consultancy

Some history
first.

In the seventeenth century, Tortuga was the most notorious harbour in the Caribbean.

A base for independent operators who were faster, bolder and more agile than the great trading fleets of the age — not because they were reckless, but because they weren't weighed down by the institutional machinery that made the large ships slow.

They got results through skill, nerve and ingenuity. They could read the waters differently, move when others deliberated, and commit fully because there was no committee to answer to.

The major players in any field tend to recycle the same senior teams across the same engagements, producing the same analysis dressed in different covers. Seniority becomes a brand rather than a guarantee. The partner who wins the work is rarely the person who does it.

Here, that isn't possible. Every engagement is handled by the same person — with nearly four decades of frontline experience, no junior staff to delegate to, and no commercial incentive to expand scope beyond what you actually need. A different perspective. A leaner operation. The same capability.

The name felt appropriate.

The Offer Track Record

The Offer

Six service lines.
One expert. Every time.

Every engagement is delivered by the same person — the most credentialled individual in the room, on every call, every deliverable, every time. No junior staff. No recycled templates. No commercial incentive to expand scope beyond what you actually need.

Insurance Loss — Technical Advisory

Over two decades of work for loss adjusters, brokers, insurers, and reinsurers across the most complex transport incidents the market has seen. Full-spectrum coverage: cause analysis, damage assessment, reinstatement optioneering, OEM engagement, and business interruption — always with a single objective: minimising the cost and duration of the loss.

Expert Witness — Technical Evidence

Rail litigation, regulatory proceedings, inquests, and international arbitration. Preparation of technical evidence to the standard required by legal process. Independent, analytically rigorous, and structured to withstand challenge from technically informed counsel. Instructed directly by legal teams and insurers.

Safety Case — Independent Assurance

Safety case authorship, review, and independent assurance across complex rail infrastructure and rolling stock projects. ALARP reasoning. Structured hazard management. RSSB Engineering Acceptance signatory work. RAIB investigation support. Industry best practice guidance developed for HMRI. This practice has contributed to the standards against which others are assessed.

International Projects — Strategy and Delivery

Seven years as Rail Business Specialist for the UK Department for International Trade. Major project delivery across the Gulf, Saudi Arabia, South America, Africa, and South East Asia. The ability to navigate multiple regulatory regimes, map standards equivalences across jurisdictions, and engage at ministerial and board level — demonstrated, not claimed.

AI-Enhanced Analysis

Analytical depth that previously required a team, delivered with the accountability of a single senior expert. AI accelerates research, standards navigation, document synthesis, and cost validation. Engineering judgement governs every output. Described specifically and credibly — because what this actually means in practice is worth understanding.

Sector Knowledge — Depth Across the Full Arc

Nearly four decades embedded in every layer of the railway industry — infrastructure, rolling stock, signalling, operations, safety, and standards. Not accumulated at arm's length through report-writing, but through direct involvement at the operational sharp end of major projects, live incidents, and decisions that carried real consequence.

The breadth means connections get made that specialists miss. The depth means the analysis holds up when it matters. Clients don't just receive a deliverable — they receive the accumulated judgement of a career spent inside the industry, applied directly to their problem.

Track Record

Where the work has
actually been done.

A selection of engagements. Anonymised throughout — the confidentiality requirements of insurance and legal work are non-negotiable. The nature and complexity of the work is not.

West Africa Insurance Loss · Business Interruption

Head-on Collision — Iron Ore Freight Railway

A collision between a laden iron ore train — fully loaded on the outward run to the export port — and an empty train returning to the mine, on the sole freight link connecting the two. Suspension of operations triggered substantial business interruption as mine-to-port production halted. The engagement covered damage assessment, reinstatement programme review, fleet and infrastructure capacity modelling, and catch-up output analysis against deteriorating infrastructure conditions compounded by subsequent incidents.

Middle East Expert Witness · Insurance Loss

Underground Metro Fire

Significant vehicle and infrastructure damage, service suspension, and regulatory proceedings following a metro fire. Instructed as Expert Witness. Independent cause analysis, damage assessment, review of the reinstatement and enhancement programme, and preparation of technical evidence for regulatory purposes. Assessment of proposed safety improvements as conditions of reinstatement.

Channel Tunnel Insurance Loss · Damage Assessment

Major Rolling Stock Fire — Shuttle Train

Lead Technical Advisor to loss adjusters following a significant fire aboard a heavy goods vehicle shuttle. Detailed damage assessment across a large number of unique vehicles, evaluation of reparation and reinstatement options, and development of agreed repair strategies with the manufacturer. Assessment methods developed specifically for a unique fleet operating in a unique infrastructure environment.

South East Asia Insurance Loss · Damage Assessment

Head-on Collision — Urban Metro

A head-on collision between metro trains on an urban rapid transit system. Independent vehicle damage assessment, direct engagement with the original equipment manufacturer on reinstatement options, critical assessment of competing repair proposals, and development of an agreed strategy protecting insurer interests while meeting operator requirements for timely return to service.

Gulf Region Insurance Loss · Survey

Flood Damage — Major Metro System

Extensive flood damage following exceptional rainfall. Multiple site surveys to verify and quantify loss across rolling stock, trackwork, stations, and systems infrastructure. Independent review of the operator's reinstatement programme and cost submissions. Substantial business interruption assessment on a system yet to reach operational maturity.

Abu Dhabi, UAE Safety Case · Expert Assessment · Business Interruption

High-Speed Thrill Ride — Incident Investigation and Reinstatement

A serious incident at a major high-speed passenger attraction in Abu Dhabi requiring immediate closure and regulatory intervention. Instructed to provide independent safety engineering assessment across a system where the underlying principles — vehicle dynamics, structural integrity, restraint systems, and safety case methodology — translate directly from railway practice.

The engagement covered independent cause analysis, assessment of the operator's proposed reinstatement and enhancement works, verification of technical adequacy and cost reasonableness, and a substantial business interruption component. Instructed by the insurer with a direct reporting line to the client.

This engagement is deliberately included. Safety engineering expertise does not respect sector boundaries, and neither does this practice. Where the physics is the same, the analysis is the same — regardless of whether the vehicle runs on steel rails or a purpose-built track.

United Kingdom Expert Witness · Standards Analysis

London Gateway Derailment

Independent technical advisory on the cause of a freight train derailment at a major UK port. Event sequence analysis, assessment of infrastructure and vehicle factors, and AI-assisted identification of the precise standards framework in force at the time of the incident. Rapid assessment of previous incidents involving similar vehicles and operating conditions, cross-referencing applicable requirements against documented practices — the kind of analysis that previously required a team and weeks of manual research.

The AI Dimension

What it actually means.

The term "AI-enhanced" risks becoming meaningless through overuse. This is a precise account of what AI does — and does not do — in this practice.

Research & Standards Navigation

Identifying precisely which standards were in force at the time of a loss, assessing compliance, mapping regulatory equivalences across jurisdictions. For the London Gateway engagement, AI identified the applicable framework and flagged specific clauses within hours. The assessment of what that meant in legal terms remained entirely human.

Document Synthesis

Major losses generate volumes of documentation. AI assists with organisation and initial synthesis — manufacturer submissions, maintenance records, investigation reports, financial claims data. Every output is reviewed, amended, and owned entirely by the senior engineer. No AI output leaves this practice without that scrutiny.

Cost Validation

Current market pricing for labour, materials, and specialist services across international markets. For a recent port infrastructure engagement, AI provided current trackwork rates enabling rapid validation of the operator's reinstatement submission. Whether those rates were applicable — and whether the scope was reasonable — remained a matter of professional judgement.

The analytical depth of a major firm's specialist team, delivered with the accountability and continuity of a single senior expert.

What AI does not do. It does not provide engineering judgement. It does not assess whether an ALARP argument is adequate. It does not evaluate whether a manufacturer's damage assessment is inflated, or whether a cause analysis is technically sound. It does not prepare expert witness evidence. It does not carry professional indemnity insurance.

All of those things are done by a Chartered Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers with nearly four decades of frontline experience.

About

Mike Shears

MSc CEng FIMechE MIRSE

Nearly four decades in railway engineering. The full arc: apprentice fitter and machinist to Chartered Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Not a theoretical career — a practical one, spent at the operational sharp end of major projects, live incidents, and consequential decisions.

The insurance and loss advisory practice has run for over twenty years, across every category of rail and guided transport infrastructure, on five continents. Tortuga Rail Limited was established as the formal vehicle for independent consultancy in December 2018.

A Note on Independence

This practice accepts a limited number of engagements at any time. The proposition — that every client gets the most experienced person on every piece of work — cannot be honoured if the practice is overcommitted. Prospective clients should expect a direct conversation about fit before any instruction is accepted. The advice you receive carries no stake in the project outcome and no relationship with contractors or manufacturers that could compromise objectivity.

2018 — Director, Tortuga Rail Limited. Independent consultancy across insurance loss advisory, expert witness, international project strategy, and safety engineering. Engagements spanning West Africa, the Gulf, South East Asia, Abu Dhabi, and the UK. Notable losses include: Doha Metro flood damage; Felixstowe port freight derailment; Middle East funicular fire; Ferrari World Abu Dhabi roller coaster incident. Strategic advisor to the Department for Transport and Middle East rail clients. NEOM Project, Saudi Arabia — maintenance strategy planning for the world's most ambitious infrastructure programme. Loss advisory practice ongoing.

2011 – 18 Rail Business Specialist, UK Department for International Trade. Seven years as the UK Government's senior rail trade specialist. Led multi-national teams defining and delivering export strategies across the Middle East, Gulf, South America, Africa, and South East Asia. Ministerial-level engagement. NEOM, Riyadh Metro, Doha, and major Gulf infrastructure programmes.

2011 – 13 Associate Director, Xanta Limited. DLR signalling maintenance audit following change of maintainer. Author of new and improved Maintenance Task Instructions for signalling and systems. Safety irregularity management for London Underground rolling stock — author of the Manual of Good Practice for management of safety-critical rolling stock items. Authorship of standards for asset categorisation and warranty management processes for DLRL. Olympics 2012 signalling and control systems maintenance planning. Competence management framework for London Tramlink.

2008 – 13 Technical Director, Mouchel Middle East. Lead Technical Advisor to loss adjusters following the Channel Tunnel Le Shuttle fire (September 2008) — damage assessment and full reinstatement programme for a unique fleet in a unique infrastructure environment. Concurrent international project director roles spanning the region: Dubai Waterfront transit systems (Metro and LRT feasibility and specification); Al Wasl new city transportation system, Saudi Arabia; Arabian Canal public transportation strategy, Dubai.

2005 – 08 Head of Train Systems, Mouchel Parkman. Rolling Stock Technical Expert instructed by insurers on two separate Middle East train collision losses. Dubai Waterfront transit feasibility. Concurrent: Project Manager, Metronet Rail — £85m engineering train and plant contract, doubling track renewal capability.

2004 – 05 Bangkok Metro — Technical Expert, Train Collision. Independent technical assessment of loss attributable to Bangkok Metro head-on collision (60 km/h), January 2005. First major international insurance loss engagement — the strand of practice that has defined the last two decades. Concurrent: HMRI best practice guidance (Sector Information Minutes) for high-risk rolling stock areas.

2002 – 04 Railways Manager (London) & Technical Head of Train Systems, Parsons Brinckerhoff. Vehicle Acceptance Engineer — conformance certification for DMUs, EMUs and locomotives. Crossrail (Chelsea–Hackney Line) systems and operational studies. Irish Rail EMC compliance assessment. LUL Railway Group Standards compliance.

1999 – 02 Project Manager, London Underground Limited. Business Investment Manager, Infraco JNP — leading completion and strengthening of the Jubilee Line Extension. Central Line journey time feasibility. Project Risk Manager, Irish Rail (Dublin DART enhancement). Lead Project Engineer, Thane MRTS, Mumbai.

1994 – 99 Jubilee Line Extension — Client Infrastructure Manager. Business client responsibility for all electrical and mechanical contracts on the JLE — value exceeding £600 million. Subsequently Trial Operations Manager: defined, planned and implemented the operational acceptance strategy for the JLE transition into passenger service.

1989 – 94 London Underground Limited — Planning Engineer, Permanent Way. Began his rail career as a Planning Engineer in LU's Permanent Way division, with responsibility for track-mounted mechanised plant. Progressed through engineering and project roles over five years to Engineering Services Manager (Central Line) and Infrastructure Manager (East London Line Extension).

1984 – 89 JCB Transmissions, Wrexham. Apprentice fitter and expert machinist. Five years in precision heavy engineering with one of the world's leading plant manufacturers — the practical foundation on which a career in railway engineering was built.

Some historyfirst.

Six service lines.One expert. Every time.