Standards Library

Establishes the European Register of Authorised Types of Vehicles, specifying its content, data format and the data-entry obligations of national safety authorities and ERA. Every vehicle type authorised in the EU is recorded with its technical characteristics and authorisation status per Member State, providing the reference for authorisations in conformity to type.

European Commission · 2011/665/EU (as amended; consolidated 27.4.2025) · 2011

Lays down the specifications for the vehicle registers referred to in Article 47 of Directive (EU) 2016/797, establishing the European Vehicle Register that harmonises the former national vehicle registers, and amends and repeals Decision 2007/756/EC. Defines registration content (European Vehicle Number, keeper, ECM, authorisation data), the registration process and access rights for NSAs, RUs, IMs and investigation bodies.

European Commission · 2018/1614 · 2018

Sets the EU framework for the certification of train drivers operating locomotives and trains: an EU-wide recognised licence, complementary certificates covering specific rolling stock and infrastructure, and harmonised medical, psychological and professional competence requirements. Applies to railway undertakings and infrastructure managers employing drivers, as well as recognised training centres and examiners.

European Parliament & Council · 2007/59/EC (as amended; consolidated 8.7.2019) · 2007

Recast of the first railway package establishing the single European railway area (SERA), setting rules on infrastructure management and governance, licensing of railway undertakings, track access charging, capacity allocation and independent regulatory bodies. It is the core market-access framework for infrastructure managers, railway undertakings and rail regulators in the EU, amended notably by Directive (EU) 2016/2370 under the Fourth Railway Package market pillar.

EU · Directive 2012/34/EU · 2012

Sets the conditions for achieving interoperability of the EU rail system: essential requirements for subsystems, the framework for adopting TSIs, EC verification procedures, and vehicle authorisation and placing on the market through ERA. As the technical pillar of the Fourth Railway Package it is the legal basis under which manufacturers, RUs, IMs, notified bodies, and national safety authorities operate for authorisation and conformity assessment.

EU · Directive (EU) 2016/797 · 2016

Establishes the EU legal framework for railway safety under the 4th Railway Package: development and management of safety, common safety targets and methods, safety management system requirements, and the single safety certificate issued by ERA or national safety authorities. It defines the safety responsibilities of railway undertakings, infrastructure managers and entities in charge of maintenance, and governs national safety authorities' supervision and accident investigation arrangements.

EU · Directive (EU) 2016/798 · 2016

The EU's horizontal cybersecurity directive: it classifies operators — including railway undertakings and infrastructure managers, listed under transport as essential entities — imposes cybersecurity risk-management measures and management accountability, and sets staged incident-notification obligations with significant sanctions.

European Parliament & Council · Directive (EU) 2022/2555 · 2022

Directive 92/106/EEC is the founding EU instrument defining what legally constitutes "combined transport" (road-plus-rail or road-plus-inland-waterway/sea movements meeting specified conditions) and granting it road-transport tax relief and market-access exemptions to encourage modal shift. It is the legal complement to technical codification standards such as IRS 50596-6, underpinning combined-transport operators' and shippers' eligibility for the scheme's regulatory benefits.

Council of the European Union · Dir. 92/106/EEC, consolidated text of 1 July 2013 · 1992

Founding regulation of the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA), repealing Regulation (EC) No 881/2004 and defining the Agency's mandate under the Fourth Railway Package. It empowers ERA to issue single safety certificates and vehicle authorisations valid across Member States, approve ERTMS trackside equipment, and act as system authority for ERTMS and telematics applications. Essential reference for RUs, IMs, suppliers and NSAs interacting with ERA's one-stop-shop processes.

EU · Regulation (EU) 2016/796 · 2016

Establishes the practical arrangements for the vehicle type authorisation and vehicle placing-on-the-market authorisation process under Directive (EU) 2016/797, covering pre-engagement, application content, and the assessment roles of ERA and national safety authorities through the one-stop shop. Core procedural reference for manufacturers, applicants, and authorising entities in EU vehicle authorisation projects. In force as amended by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/781.

EU/ERA · Implementing Reg. (EU) 2018/545 · 2018

Lays down the practical arrangements for issuing single safety certificates under Directive (EU) 2016/798, covering the application via the One-Stop Shop, assessment stages and timescales, and coordination between ERA and national safety authorities. Used by railway undertakings applying for certification and by ERA and NSAs assessing safety management systems.

EU/ERA · Implementing Reg. (EU) 2018/763 · 2018

Lays down the common specifications for the register of railway infrastructure (RINF), repealing Implementing Decision 2014/880/EU. Defines the line and network parameters infrastructure managers must publish (gauging, axle load, electrification, train detection, CCS equipment) and the deadlines for populating the register. Primary legal basis for the RINF application, used by railway undertakings for route compatibility checks under TSI OPE.

European Commission · 2019/777 (as amended; consolidated 28.9.2023) · 2019

Defines the common reporting structure that national investigation bodies must follow for railway accident and incident investigation reports under Directive (EU) 2016/798. Standardises the summary, factual description, analysis and conclusions sections so that reports are comparable across Member States and support EU-wide safety learning and follow-up of recommendations.

European Commission · 2020/572 · 2020

Recast of the rail passenger rights framework (replacing Regulation (EC) No 1371/2007), applicable since 7 June 2023. Governs travel information and ticketing, compensation and assistance in the event of delay, missed connections and cancellations, rights of persons with disabilities and reduced mobility, and bicycle carriage. Railway undertakings must operate compensation schemes, contingency plans and non-discriminatory access conditions.

European Parliament & Council · 2021/782 (recast) · 2021

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1694, the core act of the 2023 TSI revision package, amends the TSIs for freight wagons (WAG), infrastructure (INF), accessibility for persons with disabilities and reduced mobility (PRM), energy (ENE), locomotives and passenger rolling stock (LOC&PAS) and noise (NOI), as well as the Register of Infrastructure regulation. It introduces harmonised requirements supporting automation, digitalisation and rail freight, and is the reference against which RUs, IMs, manufacturers and notified bodies must assess new and upgraded subsystems.

EU/ERA · Implementing Reg. (EU) 2023/1694 · 2023

Technical Specification for Interoperability covering the trackside and on-board control-command and signalling subsystems of the EU rail system, setting the mandatory requirements for ERTMS/ETCS, RMR/GSM-R and the applicable ERA specification sets. It is the legal basis for CCS subsystem and vehicle authorisation, used by infrastructure managers, railway undertakings, suppliers and notified bodies. Repeals Regulation (EU) 2016/919; amended by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/693 (new testing specifications and transitional measures, applicable from 5 May 2026).

EU/ERA · Reg. (EU) 2023/1695, amended by Reg. (EU) 2026/693 · 2023

Technical Specification for Interoperability for the energy subsystem of the EU rail system, covering traction power supply, overhead contact line geometry and performance, pantograph interaction interfaces and on-board energy measurement. It defines the essential requirements infrastructure managers, contracting entities and notified bodies apply when designing, assessing and authorising electrification fixed installations.

EU/ERA · Reg. (EU) 1301/2014 (consolidated 28/09/2023) · 2014

Technical specification for interoperability for the infrastructure subsystem of the EU rail system, defining requirements for track layout and geometry, structure gauge, platforms, load-bearing capacity and line performance parameters by category of line. It is the reference against which infrastructure managers, contracting entities and notified bodies design, build, upgrade and assess railway lines for interoperability.

EU/ERA · Reg. (EU) 1299/2014, as amended by (EU) 2023/1694 · 2014

Commission Regulation (EU) 1302/2014 laying down the technical specification for interoperability for the 'rolling stock — locomotives and passenger rolling stock' subsystem (TSI LOC&PAS), covering vehicle structure, running dynamics, braking, energy interfaces and environmental conditions. It defines the essential requirements rolling stock must meet for EU vehicle authorisation, and is used by manufacturers, railway undertakings and notified bodies in conformity assessment. Amended by Regulations (EU) 2020/387, 2023/1694 and 2025/675.

EU/ERA · Reg. (EU) 1302/2014 (consolidated 2025-04-27) · 2014

Technical specification for interoperability setting noise emission limits for rolling stock — pass-by, stationary, starting and driver's cab interior noise — applicable to freight wagons, locomotives, multiple units and coaches. Amended by Reg. (EU) 2019/774 to introduce "quieter routes" requirements phasing composite brake blocks into freight wagons, and by Reg. (EU) 2023/1694 as part of the 2023 TSI package. Used by rolling stock manufacturers, railway undertakings and notified bodies in EC verification of new and upgraded vehicles.

EU/ERA · Reg. (EU) 1304/2014 · 2014

Technical specification for interoperability for the operation and traffic management subsystem of the EU rail system, laying down harmonised operating principles and rules covering train preparation and composition, dispatching, degraded operation and safety-related communication between drivers and signallers. It is directly binding on railway undertakings and infrastructure managers, which must align their operational rulebooks, procedures and staff competence management with it; it repealed Decision 2012/757/EU.

EU/ERA · Implementing Reg. (EU) 2019/773 (consolidated 31/03/2025) · 2019

Technical specification for interoperability defining accessibility requirements for persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility across the Union rail system, covering both infrastructure (stations, platforms, routes, ticketing and information) and rolling stock (doors, seating, wheelchair spaces, toilets, steps and visual/audible information). It sets the mandatory design parameters used by infrastructure managers, station managers, railway undertakings and vehicle manufacturers, and is the assessment basis applied by notified bodies for accessibility conformity.

EU/ERA · Reg. (EU) 1300/2014 · 2014

Technical specification for interoperability laying down harmonised safety requirements for railway tunnels on the EU network, covering the infrastructure, energy, rolling stock and operation subsystems — including fire protection of structures and vehicles, evacuation and rescue provisions, and emergency planning. Applied by infrastructure managers, railway undertakings, manufacturers and notified bodies when authorising new or upgraded tunnels and the rolling stock that runs through them.

EU/ERA · Reg. (EU) 1303/2014 (as amended; consolidated 29.01.2024) · 2014

Commission Regulation (EU) No 1305/2014 defined the TSI for the telematics applications for freight (TAF) subsystem, harmonising data exchange between railway undertakings, infrastructure managers and other actors for consignment notes, train running information, wagon movement and ETA messaging. It was repealed with effect from 1 March 2026 by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/253, which merges TAF and TAP into a single Telematics TSI.

EU/ERA · Reg. (EU) 1305/2014 · 2014

Technical specification for interoperability covering the telematics applications for passenger services (TAP) subsystem, defining EU-wide data exchange standards for timetables, tariffs, reservations and passenger information between railway undertakings, ticket vendors and station managers. Repealed with effect from 1 March 2026 by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/253, which merges TAP and TAF into the single Telematics (TEL) TSI.

EU/ERA · Reg. (EU) 454/2011 · 2011

The single Telematics TSI: Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/253 merges the previously separate telematics TSIs for freight (TAF) and passenger (TAP) services into one specification for the electronic data exchange of the EU rail system, applicable from 1 March 2026.

EU/ERA · Impl. Reg. (EU) 2026/253 · 2026

Technical Specification for Interoperability for the rolling stock – freight wagons subsystem (WAG TSI), setting requirements for wagon structures, running gear, braking, and markings for placing freight wagons on the EU rail network. Used by wagon manufacturers, keepers, entities in charge of maintenance and notified bodies for conformity assessment and vehicle authorisation; most recently amended by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2064.

EU/ERA · Reg. (EU) 321/2013 (as amended by Reg. (EU) 2025/2064) · 2013

Defines the common safety method for monitoring the correct application and effectiveness of safety management system processes and risk control measures. It applies to railway undertakings and infrastructure managers after they receive a safety certificate or authorisation, and to entities in charge of maintenance, requiring a structured monitoring process of strategy, priorities, plans, data collection and corrective actions.

EU/ERA · Commission Reg. (EU) No 1078/2012 · 2012

Defines the mandatory risk management process — system definition, hazard identification, and risk acceptance via codes of practice, reference systems or explicit risk estimation — to be applied whenever a technical, operational or organisational change to the EU railway system is deemed significant. It also requires independent evaluation by an accredited or recognised assessment body (AsBo), making it the core framework used by RUs, IMs, ECMs and suppliers to demonstrate safe change management.

EU/ERA · Implementing Reg. (EU) 402/2013 · 2013

Establishes the common safety method on safety management system (SMS) requirements pursuant to Article 9 of Directive (EU) 2016/798, defining what the SMS of railway undertakings and infrastructure managers must contain. These requirements form the assessment basis used by national safety authorities and ERA when issuing single safety certificates and safety authorisations.

EU/ERA · Delegated Reg. (EU) 2018/762 · 2018

Lays down the certification system for entities in charge of maintenance (ECM) of railway vehicles under Directive (EU) 2016/798, covering the four maintenance functions, certification requirements, and mutual recognition of ECM certificates. Extends mandatory certification beyond freight wagons and repealed Regulation (EU) 445/2011 with effect from 16 June 2020. Used by ECMs, certification bodies, keepers, RUs and IMs to demonstrate and verify maintenance capability.

EU/ERA · Implementing Reg. (EU) 2019/779 · 2019

Defines the EMC compatibility requirements and assessment procedure verifying that a rail vehicle does not desensitise or falsely trigger track-circuit- or axle-counter-based train-detection systems - the vehicle-side complement to infrastructure EMC requirements. This entry anchors on Part 1 (General), which sets the overall compatibility-assessment framework; companion parts address compliance with specific track-circuit and axle-counter types. It is a mandatory input to vehicle authorisation wherever a vehicle interacts with existing train-detection equipment.

CENELEC · EN 50238-1:2019 (Part 1 of series) · 2019

ERA's central portal for the European Rail Traffic Management System, the harmonised European train control and communication system combining ETCS with Railway Mobile Radio (GSM-R and its FRMCS successor). It is the entry point to the ERTMS specification documents, change control and deployment information that ERA maintains in its role as ERTMS system authority, used by IMs, RUs, suppliers and national authorities.

ERA · —

Defines the terms, definitions and abbreviations used consistently across the whole set of ERTMS/ETCS SUBSET specifications. It is the reference glossary that signalling engineers, suppliers and Notified Bodies consult when interpreting any other SUBSET document, and is itself part of the CCS TSI Annex A specification set.

UNISIG / ERA / EEIG ERTMS Users Group · 4.0.0 · 2023

Subset-026 is the ETCS System Requirements Specification, the core document defining the functional behaviour, modes, braking curves and air-gap language of the European Train Control System at Baseline 4 Release 1 (v4.0.0). Published by ERA as part of the CCS TSI Appendix A mandatory specifications, it is the primary reference for suppliers developing onboard and trackside CCS subsystems and for notified bodies and project engineers assessing ERTMS/ETCS implementations.

ERA · Baseline 4 R1 (mandatory specs) · 2023

UNISIG functional interface specification for juridical recording in ERTMS/ETCS, defining the events and data the on-board juridical recording function must capture and the format in which they are made available for download and analysis. Version 4.0.0 is mandated as index 005 of the single set of specifications in Annex A of the 2023 CCS TSI, and is used by on-board suppliers, accident investigators and safety authorities when analysing recorded ETCS operational data.

UNISIG / ERA · v4.0.0 · 2023

The Functional Interface Specification between the ETCS on-board and the train: which functions the ERTMS/ETCS equipment commands or observes on the vehicle side — service and emergency brake, traction cut-off, pantograph and main switch, doors, cab status — and the functional conditions for each exchange.

UNISIG / ERA · v4.0.0 · 2023

The Form Fit Function Interface Specification for Specific Transmission Modules — the adapter architecture that lets an ETCS on-board read legacy Class B national train-protection systems (via an STM) so one vehicle can run seamlessly across ETCS and nationally protected lines.

UNISIG / ERA · v4.0.0 · 2023

Defines the Form Fit Functional Interface Specification for the Eurobalise, the trackside-to-onboard data transmission module used at all ETCS levels, covering the electrical, mechanical and telegram-format interface between balise and onboard antenna unit/BTM. It is one of the mandatory ERTMS/ETCS specifications referenced in CCS TSI Annex A and is used by suppliers and Notified Bodies for balise-product interoperability certification.

UNISIG · 3.1.0 · 2015

Specifies the EuroRadio Functional Interface Specification, the safety-related application-layer protocol carried over GSM-R (and, in later baselines, FRMCS) that provides secure radio communication between trackside RBC/RIU and onboard ETCS equipment. It is a mandatory CCS TSI reference underpinning ETCS Level 2/3 radio-based train control and is used by suppliers and Notified Bodies for radio-interface conformity assessment.

UNISIG · 3.2.0 · 2015

The Functional Interface Specification for off-line key management: how the cryptographic keys (KMAC) that authenticate EuroRadio communication between ETCS on-boards and radio block centres are generated, distributed, installed, updated and revoked across entities.

UNISIG / ERA · v4.0.0 · 2023

Defines the mandatory ERTMS/ETCS Class 1 conformance test specifications - test cases (Subset-076-5-2), test sequences (Subset-076-6-3) and this scope document (Subset-076-7) - used to prove that an ETCS on-board subsystem correctly implements the functional and safety requirements of Subset-026 and Subset-108. It is the de facto reference test framework applied by test laboratories and notified/designated bodies to demonstrate ETCS on-board conformance for interoperability certification, currently listed as mandatory in the CCS TSI Appendix A set of specifications.

ERA/UNISIG · Subset-076-7 "Scope of the Test Specifications" v4.0.0 (18 Dec 2024) · 2024

Specifies the quantitative and qualitative safety requirements for the technical interoperability of ETCS in Levels 1 and 2, including the tolerable hazard rates apportioned between on-board and trackside subsystems. Mandatory specification under the CCS TSI (Appendix A, index 027), used by suppliers, safety assessors and notified bodies when building and evaluating ETCS safety cases.

UNISIG / ERA · v4.0.0 · 2023

The interface specification between a Key Management Centre and the ETCS entities it serves (on-boards and trackside): message formats, procedures and media for the off-line distribution and management of EuroRadio keys defined functionally in SUBSET-038.

UNISIG / ERA · v4.0.0 · 2023

Form-fit-function interface specification for the connection between the ETCS on-board equipment and the rest of the train, defining the hard-wired and serial (train bus) signals for functions such as brake commands, sleeping, traction cut-off and train data exchange. Mandatory as index 81 of the CCS TSI Appendix A specification set, it is used by ETCS on-board suppliers, rolling stock manufacturers and vehicle integrators to ensure interchangeable on-board units.

ERA · v4.0.0 · 2023

Sets out the system-level functional and performance requirements for ERTMS/ATO (Automatic Train Operation) running over ETCS, covering the ATO-Onboard/ATO-Trackside architecture and the grades of automation (GoA1–GoA4) applicable to interoperable rail. It is the top-level normative reference for ATO deployment referenced in CCS TSI Appendix A for ATO baseline 1.

UNISIG / ERA / EEIG ERTMS Users Group · 1.1.0 · 2024

Specifies the application-layer Form Fit Functional Interface between the ATO-Onboard and ATO-Trackside subsystems, defining the message set and procedures for automatic train operation commands and status exchange. It complements SUBSET-125 as the interoperable communication protocol for ERTMS/ATO and is referenced in CCS TSI Appendix A for ATO baseline 1.

UNISIG / ERA / EEIG ERTMS Users Group · 1.1.0 · 2024

Defines the Form Fit Functional Interface Specification for the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS), the 5G-based successor to GSM-R being standardised for the RMR (Radio Mobile Communication) part of the CCS TSI. It specifies the functional interface for FRMCS user equipment and the onboard/trackside radio applications feeding future ETCS/ATO radio bearers, and is developed by UIC and hosted by ERA among the informative CCS TSI specifications.

UIC (FRMCS Programme) · 2.1.0 · 2025

EIRENE Functional Requirements Specification v8.1.0 (GSM-R Baseline 1 Maintenance Release 1), a mandatory RMR specification listed in Appendix A of the CCS TSI. It defines the functional requirements for railway mobile radio — voice group and railway emergency calls, functional addressing, location-dependent addressing and shunting communications — that GSM-R networks and cab radios must meet, and is applied by infrastructure managers, railway undertakings, radio suppliers and notified bodies alongside the initial FRMCS (Baseline 0) specifications.

ERA · GSM-R B1 MR1 + FRMCS B0 · 2023

The ERA Ontology is the European Union Agency for Railways' machine- and human-readable vocabulary (RDF/OWL, current version 3.3.2) defining the concepts and relationships linked to the sectorial legal framework and use cases under the Agency's remit, built as a semantic representation of the RINF and ERATV application guides. It is the shared reference-data semantics underpinning machine-readable exchange and integration of RINF infrastructure-register and ERATV/EVR vehicle-register data across the European railway sector.

European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) · ERA Ontology v3.3.2 (25 June 2026) · 2026

Joint EU-Rail System Pillar / EULYNX specification set standardising the interfaces and elements of trackside signalling assets (interlockings, object controllers, SCI/SDI/SMI interfaces), applicable to both the current EULYNX architecture and the future rail target architecture. Release 4 finalises Baseline Set 4 at a stable maturity level, closed to functional changes, giving infrastructure managers and signalling suppliers a stable basis for procurement and industrialisation.

Europe's Rail / EULYNX · BL4 R4 · 2025

Specification set defining a modular interlocking architecture with standardised interfaces between interlockings and trackside field elements (point machines, signals, level crossings), published jointly by EULYNX and the EU-Rail System Pillar. Release 4 finalises Baseline Set 4 with 25 common specification documents plus 24 supporting EULYNX-architecture documents, and is now closed to functional changes. Used by infrastructure managers and signalling suppliers to decouple interlocking and field-element procurement and reduce vendor lock-in.

EULYNX / EU-Rail · BL4 R4 · 2025

IEC 61375-2-5 defines the Ethernet Train Backbone (ETB), the open, Ethernet-based train-wide communication network specification that ensures interoperability between local consist subnets regardless of the underlying consist-network technology. It is the standard that modern train networking architectures -- including inter-consist data exchange for dynamically composed trains -- depend on for interoperable, train-wide Ethernet communication, and may also apply to closed and multiple-unit trains by agreement between purchaser and supplier.

IEC · IEC 61375-2-5:2014 (Edition 1.0) · 2014

IFC 4.3 (published as ISO 16739-1:2024, Edition 2) is buildingSMART's open, vendor-neutral BIM data schema extended to cover infrastructure domains -- Railways, Roads, Ports and Waterways -- alongside its existing buildings scope, adding railway-specific entities for track and rail elements, alignment geometry including cant, and earthworks. It is the openBIM schema increasingly specified on European rail infrastructure projects for exchanging asset, geometry and lifecycle data across design, construction and asset-management toolchains.

buildingSMART International · IFC 4.3.2 (ISO 16739-1:2024, Edition 2) · 2024

Open reference architecture for a modular ETCS/CCS on-board system, developed by DB, SNCF, NS, ÖBB and SBB to standardise the internal structure and interfaces of on-board control-command equipment (computing platform, vehicle adapter, train display, localisation). Published as versioned open-licence releases (latest R6, 2025) with requirements, architecture models and proof-of-concept results, it is used by procuring railways and suppliers to break vendor lock-in and feeds into the Europe's Rail System Pillar.

OCORA Group (DB/SNCF/NS/ÖBB/SBB) · Release R6 · 2025

Open XML-based data exchange format for the railway sector maintained by the railML.org consortium, with subschemas covering infrastructure, timetable, rolling stock and interlocking (including ETCS data). It lets infrastructure managers, railway undertakings and software suppliers exchange planning and asset data between tools without bespoke interfaces; the current release line is railML 3 (latest 3.3 SR1), with railML 2 still in productive use.

railML.org · v3.3 (SR1)

IRS 30100 RailTopoModel is UIC's reference conceptual data model for describing railway network topology and infrastructure -- the iron network, infrastructure elements, their description, referencing, positioning and behaviour -- at the level of detail required by a given application. It underpins interoperable exchange of railway infrastructure data for uses such as network design and maintenance, traffic scheduling and traffic management, and is the conceptual foundation that implementable exchange formats such as railML build on.

UIC · IRS 30100, 1st edition (September 2016) · 2016

Defines the SFERA protocol, UIC's messaging standard for train-operation data exchange between infrastructure managers, railway undertakings and on-board devices, covering Driver Advisory Systems (DAS), ATO support data, Digital Instructions and free-text driver communication. The 3rd edition extends the original DAS-only scope into a universal on-board data-exchange protocol; download is free but requires a shop.uic.org account.

UIC (International Union of Railways) · Ed. no. 3 (2026) · 2026

Specifies the generic lifecycle process for defining and demonstrating reliability, availability, maintainability and safety (RAMS) requirements for railway systems, from concept through operation and decommissioning. It is the foundation of the CENELEC railway safety-assurance framework alongside EN 50126-2, EN 50128/50657 and EN 50129, and is applied by railway undertakings, infrastructure managers, suppliers and independent safety assessors. Amended by A1:2024; the IEC twin is IEC 62278-1.

CENELEC · EN 50126-1:2017+A1:2024 · 2024

Companion to EN 50126-1 providing guidance on the systems approach to safety within the railway RAMS lifecycle, covering hazard identification, risk assessment and the specification and allocation of safety requirements and safety integrity levels. Used by suppliers, railway undertakings, infrastructure managers and independent safety assessors when demonstrating the safety of railway systems and subsystems.

CENELEC · EN 50126-2:2017+A1:2024 · 2024

Specifies the process and technical requirements for developing software for programmable electronic systems in railway control and protection applications, defining software safety integrity levels (SIL 0-4) and the lifecycle techniques and measures required at each level. Long the benchmark used by signalling suppliers, assessors and safety authorities for railway software assurance, it has been superseded by EN 50716:2023, which merges EN 50128 and EN 50657 into a single railway software standard.

CENELEC · EN 50128:2011 (+A2:2020) · 2011

Specifies the requirements for the specification, design, construction and acceptance of safety-related electronic systems (hardware and system aspects) in railway signalling, including safety integrity levels, hardware failure management and the structure of the safety case for generic products, generic applications and specific applications. Together with EN 50126 (RAMS) and EN 50716 (software, successor to EN 50128/50657), it forms the core CENELEC railway safety standard set used by signalling suppliers, infrastructure managers and independent safety assessors.

CENELEC · EN 50129:2026 · 2026

Specifies requirements for safe data communication between safety-related railway signalling and processing equipment over both closed and open transmission networks, defining the communication threats (repetition, deletion, insertion, resequencing, corruption, delay, masquerade) and the defences required against each. Part of the CENELEC railway safety family alongside EN 50126, EN 50128 and EN 50129, it is applied by signalling suppliers and independent safety assessors for systems such as ETCS data transmission and interlocking communication.

CENELEC · EN 50159:2010 (+A1:2020) · 2010

Specifies process and technical requirements for the development, deployment and maintenance of software for programmable electronic systems on board rolling stock, covering non-signalling onboard functions such as train control and management, HVAC and passenger information systems. Adapted from EN 50128, it defines software integrity levels from basic integrity to SIL 4 and was used by rolling-stock suppliers, RUs and assessors for onboard software assurance. Superseded by EN 50716:2023, which merges EN 50128 and EN 50657 into a single railway software development standard.

CENELEC · EN 50657:2017+A1:2023 · 2023

Single European standard for the development of railway software, consolidating and superseding both EN 50128 (trackside control and protection software) and EN 50657 (on-board software). It defines software safety integrity levels SIL 0-4, lifecycle phases, verification and validation activities, documentation and organisational independence requirements, and is the normative software reference of EN 50129-based safety cases.

CENELEC · EN 50716:2023 · 2023

Specifies a system life-cycle based process for managing reliability, availability, maintainability and safety (RAMS) in railway applications, including a systematic approach to identifying and controlling risk and conflicts between RAMS elements. As the international (IEC) twin of EN 50126-1, it is used by railway undertakings, infrastructure managers, suppliers and assessors to specify and demonstrate RAMS requirements throughout a system's life.

IEC · IEC 62278-1:2025 · 2025

Specifies the process and technical requirements for developing software for programmable electronic systems used in railway control and protection applications, covering lifecycle activities, organisational roles and competencies, and tool qualification, with requirements graded by software safety integrity level. As the international (IEC) twin of EN 50128, it is applied by signalling suppliers and independent assessors, particularly in markets outside the CENELEC area.

IEC · IEC 62279:2015 · 2015

Specifies requirements for the demonstration and acceptance of the functional safety of safety-related electronic systems, subsystems and equipment for railway signalling, covering both generic products and specific applications through a structured safety case. As the international (IEC) twin of EN 50129, it is used by signalling suppliers, safety assessors and authorities to demonstrate and cross-accept the safety of signalling systems worldwide. Edition 2.0 (2025) cancels and replaces the 2007 first edition.

IEC · IEC 62425:2025 · 2025

The IEC's multi-part framework for securing industrial automation and control systems: security levels SL1-SL4, the zones-and-conduits architecture model, product and system requirements, and secure development lifecycle requirements. This entry anchors on Part 3-3, the system security requirements catalogue.

IEC · IEC 62443-3-3:2013 (series) · 2013

Technical specification applying the IEC 62443 industrial-cybersecurity framework to railways: zones and conduits, risk assessment, security levels and lifecycle security requirements covering signalling, fixed installations and rolling stock. It is the primary European reference used by infrastructure managers, operators and suppliers to specify and assess cybersecurity of rail systems.

CENELEC · CLC/TS 50701:2023 · 2023

Specifies the measurement and evaluation methods for passenger ride comfort in rail vehicles, defining comfort indices derived from body-mounted accelerometer measurements taken in normal service and during curve negotiation. It is the reference test method used by manufacturers and operators to demonstrate ride-comfort performance for vehicle acceptance and TSI conformity assessment, distinct from the running-safety dynamics covered by EN 14363.

CEN · EN 12299:2024 · 2024

Specifies minimum structural requirements for railway vehicle bodies by design category, defining the proof and fatigue loads carbodies must sustain and the principles for design validation by analysis and testing. It is the baseline for carbody structural design of locomotives and passenger rolling stock, used together with EN 15227 for crashworthiness.

CEN · EN 12663-1:2010+A2:2023 · 2023

Defines the design method for wheelset axles with external journals: the forces and moments to be considered, the stress calculation method, and maximum permissible stresses for the standard axle steel grades. The 2017 edition merged the former EN 13103 (non-powered) and EN 13104 (powered) into a single method covering both trailer and motor axles, making it the reference for axle design across European rolling stock.

CEN · EN 13103-1:2017+A1:2022 · 2023

Establishes comfort parameters, service conditions and type-test methods for air conditioning and heating systems in main-line passenger saloons and compartments, including single- and double-deck vehicles. It is the standard reference for specifying and verifying HVAC comfort performance in rolling-stock procurement, excluding suburban vehicles, metros, tramways and driving cabs.

CEN · EN 13129:2016 · 2016

Specifies product requirements for solid forged and rolled monobloc railway wheels, defining the ER6-ER9 steel grades and acceptance criteria for mechanical properties, residual stresses, internal integrity and geometry. It is the reference procurement and approval standard for wheels, used by wheel manufacturers, ECMs, operators and notified bodies in interoperability conformity assessment.

CEN · EN 13262:2020 · 2020

Specifies the method for defining the structural requirements of bogie frames, covering exceptional and service load cases, design assessment by calculation, static and fatigue testing, and manufacturing quality requirements. Bogie designers, manufacturers and assessors use it for design validation of bogie frames, bolsters and axlebox housings on new rolling stock.

CEN · EN 13749:2021+A1:2023 · 2023

Multi-part CEN series specifying the mandatory aerodynamic requirements and test/assessment procedures for rail vehicles: pressure-pulse and slipstream effects on open track (Part 4), pressure variations in tunnels (Part 5) and crosswind performance (Part 6). This entry anchors on Part 4; together the three parts form the type-test framework required for vehicles above roughly 140 km/h to demonstrate aerodynamic safety and passenger/trackside comfort for authorisation.

CEN · EN 14067-4:2024+A1:2025 (Part 4 of series; also Part 5:2021 and Part 6:2018+A1:2022) · 2025

Specifies the basic requirements for the brake system of trains hauled by locomotives — the UIC-compatible automatic air brake architecture, its pneumatic interfaces, brake positions and the performance the assembled train must achieve — for vehicles used in general operation and in fixed or predefined formations.

CEN · EN 14198:2016+A2:2021 · 2021

Defines the process for assessing the running characteristics of railway vehicles on standard-gauge (1435 mm) networks, combining stationary tests, on-track running tests and simulation to evaluate running safety, track loading and ride characteristics. It is the core vehicle-dynamics acceptance standard used in vehicle authorisation by manufacturers, test and simulation bodies, assessors and railway undertakings.

CEN · EN 14363:2016+A2:2022 · 2023

Defines the general algorithms — mean-value calculations for a train or single vehicle — for computing stopping and slowing distances and immobilization (parking) braking, from brake equipment characteristics through force development to achieved deceleration. Part 2 covers step-by-step calculations for specific applications.

CEN · EN 14531-1:2015 · 2015

Specifies design, testing and safety requirements for bodyside entrance (door) systems on newly designed passenger rolling stock, covering manual and power-operated doors, obstacle detection and control logic across trams, metros, suburban, main-line and high-speed vehicles. It is the CEN reference used by vehicle builders and operators to specify and verify entrance equipment on new-build and refurbished fleets.

CEN · EN 14752:2025 · 2025

Specifies the comfort parameters for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning of railway driving cabs, covering locomotives, main-line, suburban, regional and urban vehicles, to support driver comfort and safe operation. Read together with the Part 2 type-test procedures, it is the standard reference for cab climate specification, distinct from the saloon HVAC requirements of EN 13129.

CEN · EN 14813-1:2006+A1:2010 · 2006

Defines the quality requirements and certification levels that manufacturers must meet to weld railway vehicles and components, including welding coordination personnel and workshop capability requirements. Certification against this part, issued by recognised certification bodies, is the de-facto market-access requirement for suppliers of welded rail vehicle structures such as carbodies and bogie frames.

CEN · EN 15085-2:2020+A2:2025 · 2025

Specifies functional, optical and mechanical requirements for train cab windscreens, including impact resistance, visibility, abrasion resistance and type-/routine-test methods, applicable to high-speed, heavy-rail, light-rail, metro and tram vehicles. It is the direct CEN reference for driver-safety windscreen specification and qualification across all rolling-stock classes.

CEN · EN 15152:2019+A1:2023 · 2024

Specifies passive-safety (crashworthiness) requirements for rail vehicle structures, defining reference collision scenarios, energy-absorption, survival-space and override-protection criteria by vehicle design category. It governs the structural crash design of new locomotives, multiple units and coaches and is applied by manufacturers and assessors under the LOC&PAS TSI.

CEN · EN 15227:2020+A1:2024 · 2024

EN 15313 defines requirements for the operational management of wheelsets while in service and for their maintenance when removed from the vehicle, covering inspection intervals, wear and damage limits, and off-vehicle repair and reassembly procedures. It is the lifecycle-maintenance counterpart to the design standards for wheelsets and bogies (EN 13260/13261/13262), used daily by maintenance workshops, ECMs and fleet engineers to keep wheelsets safely in operation.

CEN · EN 15313:2024 · 2024

Specifies the geometry, energy-absorption performance, interfaces and test procedures for railway buffers with 105 mm, 110 mm and 150 mm stroke, fitted to freight wagons, coaches and locomotives using screw couplings. It includes provisions for crashworthy buffers on dangerous-goods tank wagons and is the CEN reference used wherever conventional buffer-and-chain coupling equipment is specified or tested.

CEN · EN 15551:2022 · 2022

Specifies the functionality, construction, interfaces and testing of draw gear and screw couplings fitted to the ends of freight wagons, locomotives and passenger vehicles, across three force-rated categories (1 MN, 1.2 MN and 1.5 MN). Read together with EN 15551, it completes the specification of conventional screw-coupling equipment; permanently coupled vehicle units fall outside its scope.

CEN · EN 15566:2022 · 2022

Specifies acceptance and type-approval criteria for wheel slide protection (WSP) systems — the anti-skid electronics that modulate brake effort at the adhesion limit — plus requirements for wheel rotation monitoring, and the design, testing and quality assessment of WSP components and their vehicle-specific implementation.

CEN · EN 15595:2018+A1:2023 · 2023

Defines a harmonised set of vehicle reference masses — dead mass, design and operational masses in working order and under normal and exceptional payload — together with standard payload values for passenger, high-speed and freight vehicles. These definitions are used in the design, testing, acceptance, marking and operation of rail vehicles and underpin mass declarations in TSI conformity assessment, making the standard a common reference for manufacturers, railway undertakings and assessment bodies.

CEN · EN 15663:2017 (+A2:2024) · 2025

Sets out the technical and safety requirements for gangway systems providing passenger and staff passage between adjacent railway vehicles, covering vehicle-body interfaces, dimensioning, assessment methods and acceptance criteria across tram, metro, suburban, main-line and high-speed rolling stock. It is the CEN reference cited whenever gangway safety and compatibility of a coupled vehicle set must be verified.

CEN · EN 16286-1:2024 · 2024

Specifies the requirements and test methods for brake blocks — cast iron and composite (K, L, LL) — including friction characteristics, mechanical strength, wear behaviour and the dynamometer programmes used for product qualification and quality surveillance.

CEN · EN 16452:2015+A1:2019 · 2019

The general-requirements series under the PRM TSI: Part 1 defines how visual contrast is specified and measured, Part 2 covers general information provision, and Part 3 covers optical and friction characteristics — the measurable definitions the accessibility requirements of the TSI rely on.

CEN · EN 16584-1:2025 (series) · 2025

The on-board equipment series under the PRM TSI: Part 1 specifies universal and accessible toilet modules, Part 2 covers wheelchair spaces, priority seats and elements for moving through the vehicle, and Part 3 covers clearways, doors and interior steps.

CEN · EN 16585-1:2025 (series) · 2025

The boarding-interface series under the PRM TSI: Part 1 specifies steps for access and egress — geometry, visibility, slip resistance — and Part 2 covers boarding aids for wheelchair users: ramps, lifts and bridging plates, with their loads, gradients, controls and safety devices.

CEN · EN 16586-1:2025 (series) · 2025

Defines fire behaviour requirements and test methods for materials and components used in railway vehicles, assigning requirement sets against hazard levels HL1-HL3 derived from the operation and design categories of EN 45545-1. It is the reference standard for fire-safety qualification of interiors, cables and components, used by vehicle manufacturers, material suppliers, test laboratories and notified bodies for LOC&PAS TSI compliance.

CEN · EN 45545-2:2020+A1:2023 · 2023

Defines the environmental conditions — altitude, temperature, humidity, air movement, rain, snow and hail, ice, solar radiation, lightning and pollution — under which rolling stock and on-board equipment must operate correctly. It is the reference baseline for specifying and testing vehicle equipment, cited by EN 50155 and used by rolling stock manufacturers, component suppliers and RUs in procurement and type testing. Vibration and shock are covered separately by EN 61373. IEC twin: IEC 62498-1.

CENELEC · EN 50125-1:2014 · 2014

Specifies protective provisions against electric shock for persons on rolling stock, covering protection against direct and indirect contact, protective bonding and the classification of voltages in vehicle electrical installations. It applies to rail vehicles, externally powered road vehicles such as trolleybuses and magnetically levitated vehicles, and is used by rolling stock manufacturers and conformity assessors, including in demonstrations against the LOC&PAS TSI.

CENELEC · EN 50153:2014+A2:2020 · 2020

Specifies requirements for the design, manufacture, documentation and testing of electronic equipment installed on board rolling stock — control, regulation, protection, diagnostic and power-supply electronics, including sensors and semiconductor drive units. It defines the environmental and electrical operating conditions (temperature, humidity, shock and vibration, supply variations) such equipment must withstand, making it the baseline qualification standard used by vehicle manufacturers, on-board equipment suppliers and assessors. The 2026 edition supersedes EN 50155:2021.

CENELEC · EN 50155:2026 · 2026

Specifies the general assembly characteristics and the tests that pantographs for main-line rolling stock must meet to ensure current collection from overhead contact lines, excluding dielectric/insulator testing. It is the CENELEC reference underpinning technical compatibility between pantograph and overhead line for interoperability approval; isolated metro and light-rail pantographs are covered separately by EN 50206-2.

CENELEC · EN 50206-1:2010 · 2010

Defines the routine test programme (static and dynamic) that a rolling-stock manufacturer or integrator must complete on a new or substantially modified vehicle before it is placed into service, covering functional, safety and performance verification at project completion. It formally supersedes the withdrawn EN 50215 (Testing of rolling stock after construction and before entry into service, now searched for under that designation), consolidating the same need under a joint CENELEC/IEC document, and is the standard type-test reference cited in vehicle acceptance and homologation dossiers.

CENELEC/IEC · IEC 61133:2016 · 2016

Defines internationally harmonised measurement methods for pass-by, stationary, starting and interior noise emitted by railbound vehicles, covering microphone positioning, test-track conditions and data processing. It underlies noise-type testing for TSI Noise conformity assessment and is the acoustic-measurement methodology cited by manufacturers, notified bodies and infrastructure managers across Europe and internationally.

ISO/CEN · EN ISO 3095:2025 · 2026

Specifies random vibration and shock test requirements for equipment mounted on railway vehicles, with test severities graded by mounting location (body-, bogie- and axle-mounted categories). It is the standard test regime rolling-stock equipment suppliers use to demonstrate mechanical robustness over service life; Edition 3.0, published July 2026, replaces the long-standing 2010 edition.

IEC · IEC 61373:2026 (Edition 3.0) · 2026

IEC 62928 specifies the design, operating parameters, safety recommendations, data exchange and routine/type-test requirements for onboard lithium-ion traction batteries used as the energy storage system for railway vehicle traction, including hybrid and battery-electric rolling stock. It covers the battery system and its subcomponents, including the battery management system (BMS) and battery thermal management system (BTMS), while excluding auxiliary batteries that power only onboard auxiliary equipment. As battery-electric and hybrid traction becomes mainstream, it is the reference international standard cited by traction-battery suppliers and rolling-stock builders.

IEC · IEC 62928:2017 (Edition 1.0) · 2017

IEC 63341-1 is the first purpose-built international standard for fuel-cell power systems installed onboard rolling stock -- light rail vehicles, tramways, metros and mainline trains -- for traction propulsion. It specifies the scope of supply and the fluidic, electrical, thermal and mechanical interfaces of the onboard fuel-cell power system, together with environmental conditions, safety and reliability requirements, and marking, storage, transport, installation and maintenance requirements. Published in October 2025 (Edition 1.0), it is the reference standard as hydrogen rolling stock moves from demonstrator fleets toward series production.

IEC · IEC 63341-1:2025 (Edition 1.0) · 2025

Defines braking performance for railway vehicles and trains and the method for determining it: braked weight, braked-weight percentage (lambda), decelerations, and their conversion for operational use, including pointers for hand-wheel screw brakes and spring-loaded parking brakes. Successor to the long-serving UIC Leaflet 544-1 on braking power.

UIC (International Union of Railways) · IRS 50544-1 (Ed. 1, 2025) · 2025

Sets the general requirements, technical criteria and control procedures for concrete sleepers and bearers used in ballasted track, including twin-block reinforced sleepers, switch/crossing bearers and special track elements. Defines the mechanical (repetitive-load, fatigue) and durability (chemical, frost) tests that manufacturers and infrastructure managers use for product qualification and acceptance; companion parts of the series cover mono-block sleepers, prestressed switch/crossing bearers and structural design.

CEN · EN 13230-1:2016 (Part 1 of series) · 2016

Specifies technical requirements and tolerances for the acceptance of new construction, renewal and maintenance works on ballasted track - plain line, switches, crossings and rail expansion devices - for track gauges 1 435 mm and wider, covering substructure, track geometry, track components, ballast cross-section and structure gauge. It defines the measurement and documentation regime infrastructure managers and construction contractors use to formally accept completed track works.

CEN · EN 13231-1:2023 · 2023

Multi-part CEN series defining requirements for switches and crossings used with Vignole (flat-bottom) rails, spanning definitions, geometric design, wheel-rail interaction, actuation/locking, expansion devices and layouts. This entry anchors on Part 2, which sets wheel/rail contact geometry and crossing-nose dimensioning rules used by infrastructure managers and turnout manufacturers for design and type approval; read together with EN 13231 (acceptance of works) it governs specification and construction quality of switch layouts.

CEN · EN 13232-2:2023 (Part 2 of a 9-part series) · 2023

Specifies requirements for natural, manufactured or recycled crushed unbound aggregates used as railway ballast, covering particle shape, grading, resistance to fragmentation and wear, and durability. It is the reference specification used by infrastructure managers and ballast suppliers for procurement and acceptance testing of ballast material on ballasted track.

CEN · EN 13450:2013 · 2013

Defines performance requirements and type-approval criteria for complete rail fastening assemblies on concrete sleepers in ballasted track, the most widespread European track form. Infrastructure managers and fastening suppliers use it for product approval of direct and indirect fastening systems, covering rail sections of EN 13674-1 and EN 13674-4.

CEN · EN 13481-2:2022 · 2022

Specifies rail profiles, pearlitic steel grades (200-440 HBW), dimensional tolerances and qualification requirements for flat-bottom (Vignole) rails of 46 kg/m and above, for conventional and high-speed track. It is the European reference specification for rail procurement and acceptance, used by infrastructure managers and rail manufacturers.

CEN · EN 13674-1:2011+A1:2017 · 2017

Specifies rules and limits for track alignment design parameters - curve radii, cant, cant deficiency, transition lengths and their rates of change - including alignments within switches and crossings, for nominal track gauges of 1 435 mm and wider at speeds up to 360 km/h, including vehicles approved for higher cant deficiency such as tilting trains. It is the core geometric design reference used by infrastructure managers and track designers for plain line and switch/crossing layout; this 2017 consolidated edition superseded the earlier split Parts 1 and 2.

CEN · EN 13803:2017 · 2017

Defines the principal track geometry parameters — track gauge, longitudinal level, alignment, cross level and twist — and specifies minimum requirements for their measurement and analysis so that outputs from different track recording systems are comparable. It is the reference basis for track geometry quality assessment used by infrastructure managers, measuring-system suppliers and maintenance contractors; urban rail systems are excluded from its scope.

CEN · EN 13848-1:2019 · 2019

Defines the laboratory tests and approval procedure for aluminothermic (thermite) welding processes used to join new Vignole rails of the same profile and steel grade in track. This entry anchors on Part 1 (approval of welding processes); Part 2 of the series separately governs welder qualification, contractor approval and in-track weld acceptance. It is the reference standard used by infrastructure managers and track-renewal contractors for rail-welding quality assurance.

CEN · EN 14730-1:2017 (Part 1 of a 2-part series) · 2017

Multi-part CEN series defining the methodology for calculating and verifying railway gauges — the reference profiles and associated rules governing the space envelope between rolling stock and infrastructure. Part 1 sets common rules, Part 2 covers the rolling stock gauge, Part 3 structure gauges, and Part 4 (new with the October 2025 revision) provides a catalogue of defined gauges. Used by infrastructure managers for structure clearance and platform positioning, and by vehicle designers and conformity assessors to demonstrate gauge compatibility.

CEN · EN 15273:2025 (Parts 1-4) · 2025

Specifies the classification of railway lines into line categories, based on axle load and mass per unit length, and the corresponding categorisation of vehicles, providing the method for checking static compatibility between vehicle load limits and infrastructure load capacity on standard and wider gauge heavy rail lines. Its line categories are the common language used by infrastructure managers to publish route load capability and by railway undertakings and vehicle designers for route compatibility checks, and are referenced in the Infrastructure TSI and RINF. The 2021 edition supersedes EN 15528:2015.

CEN · EN 15528:2021 · 2021

Multi-part CEN series of laboratory and in-situ test methods for the acoustic performance of railway noise barriers and related devices acting on airborne sound propagation. This entry anchors on Part 1, covering sound absorption under diffuse sound-field conditions; companion parts cover airborne sound insulation, normalised railway noise spectra and direct-field measurement. It is used by infrastructure managers and noise-barrier manufacturers for product qualification against noise-mitigation requirements.

CEN · EN 16272-1:2023 (Part 1 of series) · 2023

Sets the general design requirements for ballastless (slab) track systems up to 250 kN axle load, defining system inputs such as loading, alignment and interfaces to substructure and vehicles. Together with Parts 2 (system design of subsystems and components) and 3, it underpins slab-track specification and acceptance on high-speed and heavy-use lines.

CEN · EN 16432-1:2017 · 2017

Provides a harmonised classification, coding and management framework for rail defects in track, supporting defect identification, recording and remediation decisions. It is the European reference for rail defect management used by infrastructure managers and maintenance contractors, in the role long played by the UIC rail defect catalogue.

CEN · EN 17397-1:2020 · 2020

Eurocode 1 Part 2 defines the traffic actions for bridge design, including the rail load models LM71, SW/0, SW/2 and HSLM with associated dynamic, centrifugal, traction and braking effects. The 2023 second-generation edition supersedes EN 1991-2:2003 and is the structural design basis for railway bridges, used alongside the EN 15528 line-category framework by infrastructure managers and bridge designers.

CEN · EN 1991-2:2023 · 2023

Provides general guidance on the prediction, measurement and assessment of ground-borne vibration and resulting ground-borne noise generated by the operation of rail systems - from light rail to high-speed and freight - running at grade, on elevated structures or in tunnels. It supports assessment of effects on building occupants and sensitive equipment and of vibration-related risk to building structures, excluding construction/maintenance vibration and airborne noise; it is used internationally by infrastructure managers and environmental-noise consultants for rail-vibration impact studies.

ISO · ISO 14837-1:2005 · 2005

Provides the standard UIC coding system for identifying, classifying and describing broken, cracked and damaged rail defects by location, appearance and cause, forming the reference 'Handbook of Rail Defects' numbering used across European infrastructure managers for inspection, maintenance planning and defect statistics.

UIC (International Union of Railways) · Ed. no. 1 (2018) · 2018

First-edition UIC International Railway Solution setting integrated design and construction principles for earthworks and track-bed layers, building on EN 16907 and the applicable Eurocodes. It updates and supersedes the former UIC Leaflets 719 (earthworks and track-bed construction) and 722 (improving existing track formation), giving infrastructure managers and civil engineers a single reference for subgrade and formation design on new and existing railway lines.

UIC (International Union of Railways) · IRS 70719, 1st edition (June 2020) · 2020

Specifies requirements, design rules and verification tests for overhead contact line systems supplying electric traction power on heavy rail, light rail, trolleybus and industrial railways, covering mechanical and electrical design, structures, clearances and rigid overhead conductor rail systems. The 2020 edition supersedes EN 50119:2009+A1:2013 and adds provisions for urban mass transportation. Core reference for infrastructure managers, OCL designers and suppliers of electrification equipment.

CENELEC · EN 50119:2020 · 2020

Six-part CENELEC series specifying electromagnetic compatibility limits and test methods for the whole railway system: emission to the outside world, rolling stock at train and apparatus level, signalling and telecommunications apparatus, and fixed power supply installations. Harmonised under the EMC Directive, it is the standard EMC conformity evidence used by vehicle manufacturers, IMs and assessors in authorisation; its IEC twin is the 62236 series.

CENELEC · EN 50121:2016/2017 (+A1:2019) · 2017

Specifies protective provisions against electric shock in fixed installations of AC and DC electric traction power supply systems, including earthing and return-circuit requirements, and applies to railways, tramways, metros and trolleybus systems as well as to vehicles on electrified lines. Used by infrastructure managers, electrification designers and assessors for new traction power supply systems and major revisions. Part 1 of the three-part EN 50122 series; the 2022 edition is amended by A1:2025.

CENELEC · EN 50122-1:2022+A1:2025 · 2025

Defines the nominal supply voltages of European traction power systems (DC 600 V, 750 V, 1.5 kV and 3 kV; AC 15 kV 16.7 Hz and 25 kV 50 Hz) and the permissible permanent and non-permanent voltage ranges measured at the pantograph or contact shoe and at substation busbars. It is the compatibility baseline between traction fixed installations and rolling stock, referenced by the Energy TSI and used by infrastructure managers, power supply designers and vehicle suppliers. IEC twin: IEC 60850.

CENELEC · EN 50163:2004 (+A3:2022) · 2004

Specifies the functional requirements, accuracy and validation of measurements of the dynamic pantograph-overhead contact line interaction, including contact force, uplift at supports and arcing. It is the reference line-test method for demonstrating current-collection quality in TSI Energy and rolling stock conformity assessment.

CENELEC · EN 50317:2012 (+A1:2022) · 2012

Defines requirements for validating simulation tools that model the dynamic pantograph-overhead contact line interaction, by comparison against line measurements made per EN 50317. Validated simulation under this standard is accepted in TSI Energy conformity assessment of OCL designs, completing the EN 50367/50317/50318 current-collection compatibility set.

CENELEC · EN 50318:2018+A1:2022 · 2022

Defines the interface criteria for technical compatibility between pantographs and overhead contact lines, covering pantograph head geometry, static and mean contact force, current at standstill and interaction performance targets. Referenced by the Energy and Locomotives & Passenger TSIs, it is the key compatibility document for vehicle authorisation and route-compatibility checks by RUs, IMs and assessors.

CENELEC · EN 50367:2020+A1:2022 · 2022

Specifies the technical criteria for coordinating electric traction power supply systems with rolling stock to achieve interoperability, covering power supply characteristics, coordination of protection between substations and traction units, and compatibility assessment for harmonics and dynamic effects. Part 1 sets the general requirements of the EN 50388 series and is used by infrastructure managers, railway undertakings and suppliers to demonstrate compatibility between the energy and rolling stock subsystems.

CENELEC · EN 50388-1:2022 · 2022

ERA's statutory biennial report (2024 edition) assessing progress on railway safety and interoperability across the Single European Railway Area, covering safety performance statistics, vehicle authorisations, safety certification and ERTMS deployment. It serves NSAs, railway undertakings, infrastructure managers and policymakers as the reference overview of EU rail system performance for the 2022-2023 period; the 2026 edition, published 30 June 2026, is its successor.

ERA · 2024 Edition · 2024

ERA's non-binding guide for applying the CCS TSI (Regulation (EU) 2023/1695, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2026/693), clarifying its provisions on ETCS, RMR and ATO functionality, transition regimes, error corrections and the informative specification set. Regularly updated by the Agency, it serves suppliers, RUs, IMs, notified bodies and authorising entities implementing or assessing control-command and signalling subsystems.

ERA · GUI/CCS TSI/2023 v3.1 · 2026

ERA's public database of interoperability and safety documents, publishing single safety certificates, ECM certificates, EC declarations of verification and conformity, licences and national safety body documents. It is the reference source for checking the certification status of railway undertakings, entities in charge of maintenance and interoperability constituents across the EU.

ERA · —

ERA's public web application for the European Register of Authorised Types of Vehicles: searchable records of every vehicle type authorised in EU Member States, with technical parameters, TSI conformity and per-country authorisation status as specified in Decision 2011/665/EU. Reference point for applicants seeking vehicle authorisation in conformity to type and for NSAs and keepers verifying type data.

European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) · Online register (continuously updated)

ERA's non-binding guide for applying the Infrastructure TSI, updated to reflect Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1694. It clarifies the TSI's basic parameters (line categories, structure gauge, track resistance, structures resistance to traffic loads, platforms, equivalent conicity) and the conformity assessment and EC verification procedures, and is used by infrastructure managers, designers and notified bodies alongside the TSI itself.

ERA · GUI/INF TSI/2023, v4.0 · 2023

ERA's non-binding guide for applying the TSI Operation and Traffic Management (Regulation (EU) 2019/773 as amended), covering fundamental operational principles, safety-related communications methodology, ERTMS operational rules, and route compatibility and route book requirements. Railway undertakings and infrastructure managers use it to integrate TSI OPE obligations into their safety management systems.

ERA · GUI/TSI OPE/2025 (v5.00) · 2025

ERA's public database of notified national technical rules (NNTRs) applicable to vehicles in each member state, maintained under the Interoperability Directive to make national requirements transparent alongside the TSIs. Applicants for vehicle authorisation, NSAs and assessment bodies use it to identify which national rules apply where TSIs leave open points or specific cases.

ERA · —

ERA's online Register of Infrastructure application, publishing the network and line data reported by Member States' infrastructure managers under Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/777. Railway undertakings and authorisation applicants use it to check route characteristics (gauging, axle load, electrification, CCS) and to perform vehicle-route compatibility checks required by TSI OPE.

European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) · Online register (continuously updated)

ERA's non-binding application guide explaining the structure, scope and common provisions of all TSIs under Article 19(3) of Regulation (EU) 2016/796, including deficiencies, non-application cases, specific cases and the link to Interoperability Directive (EU) 2016/797 subsystems. First edition of the upgraded guide reflecting the 4th Railway Package and the 2023 TSI package; the subsystem-specific application guides are annexes to it. A primary reference for applicants, NoBos, NSAs and suppliers applying TSIs in authorisation and certification processes.

ERA · GUI/TSI/2023 · 2023

The General Contract of Use for Wagons (GCU) is the multilateral contract that wagon keepers and railway undertakings across Europe adopt to govern the technical and liability conditions for interchanging and using freight wagons not owned by the user, including maintenance responsibility, wagon damage handling and compensation for loss of use. Administered by the GCU Bureau and amended and republished periodically, its appendices set out the inspection, repair and wagon-data rules referenced throughout European freight operations.

GCU Bureau · GCU, edition of 1 January 2026 · 2026

Rail-sector quality management specification that extends ISO 9001 with railway-specific requirements for design, production and maintenance across the supply chain. Certification against it under the IRIS scheme is a de-facto prerequisite for suppliers of rolling stock and components working with major OEMs and operators.

ISO · ISO 22163:2023 · 2023

Specifies the general requirements for the competence, impartiality and consistent operation of testing and calibration laboratories, covering management-system, resource, process and reporting requirements regardless of the sector tested. It is the universal accreditation baseline that any rail test laboratory - for vehicle type testing, in-service testing or ETCS conformance testing - must hold for its results to be accepted by notified, designated and assessment bodies across the rail interoperability framework.

ISO/IEC · ISO/IEC 17025:2017 (Edition 3) · 2017

The SMGS Agreement is the treaty-level uniform law governing international rail freight consignment notes, carrier liability and claims across the OSJD member-state area - Russia, China, Central Asia, Mongolia and Eastern Europe - functioning as the Eastern counterpart to OTIF's CIM rules. It is essential documentation for China-Europe rail-freight corridors, which typically require dual SMGS/CIM consignment notes or an SMGS/CIM common consignment note where the corridor crosses both legal regimes.

OSJD · SMGS, edition of 1 July 2026 · 2026

CIM (Appendix B to the Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail, COTIF) is the uniform international contract law governing cross-border rail carriage of goods, setting out the rules for consignment notes, carrier liability, claims and disputes between shippers, carriers and consignees. It is the commercial-law backbone that every international rail freight movement and cross-border claim in the COTIF member-state area (most of Europe, parts of Asia and North Africa) is conducted under, and the natural counterpart to the operational GCU contract.

OTIF · COTIF Appendix B - CIM Uniform Rules

Appendix C to the COTIF Convention, laying down the conditions for international carriage of dangerous goods by rail: classification, packaging, tank and wagon requirements, marking, and consignment procedures. Transposed into EU internal law by Directive 2008/68/EC, it binds railway undertakings, consignors and fillers across OTIF member states; updated biennially, with the 2025 edition in force since 1 January 2025.

OTIF · 2025 Edition · 2025

Defines the UIC compression method for evaluating railway infrastructure capacity, in which real timetables are compressed to measure occupancy rates of lines and, since the 2nd edition, nodes. It gives infrastructure managers a uniform, internationally comparable methodology for capacity assessment, particularly on corridors spanning several networks.

UIC · 2nd Edition (2013) · 2013

IRS 50596-6 (the current designation of the former UIC leaflet 596-6) defines the compatibility-code system - codes C, ISO, N and P plus infrastructure correction digits - stencilled on combined-transport wagons and assigned to the lines they run on, letting operators verify gauge and profile compatibility between wagons, intermodal loading units and specific routes before loading. It is the technical-admission reference cited in ERA's combined-transport guidance and required wherever wagons need certification of their coding under Article 21 of Directive 2016/797.

UIC · IRS 50596-6, 3rd edition (October 2024) · 2024

The UIC Loading Guidelines set out the state-of-the-art code of practice for loading and securing goods on wagons: Volume 1 contains the mandatory general principles, and Volume 2 sets out methods for specific goods types. Since 2022 the Guidelines have been formally recognised by the European Union Agency for Railways as an Alternative Means of Compliance (AMOC), giving them quasi-regulatory weight for freight loading officers, wagon keepers and railway undertakings across Europe.

UIC · Loading Guidelines Vol. 1-2, updated 1 April 2026 · 2026

Specifies the running capability required of passenger rolling stock in the event of an on-board fire — how far and how long a train must remain able to move under its own power to reach a safe evacuation point — a requirement that feeds directly into tunnel and underground fire/life-safety cases.

CENELEC · EN 50553:2012+A2:2020 · 2020

Sets high-level safety requirements for automated urban guided transport systems running driverless or unattended trains on an exclusive guideway, addressing the safety functions that must compensate for the absence of an onboard driver or attendant.

IEC · IEC 62267:2009 · 2009

Introduces the IEC 62290 series on Urban Guided Transport Management and Command/Control Systems (UGTMS): the system definition, principles and basic functions used to specify command, control and management systems for urban guided passenger transport lines, spanning operation from non-automated (GoA1) to unattended (GoA4).

IEC · IEC 62290-1:2025 (Edition 3.0) · 2025

Sets the detailed functional requirements specification for UGTMS, giving transport authorities a baseline system description for tenders and giving suppliers a common reference for interoperable command-and-control systems across the GoA1-GoA4 automation grades.

IEC · IEC 62290-2:2025 (Edition 3.0) · 2025

Defines the performance and functional requirements for Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) systems — headway, safety and availability criteria alongside the automatic train protection, operation and supervision functions a CBTC installation must deliver. Applies across the full range of transit applications, including automated people movers, and anchors the wider IEEE 1474 CBTC standards family.

IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA) · IEEE 1474.1-2025 · 2025

Establishes user interface requirements for CBTC subsystems, defining how the automatic train protection, operation and supervision functions set out in IEEE 1474.1 are presented to operators and maintainers. A companion standard within the IEEE 1474 CBTC family.

IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA) · IEEE 1474.2-2025 · 2025

Recommends a preferred CBTC system design and functional allocation for meeting the performance requirements of IEEE 1474.1, decomposing automatic train protection, operation and supervision functions to the level where each subfunction can be assigned to a specific CBTC subsystem.

IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA) · IEEE 1474.3-2025 · 2025

Sets fire protection and life-safety requirements for underground, surface and elevated fixed guideway transit and passenger rail systems, covering stations, trainways, vehicles, emergency ventilation, and the communications and control systems used to manage an evacuation.

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) · 2026 Edition

Official standards catalogue of the Australian Rail Industry Standards Organisation (ARISO) -- the rebranded successor to the Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board (RISSB), Australia's ONRSR-recognised rail standards development organisation. The catalogue lists RISSB/ARISO standards, codes of practice, guidelines, and rules and procedures across infrastructure, operations, rolling stock, safety, train control systems and the wheel-rail interface for the Australian (and New Zealand) rail network. Catalogue browsing and search are open; downloading full standard texts requires a registered account.

Australian Rail Industry Standards Organisation (ARISO, formerly RISSB) · N/A

The foundational federal statute governing railway safety in Canada, administered by Transport Canada, establishing safety management system requirements, rule-making authority for federally regulated railway companies, and enforcement powers. It is the legal basis underpinning Canada's rail safety regulations and rules, including the Canadian Rail Operating Rules, and is maintained in consolidated form on the official Justice Laws Website.

Government of Canada (administered by Transport Canada); consolidated by the Department of Justice Canada · Current consolidation (Justice Laws Website)

The official rulebook approved by Transport Canada that governs the safe operation of federally regulated railways in Canada, covering employee responsibilities, signalling, train movement authority, and accident procedures. It is the primary day-to-day operating rules reference for Canadian railway crews and operators, published and updated directly on Transport Canada's website.

Transport Canada · January 28, 2025 version · 2025

China's binding national railway safety law, published as State Council Decree No. 639 and hosted on the website of the National Railway Administration (NRA), the country's rail regulator. It establishes the top-level safety-management framework -- regulator/operator supervision responsibilities, construction and operating safety duties, and accident-handling requirements -- for the world's largest high-speed rail network, and underpins the NRA's subordinate GB/GB-T railway technical standards. Full text is in Chinese only; no official English translation was located on this page.

State Council of the People's Republic of China / National Railway Administration (NRA) · State Council Decree No. 639 (adopted 17 Aug 2013, promulgated 6 Sep 2013, effective 1 Jan 2014) · 2013

Germany's construction and operating ordinance for tramways (Straßenbahn-Bau- und Betriebsordnung), the binding national technical and operational code for tram, light-rail and metro systems built to German municipal-railway rules, covering track, vehicles, signalling, operation and safety.

Bundesministerium für Verkehr (Federal Ministry of Transport); consolidated by the Federal Ministry of Justice · Last amended by Ordinance of 1 October 2019 (BGBl. I S. 1410) · 2019

Official portal of the Eisenbahn-Bundesamt (EBA), Germany's federal railway authority, indexing the national legal and regulatory framework for rail: national safety rules, administrative directives (Verwaltungsvorschriften), general orders, fee regulations, and cross-references to EU law and the TSIs applicable to the German railway system. Used by railway undertakings, infrastructure managers, and manufacturers to identify which national rules apply alongside EU/TSI requirements when operating in Germany.

Eisenbahn-Bundesamt (EBA) · N/A

The binding cross-border technical regulation governing the safety of newly built and modernised railway rolling stock across the 1520 mm-gauge Eurasian Economic Union / Customs Union space (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan) for vehicles up to 200 km/h. It is the functional equivalent of an EU TSI for this market -- mandatory for certifying and exporting locomotives, wagons, multiple units and specialised rolling stock into the bloc -- and is published on the Eurasian Economic Commission's official technical-regulation register. Original text is in Russian only; no official English translation was located.

Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) / Customs Union Commission · TR CU 001/2011, adopted by Customs Union Commission Decision No. 710 (15 Jul 2011), in force since 2 Aug 2014, as amended (Decision No. 90 of 14 Sep 2021; Decision No. 177 of 25 Nov 2022) · 2011

Regulatory portal of the Établissement Public de Sécurité Ferroviaire (EPSF), France's national rail safety authority, presenting the decrees, orders (arrêtés) and technical texts governing rail safety and interoperability in France, together with a document search tool and guidance on how national and EU texts relate to one another. Used by French railway undertakings and infrastructure managers to identify applicable national safety requirements.

Établissement Public de Sécurité Ferroviaire (EPSF) · N/A

Landing page of the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), Great Britain's independent economic and safety regulator for railways, indexing the guidance, codes of practice and compliance documents ORR publishes covering railway safety, health and safety, and network access obligations under British law. Used by GB railway duty holders to locate applicable regulatory guidance and compliance material.

Office of Rail and Road (ORR) · N/A

Official searchable catalogue of the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB), listing GB Rail Group Standards (RGSs), Railway Industry Standards (RIS) and related guidance covering rolling stock, infrastructure, operations and safety for the British mainline railway. Catalogue browsing is open; downloading full standard texts requires a registered RSSB account.

Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) · N/A

The JIS division index listing Class E -- Railway -- within Japan's national industrial standards system (JIS), covering general railway matters, track, overhead line equipment, signalling and safety equipment, and rolling stock (general, power vehicles, passenger/freight cars, industrial and cable-railway vehicles). It is the entry point for sourcing Japanese national railway technical standards where European practice does not apply; individual JIS documents are sold as PDFs through JSA's Webdesk store. Page and category labels are in Japanese only; no official English index was located.

Japanese Standards Association (JSA) / Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (JISC) · N/A

Japan's binding ministerial ordinance setting the technical standards for railway construction, rolling stock and operation, issued by MLIT under the Railway Business Act -- functionally equivalent to the EU's TSI/safety-directive framework and the mandatory technical/safety reference for all Japanese railway operators, including the Shinkansen high-speed network. Kept current on Japan's official e-Gov law database with a live amendment history. Text is in Japanese only; no official English translation was located.

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) · Heisei 13 MLIT Ordinance No. 151 (25 Dec 2001), as amended -- latest amendment enforcement 1 Jul 2026 · 2001

Korea's dedicated railway technical-standard portal (KRS), maintained by the Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI) in cooperation with MOLIT, distinct from the general-purpose Korean Standards (KS) system. It publishes and indexes Korean Railway Standards covering track, rolling stock and railway systems -- the reference for Korean rail practice including the KTX high-speed and KTCS train-control programmes -- alongside standard-amendment notices and a railway terminology dictionary. Interface and content are in Korean only; no official English index was located.

Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI), with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) · N/A

Official technical rulebook portal of Bane NOR, the Norwegian national rail infrastructure manager, organized by discipline: superstructure, substructure, overhead contact lines, low-voltage/22kV systems, traction power supply, signalling, telecom, signage, and station objects. Used by engineers, contractors and suppliers designing, building or maintaining Norwegian rail infrastructure to comply with national technical requirements.

Bane NOR · N/A

The official online store of the Association of American Railroads, publisher of the Manual of Standards and Recommended Practices (MSRP) and the Field/Office Manual of AAR Interchange Rules that govern freight car design, mechanical inspection, and interchange eligibility across the North American rail network. It is the primary mechanical/interchange standards source for railroads, car owners, and equipment manufacturers.

Association of American Railroads (AAR) · Current catalogue (rolling editions)

AREMA's annual, roughly 6,100-page manual of recommended practices for the engineering, design, construction, and maintenance of railway track, structures, and infrastructure, published each spring in four volumes (Track, Structures, Infrastructure & Passenger, Systems Management). It is the primary engineering reference for the North American freight and passenger rail industry outside of federal regulation.

American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) · 2026 Edition

The consolidated body of US federal railroad safety regulations issued by the Federal Railroad Administration under 49 CFR Chapter II, covering track safety (Part 213), signal and train control (Part 236), locomotive and equipment safety (Parts 229-238), operating practices, and hours of service. It is the primary compliance reference for railroads, contractors, and regulators operating in the United States, kept current via the official electronic Code of Federal Regulations.

Federal Railroad Administration (US Department of Transportation) · Current (continuously updated consolidated edition, eCFR)

The sector-wide programme coordinating Europe's migration from the screw coupler to the Digital Automatic Coupler (DAC) for rail freight: technology selection, demonstrators, migration planning and the standardisation and funding groundwork for fleet-wide deployment.

Europe's Rail Joint Undertaking · Programme (ongoing) · 2020

Europe's Rail Flagship Project 2 develops the next-generation automatic train control and scalable digital and automated — up to autonomous — train operation (DATO) to increase capacity on existing networks, covering ATO, ETCS Hybrid Level 3 and Level 3 moving block, 5G connectivity and a standardised on-board ICT platform. Its freely downloadable deliverables give suppliers, railway undertakings and infrastructure managers specifications and migration guidance for cost-effective DATO deployment across Europe.

EU-Rail JU · FP2

Deliverables library of Europe's Rail Flagship Project 3 IAM4RAIL (GA 101101966), which develops intelligent and integrated asset management for rail through seven demonstrators combining condition monitoring, AI-based predictive maintenance and digital twins for both infrastructure and rolling stock. Public deliverables are downloadable free of charge, making it a reference source for IMs, RUs and suppliers following next-generation maintenance and asset management practice.

EU-Rail JU · FP3

Official site of Europe's Rail Joint Undertaking (EU-Rail), the EU public-private partnership for rail research and innovation under Horizon Europe and successor to Shift2Rail. It hosts the programme's work plans, System Pillar architecture outputs and the public index of project deliverables, making it the reference entry point for EU rail R&I results used by RUs, IMs, suppliers and researchers.

Europe's Rail Joint Undertaking (EU-Rail) · —