Railway applications - Rolling stock equipment - Shock and vibration tests

Scope

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 61373 specifies random vibration and mechanical shock test requirements for equipment mounted on railway vehicles, grading test severity according to where on the vehicle the equipment is installed -- body-mounted, bogie-mounted or axle-mounted locations experience progressively more severe vibration and shock environments. Equipment suppliers use the standard's test profiles to demonstrate that on-board electronic and electromechanical equipment will withstand the mechanical stresses of rail service over its intended operational life, complementing the climatic and electrical environmental conditions defined separately elsewhere in the CENELEC rolling stock standards. It is the standard test regime referenced by rolling stock manufacturers and component suppliers during equipment qualification testing, applied across control electronics, sensors, auxiliary equipment and other apparatus fitted to vehicles or their sub-assemblies. Edition 3.0, published in July 2026, replaces the long-standing 2010 second edition, reflecting an update to test methods and severity categories after more than a decade of use. It remains the internationally referenced standard for shock and vibration qualification of railway on-board equipment.