What is BS EN 15153‑1 about?
BS EN 15153‑1 is the first part of the BS EN 15153 series of documents. BS EN 15153‑1 defines the functional and technical requirements for the head, marker, and tail lamps for heavy rail units, excluding road, metro, and self-contained systems.
BS EN 15153‑1 also defines the requirements for testing and conformity assessment.
NOTE: Lamps designed for special purposes, for example, illumination of the third rail, are excluded from BS EN 15153‑1. Portable lamps are excluded from BS EN 15153‑1.
Who is BS EN 15153‑1 for?
BS EN 15153‑1 on external visible and audible warning devices of the railway is useful for:
- Railway engineers
- Railway operators
- Railway lamp manufacturers
Why should you use BS EN 15153‑1?
The lamps used in railway systems are the device fitted to the front of the train that emits white or red light, intended to provide a visual warning of an approaching train, and/or to illuminate the line and lineside and end of the complete train formation.
BS EN 15153‑1 provides the technical requirements for the head, marker, and tail lamps for heavy rail units.
BS EN 15153‑1 provides the overall information about the positioning, dimensions, colours, luminous intensity, and alignment of headlamps, marker lamps, and tail lamps.
BS EN 15153‑1 provides the general test requirements of the lamps using two test methods namely colourimetric tests and photometric tests giving the purpose of these tests.
Overall, BS EN 15153‑1 helps you with an operational check of the function of all fixed head, marker, and tail lamps in order to indicate the driver at his normal driving position for the run and stoppage of the railway and for passenger’s safety.
What’s changed since the last update?
BS EN 15153‑1:2020 supersedes EN 15153-1:2013+A1:2016. BS EN 15153‑1:2020 includes some technical changes with respect to EN 15153-1:2013+A1:2016. These include:
- Clarification of scope
- Revised alignment of headlamps according to the ‘alternative method’
- Clarification of the criteria for assessing the lit area of lamps
- New Annex A, containing a summary of items for agreement between contractors
- Re-working of the summary of testing requirements (now Annex B) to permit inspection of drawings/design documents, and to mandate the testing of interoperability constituents.