What is BS EN 15746‑3 about?
BS EN 15746‑3 is the third part in the multi-series of documents that is applicable to road-rail machines and associated equipment.
BS EN 15746‑3 deals with the technical requirements to minimize the specific railway hazards of self-propelled road-rail machines, henceforward referred to as machines, when designed and intended for running on European railways within the scope of European Directive 2007/58/EC.
BS EN 15746‑3 is written for 1435 mm nominal track gauge; specific requirements can apply for running on infrastructures with the narrow gauge or broad-gauge lines.
Note: The use of special track safety equipment (i.e., part of automatic train protection systems) does not necessarily mean that the machine has a running mode; some Infrastructure Managers use such equipment as means of protection for machines in travelling and/or working modes.
Note: Urban rail and railways utilizing other than the adhesion between the rail and wheels are not included in BS EN 15746‑3.
Note: BS EN 15746‑3 does not apply to the following:
- The specific requirements established by the machine operator for the use of machines, which will be the subject of negotiation between the manufacturer and the Infrastructure Manager
- Travelling and working both on and off rails
- Running on the urban rail
Who is BS EN 15746‑3 for?
BS EN 15746‑3 on road-rail machines and associated equipment is relevant to:
- Railway machine and equipment manufacturers
- Railway management authorities
- Train operating companies (TOC)s
- Site supervisors
- Inspection and testing department in railways
- Mechanical engineers
Why should you use BS EN 15746‑3?
The use of rail for the transportation of products, merchandise, and people is growing. As a result, the rail infrastructure wears out faster, necessitating more maintenance work, shorter repair intervals, and less track availability to carry out maintenance work. Moreover, the railway industry also faces common dangers encountered during assembly and installation, commissioning, travelling on and off track, use (including setting, programming, and process changeover), operation, cleaning, fault detection, maintenance, and decommissioning of the machines.
BS EN 15746-3 defines a running mode as a manufacturer-designed option that allows the machine to be used on a specific railway infrastructure without the requirement for special operational rules.
BS EN 15746-3 specifies the requirements that materials and equipment must follow in order to provided necessary safety from hazards and accidents and prevent incidences of derailment of tracks. Moreover, the guidelines can help ensure of operational efficiency of the overall railway system, irrespective of loads and distance.