Ensuring the electrical compatibility between rolling stock and electric traction systems is crucial for organizing a railway network. The train operating companies must be able to know the electrification parameters to confirm, after consultation with the rolling stock manufacturers, that risks of non-compatibility are minimized and that there will be no consequential disturbances on the electrification system.
A new tool can now help the railways community on this path. The European Electrotechnical Committee for Standardization (CENELEC) is proud to present the EN 50388-1:2022 ‘Railway Applications – Fixed installations and rolling stock – Technical criteria for the coordination between electric traction power supply systems and rolling stock to achieve interoperability – Part 1: General’.
This standard has been developed by the experts CLC/TC 9X ‘Electrical and electronic applications for railways’ in support of Directive (EU) 2016/797 on the interoperability of the rail system within the European Union. The EN 50388-1:2022 establishes requirements for the electrical aspects to achieve technical compatibility between rolling stock and electric traction systems.
CENELEC is one of three European Standardization Organizations (together with CEN and ETSI) that have been officially recognized by the European Union and by the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as being responsible for developing and defining voluntary standards at European level.
For more information, please see here.