The Railway Standards

DIN EN 50155 / IEC 60751

Questions about railway suitability refer to compliance with DIN EN 50155. Although EN 50155 does have an international counterpart (IEC 60751), EN 50155 is the current railway standard recognized around the world.

This standard describes railway applications and is applied to electronic equipment used on rolling stock. The standard does not involve a certificate or compel compliance; rather, this standardization classifies operating conditions in railway vehicles so they are consistently comprehensible and comparable.

DIN EN 50155 / IEC 60751 in overview:

Significant Contents

Essentially, EN 50155 outlines:

Operating conditions (regarding environment, electrics, EMC)
Technical construction features (components, construction, development, etc.)
Reliability, maintenance, service life
Documentation and testing

References and Classification

EN 50155 refers to a wide range of testing processes and standards (e.g., EN 61373 – Vibration and Shock or EN 50121-3-2 – EMC) and classifies their results.

Requirements and Guidelines

Depending on the component, different requirements and guidelines must be taken into account. The minimum factors to be considered are:

Temperature
Vibration and impact
Relative humidity

Electronic components

For electrical components (relays, optocouplers, signal conditioning modules, fieldbus systems, etc.), the electrical operating conditions must be considered before all else. These include:

Power supply fluctuations and interruptions
EMC (Immunity to interference and emission of interference)
Selection of the subassemblies and development criteria

More Railway System Solutions

Fire Protection

Trains are the safest mode of transportation. This is ensured not only by the operator, but also by the vehicle and component manufacturers. Whatever the reason for a fire – the passengers must be protected as much as possible.

Learn more