Why we need standards, and the areas they cover

Standards are sets of requirements that have to be met if you want to work on the railway, operate trains on it, or supply components such as infrastructure or rolling stock. The standards developed and managed for the industry by RSSB are divided into seven specific areas:

• Control, Command and Signalling (CCS)
• Data, Systems and Telematics (DST)
• Energy (ENE)
• Infrastructure (INS)
• Plant (PLT)
• Rolling Stock (RST)
• Traffic Operations and Management (TOM)

Each area has its own committee, subgroups and, when needed, working groups. These are made up of experts from relevant sectors of the industry, and from outside if that expertise or knowledge is needed. Many committees have observers from the Office of Rail and Road and Department for Transport.

Standards are developed and managed by these committees to keep them up to date and ensure that they reflect the best practice available. The Rail Standards Strategy sets the direction for standards. It addresses challenges and opportunities, as well as the need to improve performance, decarbonise, and become generally more sustainable. All Railway Group Standards have to meet the requirements of the Railway Group Standards Code and Standards Manual. The vision of the strategy is for standards to be ‘well recognised and valued for helping the industry to economically and efficiently manage infrastructure, trains, operations and compatibility between these railway subsystems’.

Control, Command and Signalling

The CCS remit includes on-board and trackside equipment such as: signals, radio communication, train protection systems, and in-cab controls for the European Train Control System.

Visit our Control, Command and Signalling Standards page for more information.

Data, Systems and Telematics

The newest of all the standards committees, the DST remit includes the harmonisation of systems and processes that send, receive, and store railway data, so that it can be used efficiently and cost-effectively to improve safety, performance, and the customer experience.

Visit our Data, Systems and Telematics Standards page for more information.

Energy

The ENE remit includes all the parts of the railway that deliver electrical energy to trains to power them. It also includes in interfaces between electrical energy supply and other contact points such as the trains themselves, other infrastructure such as at stations, and electromagnetic compatibility.

Visit our Energy Standards page for more information.

Infrastructure

The INS remit covers all railway infrastructure other than signalling, telecommunications, and electrification equipment—but including the structures that hold up the electrification equipment. So, bridges, tunnels, earthworks, drainage, stations, and level crossing surfaces are all part of INS work.

Visit our Infrastructure Standards page for more information.

Plant

The PLT remit covers machinery and vehicles that are used on-track, such as on-track plant, and equipment such as escalators at stations, and lighting and power supplies, some of which may be mobile. Mobile equipment includes specially adapted road/rail vehicles.

Visit our Plant Standards page for more information.

Rolling Stock

The RST remit includes passenger trains, freight wagons, and locomotives, as well as recovery vehicles such as cranes and maintenance vehicles. As well as the physical and safety aspects of rolling stock the remit also covers electromagnetic compatibility, communication systems, and data recorders.

Visit our Rolling Stock Standards page for more information.

Traffic Operation and Management

The TOM remit covers the rules and procedures required for the coherent operation of the different parts of the railway such as rolling stock, energy, plant, infrastructure, and control, command and signalling. TOM is also responsible for producing and updating the Rule Book. This comprises a series of modules that have operating instructions for drivers, signaller, and shunters. It also includes a series of handbooks for track worker protection, engineering activities, or operation of equipment. Over 100,000 people use the Rule Book, which is available in print and as an online app.

Visit our Traffic Operation and Management Standards page for more information.

From the brief descriptions above you’ll see that there are significant areas of overlap. For that reason, the standards committees often work together on projects. For instance, the revised AC electrification interface standards that came into force in March 2023 involved the Energy, Rolling Stock and Infrastructure standards committees. The work of all these committees is overseen by the Industry Standards Coordination Committee.