The Code is a fundamental part of the organisational structure for standards in the GB railway. It’s based on the World Trade Organisation principles for the development of International Standards, which were agreed on by the Technical Barriers to Trade Committee in 2000. 

The Code is approved by the industry regulator, the Office of Rail and Road, and it has been a part of how we operate right from the start.

 The Manual is its sister document. It describes how the Code’s requirements are to be delivered. 

What’s the Code?

The Code sets the governance arrangements for creating, changing, deviating from, and publishing railway standards. 

It sets out how we work collaboratively throughout industry on standards, and it provides a structure for managing the standards through the standards committees. In addition, it establishes the Industry Standards Coordination Committee (ISCC). The ISCC is accountable to our Board for the management of the Code. 

The Code also includes a change control mechanism and the process for making appeals against decisions. And, most importantly, it establishes the need to operate through consensus in all standards-related activities.