This European Standard defines the acceptance process to be followed by vehicles that are operated in trains capable of generating high longitudinal forces and that are susceptible, as a result of their design, to derailment as a result of being subjected to these forces.
This European Standard applies to the following types of freight wagons equipped with standard ends as defined in this EN:
- single wagons;
- permanently coupled units with side buffers and screw couplers between the vehicles;
- permanently coupled units with diagonal buffers with screw couplers between the vehicles;
- articulated units with three 2-axle bogies;
- low-floor wagons with eight or more axles (e.g. rolling road wagon ).
The following vehicles are not currently in the scope of this European Standard:
- wagons that are not subjected to extensive longitudinal compressive forces due to their operational environment (as train composition, braking regime, track layout);
- wagons with automatic couplers );
- wagons with 3-axle bogies );
- permanently coupled units with a bar coupler between the vehicles );
- articulated wagons with more than three 2-axle bogies.
Acceptance criteria and test conditions as well as conditions for the dispensation from tests are defined in this European Standard.
This document applies principally to wagons which operate without restriction on standard gauge tracks in Europe (1 435 mm).
NOTE The influence on railway systems using other gauges is not sufficiently understood to extend the scope of this document to gauges other than standard. Where applicable, the described criteria are part of the type testing of wagons which are newly developed or have had relevant design modifications. The testing and acceptance refers to the complete vehicle including the running gear.