BS EN 13231-1:2013

What is BS EN 13231-1 - acceptance of works on ballasted track about?  

BS EN 13231-1 is a European Standard that discusses railway applications.

BS EN 13231-1 is the first part of the multi-series that specifies the minimum technical requirements and the tolerances for the acceptance of works on ballasted track situated on plain line and on switches and crossings and rail expansion devices, as part of the track, for 1 435 mm and wider track gauge railways, concerning the construction of the new track, track renewal, and track maintenance.

Note 1: BS EN 13231-1 does not deal with contractual and legal aspects, and it does not cover either work related to reprofiling the railhead or the associated measurements, except for some measurements related to safety, since these works are covered by other parts of the EN 13231 series.

Note 2: Related works, e.g., platform reconstruction, formation, drainage, level crossings are not covered by BS EN 13231-1.

Who is BS EN 13231-1 - acceptance of works on ballasted track for? 

BS EN 13231-1 on acceptance of works on ballasted track is useful for: 

• Railway management authorities responsible for maintenance of track
• Train operator companies (TOCs) / owners of rail networks
• Project managers
• Engineers
• Manufacturers and suppliers of track components
• Product design engineers
• Infrastructure managers 
• Contractors
• Site supervisors 
• Maintenance teams
• Inspection and testing personnel
• Quality control personnel
• Auditors
• Teams responsible for compliance and submitting reports

Why should you use BS EN 13231-1 - acceptance of works on ballasted track?  

The railway track is responsible for providing a safe surface for trains to travel over. The technical requirements and measurements for the acceptance of works on ballasted track situated on plain line and on switches and crossings and rail expansion devices are defined in BS EN 13231-1.

BS EN 13231-1 provides acceptance responsibilities, measurements, checks, and related documentation, consequences of the preliminary procedure to the acceptance. This can assist you in specifying the amount of precision that is appropriate for the ballasted track using a variety of quality classes. More particularly, BS EN 13231-1 gives the requirements for the documentation of work parameters, for the tolerances for relative track geometry and absolute track position, and for the acceptance procedures.

Thus, BS EN 13231-1 assists you in ensuring compliance with requirements for track works. The detection and removal of defects enhances the service life of overall rail systems while lowering costs and improving operational efficiency.

High-quality assembly and maintenance of tracks helps to prevent accidents, delays, and operating costs while increasing loading capacity, cost-effectiveness and efficiency.

What’s changed since the last update?

BS EN 13231-1:2013 supersedes BS EN 13231-1:2006 and BS EN 13231-2:2006 which are withdrawn. BS EN 13231-1:2013 includes some editorial changes with respect to BS EN 13231-1:2006 and BS EN 13231-2:2006. These include: 

• Merging of EN 13231-1:2006 and EN 13231-2:2006, taking into account the similarities between them
• Definition of the absent tolerances for some existing parameters
• Revision of the tolerances already set up on the former version

Definition of new parameters and the respective tolerances