Standards and Requirements for TSL Products

What is the TSI?

• Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSI)
• These requirements are designed to achieve a safe and interoperable European rail system.
• The TSIs apply, for example, to the subsystems
  – Infrastructure
  – Operation
  – Telematics applications
  – Rolling stock (Loc & Pas)
• The Federal Railway Authority (EBA) is responsible for recognition and monitoring in Germany.

What is the TSI-PRM and where is it applied?

• Persons with Reduced Mobility (PRM)
• This regulation deals with the accessibility of the rail system for disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility.
• TSI subsystem infrastructure regulates, among other things, technical requirements for the barrier-free design and dimensioning of so-called obstacle-free paths in the stations, for example platforms, stairs, ramps, elevators, toilets or boarding aids.
• TSI subsystem rolling stock regulates, among other things, technical requirements for the barrier-free design and dimensioning of rooms, doors, seats, wheelchair spaces, toilets in vehicles, warning signals, lighting and passenger information.
• Objective: Establishment of barrier-free accessibility
  This is also required by the Railway Construction an Operation Regulations. The first sentence of § 2 (3) stipulates “[…] that the use of railway facilities and vehicles must be made possible for disabled persons and elderly persons as well as children and other persons with difficulties of use without any particular difficulty.”

Requirements of TSI-PRM for visual information

• The fonts, symbols and pictographs used for visual information shall contrast with their background
• Door control devices shall have visual indication when the door is enabled

Requirement of the TSI-PRM for tactile information

• Door control devices shall be identifiable by touch (tactile information)
• Door control devices shall be operable by the palm of the hand exerting a force not greater than 15 N
• Braille may be used to provide visually impaired persons with additional haptic identification options

Acoustic requirement of the TSI-PRM

• When a door is enabled for opening, a signal shall sound that is clearly audible to persons inside and outside the train. This signal shall continue for at least five seconds unless the door is operated. In this case, the signal can switch off after three seconds
• The sound source of door signals must be located near the door’s control devices or, if there are no push buttons, next to the door opening

What is the TSI – Loc & Pas and where is it applied?

• Loc & Pas is the technical specification for the interoperability of the subsystem “rolling stock – locomotives and passenger rolling stock” of the rail system in the European Union
• This regulation affects rather the vehicle manufacturers because it specifies the key points which must be observed in the vehicle construction
• For TSL, the area of external lights is relevant from Loc & Pas

External lights according to TSI – Loc & Pas

• The color green shall not be used for external  light or  illumination; this  requirement is  made to prevent any confusion with fixed signals
• This requirement is not applicable to lights of intensity not higher than 100 cd/m2 that are included in push buttons for the command of passenger doors (not continuously lit)

What is EN 14752 and where is it applied?

• This European Standard applies to passenger body side entrance systems of all newly designed railway vehicles such as tram, metro, suburban, mainline and high-speed trains that carry passengers
• The requirements of this European Standard also apply to existing vehicles undergoing refurbishment of the door equipment, as far as it is reasonably practicable
• In 2015, the requirements for body side entranbce systems for rolling stock were adapted to the requirements of the Technical Specifications for Interoperability of high-speed-trains, conventional rolling stock and persons with reduced mobility in the context of the interoperability directive 2008/57/EC and to new developments and findings from national requirements.

Tactile and haptic requirements of EN 14752

• Minimum active surface at least 30 mm in diameter
• Button press shall protrude at least 3 mm
• Tactile arrows should protrude by at least 0.5 mm
• Tactile arrows be a minimum height of 15 mm
• Push button shall be locatable and indentifiable by touch
• Actuating force ≤ 15 N

Optical requirements according to EN 14752

• The illuminated red or green areas shall have a minimum luminance of 30 cd/m2
• Color of bezel for door opening push buttons should be green, for door closing push buttons red, for prams and wheelchairs blue
• Push button for an operational, not released door should not light up
• Button for an enabled door area, must be constantly lit green
• Push button for unaccepted input, must light red (100 percent of available red light), constantly for min. 1 second or as long as the push button is pressed
• A door that is locked and out of service should be indicated by the area of the push button is permanently illuminated red (100 percent of the available red light)
• Alternatively, a separate notice may be placed next to the door

What is EN 16584-2 and where is it applied?

• This European Standard describes the specific “Design for PRM Use” requirements applying to both infrastructure and rolling stock and the assessment of those requirements

The following points apply to this standard:

• The definitions and requirements describe specific aspects of “Design for PRM Use” required by persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility as defined in the PRM TSI
• This standard defines elements which are universally valid for obstacle free travelling including lighting, contrast, tactile feedback, transmission of visual and acoustic information. The definitions and requirements of this standard are to be used for infrastructure and rolling stock applications

The sound source for door audible signals

• The sound source shall be located in the area local to the control device, or within 100 mm of the centre of the applicable door control device
• The sound source must be located adjacent to the doorway, if there is no such control device
• If there is more than one door control device fitted internally (for example on each door pillar) or externally (for example on each door leaf) to a doorway, only one will require a sounder

What is EN 45545-2 and where is it applied?

• Fire protection on railway vehicles
• EN 45545 is a pure material test standard that has been defining the fire protection requirements for the fire behavior of materials and components in railway vehicles across Europe since April 2016
• With the entry into force of the TSI – Loc & Pas, it is clearly regulated that in order to fulfill the fire protection in railway vehicles, all products and components installed in vehicles must comply with the normative requirements of DIN EN 45545-2 from 01.01.2018 at the latest. (cf. EU 1302/2014, section 4.2.10.2.1.)

Fire Protection Objectives

• The design of railway vehicles and the components used must aim to limit the spread of fire, should an ignition event occur, so that a sufficient level of safety is achieved
• If the protection objectives are achieved, in the event of a fire, passengers and attendants should be able to escape the fire without assistance and to reach a safe area with a high probability
• Hazard levels (Hazard Level 1 to 3) have been defined by using a component from the relationship between the operating classes and the design classes, for example to avoid toxicity and smoke emission

Requirements of EN 45545-2

• The total combustible mass of the grouped components (products installed within 20 cm²) may be < 100 g indoors and < 400 g outdoors
• Example: if two push buttons and one warning sounder are installed on an exposed surface (frontal visible surface) of > 0.20 m², the combustible mass per product must not exceed 33 g
• All plastic parts are considered as combustible mass