Infrastructure Standards Committee
Strategic Plan for Control Period 5, 2014 – 2019
Issue Two
2015 - 2016
Approved by the
Infrastructure Standards Committee
05 March 2015
ISCC/020
Email: enquirydesk@rssb.co.uk
www.rssb.co.uk
INS SC Strategic Plan
ISSUE RECORD
Issue
Date
Comments
Issue 1 Draft b
February 2014
Draft for INS SC review
Issue 1
March 2014
Revised for CP5
Issue 2 draft
February 2015
Draft for INS SC review
Issue 2
April 2015
Following INS SC review
Issue Two – 15 April 2015
Page 2 of 9
INS SC Strategic Plan
Contents
1
Introduction
4
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
The purpose of the strategic plan
The scope of the standards committee
Relevant strategies or initiatives
Summary of key changes to the plan for 2015 – 2016
Communicating the strategic plan
4
4
5
5
5
2
Produce a coherent and efficient suite of standards for the GB
mainline railway that are aligned with European requirements
6
3
Improve decision taking on standards
7
4
Engage effectively with European and international institutions to
influence the development of European-wide and international
standards
7
5
Communicating with industry about standards so that industry is
able to use standards efficiently, proposing changes to them where
necessary
8
6
Programme of work
Issue Two – 15 April 2015
8
Page 3 of 9
INS SC Strategic Plan
1
Introduction
1.1
The purpose of the strategic plan
1.1.1
The Industry Standards Coordination Committee (ISCC) has produced a strategic plan
setting out the direction that ISCC wishes to take for Control Period 5 (CP5) for the years
2014 – 2019. It is anticipated that the strategic goal and strategic issues will remain
unchanged for the whole of CP5, although these will be reviewed for each issue of the
strategic plan.
1.1.2
ISCC discussed Issue Two of the strategic plan for 2014 - 2019 in January 2015 and
approved it subject to agreed updates.
1.1.3
ISCC, in turn, asked each Standards Committee (SC) to create and keep up to date a
strategic plan in support of ISCC’s objectives and key activities for CP5. Plans should
include the scope of the SC and how the SC intends to address the following objectives
and key activities:
a) Producing a coherent and efficient suite of standards for the GB mainline railway
that are aligned with European requirements.
b) Improving decision taking on standards.
c)
Improving industry’s understanding of the European regulatory framework.
d) Engaging effectively with European and international institutions to influence the
development of European-wide and international standards.
e) Communicating with industry about standards so that industry is able to use
standards efficiently, proposing changes to them where necessary.
1.1.4
In achieving these objectives and key activities, the SC will be mindful of the development
and implementation of the Fourth Railway Package.
1.1.5
Some of the key activities, for example changes in the number and nature of
requirements in RGSs due to the scope extension of Technical Specifications for
Interoperability (TSIs) will continue over multiple years.
1.1.6
Issue Two of the Infrastructure Standards Committee (INS SC) Strategic Plan was agreed
by the members of the INS SC on 4th March 2015, for the period 2015 – 2016. It sets the
SC’s overall strategy for the period, and priorities and timescales for delivering major
programme activities.
1.1.7
This plan will be submitted to ISCC for endorsement, and re-submitted if it is later revised
and there are any substantial changes.
1.2
The scope of the standards committee
1.2.1
The scope of the INS SC includes all railway infrastructure other than signalling,
telecommunications and electrification equipment. It also includes the management of
risk from the railway environment.
Issue Two – 15 April 2015
Page 4 of 9
INS SC Strategic Plan
1.2.2
The scope therefore includes track, drainage, earthworks and structures supporting or
protecting the track, other adjacent structures and buildings that could affect the safety
of the railway, tunnels, station infrastructure, infrastructure for access to or along the
railway, level crossing surfaces, lineside security and environmental conditions,
(managing the risk from vegetation, weather and water). It also includes those structures
used to support signalling, telecommunications, electrification, lighting and other
equipment, (for example, gantries).
1.2.3
The SC’s coverage includes consideration of the interfaces between items within its
coverage and those within the coverage of other standards committees, (for example,
the interfaces between track and structures and railway vehicles).
1.2.4
In addition, the SC’s coverage includes consideration of requirements relating to activities
dealt with in general, multifunctional documents in so far as they affect items within the
SC’s coverage. Such activities include competence, procurement, construction,
acceptance and record keeping activities.
1.2.5
The technical scope of the committee is consistent with the scope of the Infrastructure
sub-system, as defined for the purposes of Interoperability and described in the
Infrastructure (INF) TSIs.
1.2.6
The technical scope of the committee also includes some items covered by the Persons
with Reduced Mobility (PRM) and Safety in Rail Tunnels (SRT) TSIs.
1.2.7
The INS SC acts as the GB Mirror Group for the INF TSIs and also provides support, as
requested, on relevant aspects of the PRM and SRT TSIs.
1.2.8
The Aerodynamics GB working group is a sub-group of both INS and Rolling Stock SCs and
regular reports are received by INS SC.
1.3
Relevant strategies or initiatives
1.3.1
INS SC will be kept informed of the work of the Platform Train Interface Strategy /
Implementation Group and any emerging recommendations relating to the INS SC scope.
1.3.2
INS SC members are contributing to the Infrastructure Portfolio Group for the Rail
Technical Strategy and INS SC will be kept informed of any related activities.
1.3.3
INS SC is also kept updated on R&D projects in relevant areas. T1062 on the platform
recess requirements is currently nearing completion.
1.4
Summary of key changes to the plan for 2015 – 2016
1.4.1
This plan follows from Issue One of the INS SC Strategic Plans for CP5 and continues the
activities of the INS SC.
1.5
Communicating the strategic plan
1.5.1
The content of this plan will be communicated to relevant industry members by
publishing the plan on the RSSB website.
Issue Two – 15 April 2015
Page 5 of 9
INS SC Strategic Plan
2
Produce a coherent and efficient suite of standards for the GB
mainline railway that are aligned with European requirements
2.1
In line with guidance from ISCC and following the scope extension of the TSIs, INS SC has
developed a plan for review of all documents within its scope to determine the
continuing relevance of each measure. This will consider:
a) Whether the measure is required to support a GB specific case or an open point
(explicit or ‘hidden’) in the TSI.
b) Whether the measure is required for assessment of compatibility with the existing
network.
c)
Whether the measure is duplicating requirements in TSIs.
d) Whether the measure is duplicating requirements in European Standards (ENs).
2.2
Each document will be reviewed either at its next five year review or earlier if already
under review for other reasons. This review will determine, on a clause by clause basis,
whether the above criteria are met. Measures that do not justify retention as national
rules will be removed from RGS. Where appropriate, production of a Rail Industry
Standard (RIS) or Guidance Note (GN) will be considered.
2.3
The INS standards cover a number of technical areas that can be grouped under the
headings below and it is proposed to continue to use this structure:
a) Track.
b) Structures.
c)
Stations.
d) Gauging.
2.4
Supporting documents, RISs and GNs will also use this structure where appropriate.
2.5
Projects 09/003; ‘Review and rationalisation of clearances and gauging requirements in
Railway Group Standards’, 12/018 ‘Refine locomotive and freight gauges in GE/RT8073’
and 13/012 ‘Curve overthrows for articulated vehicles’ have resulted in a major review
and restructure of relevant documents to:
a) Provide vehicle manufacturers with clear requirements for the maximum build
envelope for vehicles.
b) Give projects clear requirements for the position of new or altered infrastructure
relative to the track and the position of new or altered tracks relative to adjacent
tracks.
c)
Define methods and criteria for assessing the compatibility between infrastructure
and rolling stock.
d) Enable Network Rail to decide how it controls track position in relation to clearance.
Issue Two – 15 April 2015
Page 6 of 9
INS SC Strategic Plan
3
Improve decision taking on standards
3.1
When taking decisions on proposals, standards changes and deviations, the SC will take
note of guidance provided by ISCC and will follow the principles set out in the RGS Code.
3.2
INS SC has a number of initiatives planned over the period of this strategy, all of which
support the RGS Code. This includes developing RGSs that, where possible, refer to
requirements set out in (ENs) and ensuring that requirements are aligned with those set
out in the TSIs. In order to achieve this, effort will be concentrated on the provision of
input to the development of ‘fit for purpose’ ENs such that they can be adopted for use
on the GB network.
3.3
The published combined INF TSI and the earlier HS INF TSI and the CR INF TSI set out a
range of requirements that could, potentially, be applied or interpreted in different ways.
The potential for this exists possibly because of different ways of expressing
requirements from RGSs and the language and style that is used in the TSIs.
3.4
The GB Guidance Note (GI/GN7608) will be maintained to enable stakeholders to refer to
a common guidance document which allows a consistent approach to interpreting the
TSIs. It also provides guidance on compliance with applicable GB specific cases.
4
Engage effectively with European and international institutions
to influence the development of European-wide and
international standards
4.1
RSSB currently provides support to technical experts involved in the development of ENs
in a number of topic areas related to INS SC activity. Some of these experts are RSSB
staff, others are provided by industry members. INS SC is available to provide guidance
where required and receives feedback on the relevant activities:
a) Aerodynamics.
b) Vehicle / Track Interaction.
c)
Gauging.
d) Structural EuroCodes.
4.2
The following approaches have been adopted with respect to the development of
European Standards in particular technical areas:
a) Track - Maintain an overview of CEN TC 256 WG28 Track Geometry work and the
implementation of results from the EU Research project DynoTrain.
b) Structures – Contribute to the development of structural Eurocodes and their
national annexes through CEN TC 250.
c)
4.3
Gauging - The published gauging European standard BS EN 15273 includes a National
Foreword that points to the use of RGSs for gauging on the existing network. GB
input is being maintained to incorporate more of the GB methodology in future
issues of the EN.
INS SC has supported the GB representatives in developing the necessary GB specific
cases for the revised INF TSI.
Issue Two – 15 April 2015
Page 7 of 9
INS SC Strategic Plan
5
Communicating with industry about standards so that industry
is able to use standards efficiently, proposing changes to them
where necessary
5.1
ISCC’s Strategic Plan for 2015 – 2016, Issue Two, describes key activities in support of
improving communication about the need for standards, how to use them, and how to
provide feedback on their effectiveness.
5.2
ISCC’s communication plan sets out the key audiences and key messages to be
communicated. The prime audiences are identified as the rail industry at senior
executive level and those who use standards. Here the overall aim is to improve
awareness and understanding of standards regimes. The main themes are listed as:
a) Standards are necessary and valuable.
b) How to work with standards.
c)
Improving engagement between standards makers and standards users.
5.3
INS SC acknowledges the importance of keeping constituency members up to date with
work that is underway to address concerns about standards, whether on specific
standards or more generally, and relevant policies on standards that are being developed
in Europe and GB.
5.4
More generally, INS SC notes the need to continue to correct misunderstanding and
faulty perceptions about standards wherever they arise.
5.5
INS SC continues to work with constituency members and project teams to seek to
improve the quality and timeliness of deviation requests to minimize project risk and be
in the best long term interests of the railway.
5.6
The SC notes that briefing material on standards has been produced and that the SC has a
role in using this material to help inform industry about standards. INS SC will consider
how best to use available material in support of the overall aim.
6
Programme of work
6.1
Key items from the INS SC programme of work include:
a) Gauging Projects 09/003, 12/018 and 13/012: the revised suite of standards were
issued for industry consultation during June 2014. A large number of comments
were received, which are being addressed, and publication is expected in December
2015.
b) GC/RT5112 Rail Traffic Loading on Structures Project 11/011: Review has identified
that the mandatory requirements are now covered by the TSI and the Eurocodes.
GC/RT5112 will therefore be withdrawn and a revised Guidance Note (GC/GN5612)
has been produced. Publication took place in March 2015.
c)
GC/RT5033 Terminal Tracks – Requirements for Buffer Stops, Arresting Devices and
End Impact Walls: five year review is now complete and will inform the measures
review planned for 2015.
Issue Two – 15 April 2015
Page 8 of 9
INS SC Strategic Plan
d) INF TSI: the revised INF TSI was published in December 2014 for entry into force
January 2015. The 12 month review of the associated GB Guidance Note
(GI/GN7608) was undertaken in June 2014 and a clarification has been issued
pending revision later in 2015.
e) GC/RT5021 – Track System Requirements: five year review planned for 2015/2016
and will include a detailed analysis to compare with the revised INF TSI.
f)
6.2
GE/RT8006 – Assessment of Compatibility of Rail Vehicle Weights and Underline
Bridges: five year review planned for 2015/2016 and will consider how to manage
the combination of national technical rules and national safety rules associated with
the GB specific case.
INS SC will monitor progress against the programme of work as part of normal business.
Issue Two – 15 April 2015
Page 9 of 9