The committee has decided to continue to alternate between the scheduled bi-monthly virtual and hybrid meetings. The May plant standards committee meeting was held as a face-to-face meeting in South Wales ahead of a technical visit to GOS Tool and Engineering Services, a supplier of on-track plant and demountable tunnel maintenance modules. The committee members have also undertaken additional document reviews in correspondence between the scheduled meetings. This has avoided potential delays to time-critical RSSB standards projects and supported quicker approval of deviations.
The project to revise RIS‑1530‑PLT On-Track Plant and their Associated Equipment and Trolleys has been completed with the publication of issue seven in the September standards catalogue.
The key objectives of the project had been to address the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) recommendation in report 08/2019: Collision between road rail vehicles at Cholmondeston about machines being driven in reverse. It also covers requests for change and points of clarification raised by the M&EE Networking Group and the Rail Plant Association, representing the owners and users of on-track plant.
The reformatting of the document into the latest RIS style involved the addition of rationale and the clear separation of requirements and guidance. It had the effect of lengthening the document to 250 pages. Plant standards committee, on behalf of the industry, requested an extended six-week consultation period, which was further extended to facilitate the review of RIS-1530-PLT issue seven. This had the impact of compressing the period to review the 502 comments received and necessitated holding an additional standards committee meeting to approve the responses and amendments to the document to enable publication in September.
A Business Case for Change (BCfC) for the revision of RIS‑1710-PLT issue 2.1, Engineering Certification of Railborne Plant and the Assessment of Non-Railborne Plant, is in preparation. This is the plant-specific complementary document to RIS-2700-RST issue two, Verification of Conformity of Engineering Change to Rail Vehicles, which is currently undergoing revision. The update to RIS-1710-PLT will retain alignment with RIS-2700-RST including the requirements for software changes. It will address a plant industry request to clarify when engineering and maintenance changes do not need to trigger the recertification of the machine.
Following publication of the new combined BS EN 15955:2024 series Demountable machines, trailers and associated equipment, it is expected that the standards committee will initiate a review of RIS‑1530‑PLT issue seven. It will aim to rationalise the RIS content so it will become the GB application of BS EN 15955:2024 series and the BS EN 15746:2020 series Road-rail machines and associated equipment.
The committee is maintaining oversight for, and coordinating the UK input into, the European Committee for CEN/TC 256/SC1/WG5 Track construction and maintenance machines. This includes:
Preparation of EN 15955 series Demountable machines, trailers and associated equipment which is combining the EN 15954 Trailers and associated equipment and the former EN 15955 Demountable machines and associated equipment series. Following delays in the independent harmonised assessment (HAS) of prEN 15955 Part 2 against the Machinery Directive, documents have been submitted to CEN for formal vote to publish in 2024.
Revision of EN 14033 Railbound construction and maintenance machines series covering on-track machines has continued. The formatting of Part 3 covering the safety (Machinery Directive) elements is being aligned with that used for prEN 15595 Part 2 following the assessment by the HAS consultants. The updated series will be submitted to CEN for enquiry in 2024.
A separate drafting group is producing a standard for ‘Machines without Rail Wheels.’ This document will concentrate on railway- specific topics and will incorporate content derived from RIS-1701-PLT issue five Non-Railborne Plant used for Infrastructure Work. This new standard will be submitted to CEN for enquiry in 2024.
PLT SC is also coordinating the UK input into international committee ISO/TC269/SC1/WG4 Rail construction, maintenance, and inspection machines, which includes:
Preparation of ISO/DTR 894, Rail mounted construction, maintenance and inspection machines — Explanation of machine type. This technical report will set out the classification and characteristics of these machines. The document has been submitted to ISO for formal vote to publish in 2024.
Creating a proposal to publish a new ISO document covering trolleys and portable machines, which it is anticipated will replace BS EN 13977:2011, Safety requirements for portable machines and trolleys for construction and maintenance.
The 2023 member refresh of the committee has been completed. The Network Rail Infrastructure Manager representative and one of the non-NR Infrastructure Manager representatives have been renewed following their appointment in the respective organisations. There was an election for the Plant Assessment Body (supplier) representative. To make up the five posts under review, the standards committee chair and the next longest standing member on the committee have both been re-elected.
UK legislation ‘The Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008, as amended by the Supply of Machinery (Amendment) Regulations 2011’ currently aligns with the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EU. The Machinery Directive is to be withdrawn in January 2027 and replaced across the EU member states by the Machinery Regulations 2023/1230/EU.
The main changes cover the adoption of the term ‘machinery products’ to cover parts of machines and the introduction of new safety requirements for autonomous machines, human-machine collaboration, and the safe use of Artificial Intelligence systems in machinery. At this stage it is not clear whether the EU changes will be incorporated into the UK legislation, risking the UK lagging behind the European market and potentially creating technical disparity.
Neil HallidayChair of the Plant Standards Committee
Nine standards have been published during 2023. This included three ‘point’ releases that continue the trend of updating documents to remain relevant in the post-EU environment and rapidly respond to industry requirements. Nine 12- and 60-month reviews were progressed during the year. Seven technical notes (TN) were published, continuing the approach of reacting effectively to emerging issues affecting the industry ahead of possible future new or revised standards.
There are 26 active rolling stock standards projects at various stages of progress with several projects working across different subsystems. Eight projects are on hold due to resourcing or industry priorities.
The rolling stock strategic plan has matured and has progressed so that it is now reviewed annually. The potential for grouping standards projects together and progressing as a set to meet the strategy more effectively is currently being considered.
The publication of RIS-2766-RST issue two Rail Industry Standard for Wheelsets contains requirements, rationale, and guidance on the design, manufacture, maintenance, inspection, and recording of wheelsets. It includes the content of four prior wheelset guidance notes incorporating content dating back to the British Rail standard MT288. The requirements on the control of wheel flats has been updated to better align it with Network Rail Wheel Impact Load Detection (WILD) limits. The definition of tolerance for new and reprofiled wheelsets has also been improved and the application of additional inspection or control for extended life axles has been clarified.
The publication of a limited release of RIS-2795-RST issue 2.3 Track to Train RFID compatibility includes the addition of a new application code. This has paved the way for the use of discontinuous electrification on the network, and controls the interaction of onboard train control systems and radio frequency identification (RFID) coding.
The second version of the position paper on Hydrogen Policy and Standards is underway and will further address issues and understanding around the introduction of hydrogen trains and infrastructure requirements. This work complements other work being undertaken in a project to undertake a structured review of the risks associated with using hydrogen-fuelled rolling stock.
Several technical notes have been published to address key areas for industry, notably TN103 Freight Coupler Loads which includes the output of research and development project T1256 Guidance on limits of freight train trailing length as governed by coupler strength. This technical note describes the factors that limit the length and weight of a train that a freight locomotive is permitted to haul and provides guidance. The output of the research and the subsequent incorporation into standards has the potential to deliver operational cost savings of between £245,000 to £364,000 for each route per year.
TN109 Fire-related properties of batteries complements existing standards by providing essential information on battery technology and its fire-related properties, addressing evolving risks. The publication of this technical note allowed RSSB to respond to, and ORR to close, recommendation 20 from RAIB’s report into the Carmont rail accident.
The publication of RIS-4472-RST issue two Engineering Requirements for Steam Locomotives and other Heritage Vehicles reflects developments on the GB mainline railway since the publication of issue one and improves the clarity of existing guidance. Significant changes include:
clarification on the application of the Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations
guidance for the current regulatory position on continued use of Mark 1 type and hinged door rolling stock
inclusion of guidance on the fitting of ETCS onboard equipment
clarification of the responsibilities as an Entity in Charge of Maintenance when operating within the mainline heritage sector.
Delivery of the rolling stock standards committee strategy is leading to a broader range of standards activity being covered with sub-strategies being developed for braking standards and gauging. In addition, there is now RSSB and RAE/1 representation on the BSI Hydrogen Committee GSE/5, ensuring that rail is considered in any national hydrogen strategy. The standards committee is kept informed of developments as part of the committee proceedings.
The NTSN changes were reviewed by the mirror groups and approved for consultation by the committee. Work will continue following the result of the industry consultation into early 2024.
Support continues for European and international standards committees CEN/TC256, CLC/TC9X, ISO/TC269, Eurospec, and BSI RAE/1. RSSB started representing the rail sector on ISO/TC197 Hydrogen Technologies in 2023.
Attendance remains consistent with several elections conducted this year and no open vacancies. The drive to improve diversity continues, including using the guest or observer positions to introduce committee activities to a wider stakeholder group, but the demographic for RST SC continues to be relatively narrow.
There has been one change to the rolling stock team during the year and capabilities are being maintained effectively, with increases in battery technology and electronic systems. The team has the competence to work across several subsystems and comprehensively support the industry.
Mark OakleyProfessional Head of Rolling Stock
All recent infrastructure deviation submissions have been temporary. Against the platform width requirements in GIRT7020 issue 1.1 Requirements for Platform Height, Platform Offset and Platform Width there have been only two permanent deviation applications submitted, all year, to the Infrastructure Standards Committee, both in March.
Work is underway to develop a new guidance note, GEGN8616 issue one Guidance on evaluating excessive dynamic effects in underline bridges, a route availability calculator and webpage to introduce the topic of route availability and provide links to the various documents and tools. This builds on the work done to produce GERT8006 issue four Route Availability Number for Assessment of Compatibility between Rail Vehicles and Underline Bridges and RIS-8706-INS issue two Route Level Assessment of Technical Compatibility between Rail Vehicles and Underline Bridges published in March 2021.
RSSB is working with DfT and Network Rail to develop a suite of station standards to align with the legislative framework. They will cover the area from the public land to the platform train interface. The development of the suite will benefit projects by ensuring requirements and responsibilities are set out clearly, and passengers who will experience an inclusive environment. This will update and combine existing standards RIS-7700-INS issue three Rail Industry Standard for Station Infrastructure, RIS 7701 INS issue one Rail Industry Standard for Automatic Ticket Gates at Stations, and RIS-7702-INS issue one Rail Industry Standard for Lighting at Stations.
GCRT5021 issue five Track System Requirements has been revised to align with other standards and will take into account research and industry knowledge since the standard was last published. It is estimated to deliver at least £1.8m of benefits over five years and was published in December 2023.
Work is underway on GERT8073 issue five Application of Standard Vehicle Gauges. Various revisions are planned including improving clarity of gauging tolerances that are applied to freight gauges and the boundary between the upper and lower sector vehicle gauges.
The Infrastructure Standards Committee is kept informed of European and international standardisation via RSSB’s contribution to several committees and its provision of convenors for some working groups.
Work is ongoing on the five-part suite of standards EN 15273 Railway applications – Gauges, which has been through enquiry. Work is now ongoing to respond to comments. This will be done by June 2024.
The refresh of the Infrastructure Contractor category has been completed with current members being re-elected. Meetings have been well attended and members have responded positively to conducting meetings virtually through MS Teams®.
The deviations surgery continues to be well received, helping applicants with possible deviations with advice on what information is required for a successful submission.
Anup ChaliseyChair of the Infrastructure Standards Committee
Control, Command and Signalling Standards Committee (CCS SC) has had an excellent year, all decisions taken were compliant with the Railway Standards Code. The focus has continued with the development and publication of new and revised industry standards. Three significant ones, RIS-0799-CCS issue one ETCS onboard subsystem requirements, RIS-0707-CCS issue two Management of Control Command and Signalling (CCS) Subsystem Failures, Faults and Defects, and RIS-0703-CCS issue two Signalling layout and aspect sequence requirements were published in June and September 2023 in accordance with their schedules. All other work on CCS Standards projects over the last 12 months has been on target and are proceeding according to their plans.
The strategic focus areas and enabler-tasks actions in the CCS SC strategy are in progress. The successful delivery of the strategy continues to rely on the collaborative partnership between RSSB, its members, and wider industry. Another significant CCS standard project ‘Over-run Risk Evaluation and Assessment’ has been established to set out a clearer process for managing the shared risk of a train exceeding the limit of a movement authority, for lines fitted with lineside and in-cab signalling systems. This project is using the model-based systems engineering approach. Use of this methodology, also used by the Level Crossing System Fundamentals project and the DRACAS project, is proving to deliver better standards with clear traceability back to the hazards they seek to address. CCS SC’s involvement and influence in BSI/European and IEC standards drafting groups continues, contributing to the development of PT 63452 Railway applications Cybersecurity, the draft of the International Standard on cybersecurity for railways. All these activities are set out in the strategy.
RIS-0799-CCS issue one ETCS onboard subsystem requirements: This standard sets out the industry agreed requirements and guidance for the Great Britain (GB) application of the ERTMS/ETCS Baseline 3 onboard subsystem to existing (retrofit) vehicles that operate on the GB mainline railway, and new build rail vehicles that will operate on the GB mainline railway. It is expected that this publication will provide a benefit to industry of approximately £1.7M over a five-year period.
RIS-0707-CCS issue two Management of Control Command and Signalling (CCS) Subsystem Failures, Faults and Defects: This standard sets out the management process requirements for safety-related failures of control command and signalling (CCS) onboard and trackside subsystems, defines the capability requirements for the National DRACAS for CCS applications, and gives guidance on their application. This standard focuses on the national DRACAS requirements for shared CCS systems and supports the realisation of £231m potential benefits over ten years.
RIS-0703-CCS issue two Signalling layout and aspect sequence requirements: This standard sets out requirements for the lineside signalling system to be compatible with train operations and guidance on their application. The resultant changes streamline processes, eliminate inefficiencies, bolster compliance, and have the potential to save the industry in the region of £1.2m over five years.
The CCS NTSN/TSI Mirror Group meets regularly and periodically reports to CCS SC. It has seen an increase in interest and membership in the run-up to the EU’s publication of the revised CCS TSI. The focus of the mirror group over the last six months has been on contributing to the development of the CCS TSI the BCfC, and the proposed text for the CCS NTSN. A new specific case has been included which addresses the suppression of onboard class B system protection while operating in Level National Train Control, Shunting Mode (LNTC SH). This provides flexibility should the issue be addressed through future TSI amendments, and is consistent with the approach used in other NTSNs. Extra meetings have been held to facilitate the effort required to revise the CCS NTSN. The revised CCS TSI, including the mandatory specifications, has now been published by the European Commission, effective from 28th September 2023. The revised CCS NTSN, in accordance with the planned schedule, was approved for consultation by CCS SC on 6th November 2023.
CCS SC has now filled the two vacant positions for the categories of infrastructure contractor and rolling stock leasing company. The long-term absence of representation from the freight community continues, however the sector challenge in terms of resource availability is acknowledged. Throughout the year, committee meetings have remained quorate.
Ged NeacyProfessional Head of Control, Command and Communications
During 2023 the Committee has continued to engage with projects which are enhancing or expanding the electrified parts of the GB mainline network. This has included the Transport for Wales project transforming the Core Valley Lines in the Cardiff area, where partial AC electrification is being deployed in conjunction with mutli-mode vehicles, and Network Rail’s TransPennine Route Upgrade (TRU) project delivering new AC electrification in the north of England. As a result, the committee has received valuable feedback and insights into the use of GB’s energy subsystem NTSN for interoperability and associated NTRs for the GB mainline network. This has helped the Committee gain an appreciation of the challenges implementing Britain’s interoperability regime and benefits gained from the recently revised AC energy standards documents, published in December 2022.
The committee, acting as the UK's Mirror Group, has been very active throughout this year, evaluating the changes to the EU’s Energy TSI published September 2023, and developing a draft Energy NTSN for whole-industry consultation which took place in late 2023. This process is being undertaken for the first time, and is an opportunity to exercise the UK’s greater regulatory freedoms (e.g. to maintain alignment with the EU’s TSI or to deviate) post EU-exit. Changes with a potentially material impact include requirements for voltage and frequency, parameters relating to power supply systems, current at standstill, regenerative braking, dynamic behaviour of the contact line, pantograph gauge and spacing, geometry of overhead contact line, implementation requirements, and references to updated European standards.
The committee previously indicated its intention to update GLRT1212 issue one DC Energy Subsystem and Interfaces to Rolling Stock Subsystem. This document contains NTRs for the GB mainline 750 V DC third-rail energy subsystem. This is the first revision of this standard and its associated guidance. This work is being undertaken using a whole-system approach. Therefore, the energy standard revision is being progressed along with an update of the complementary standard, GMRT2113 issue one Rolling Stock Subsystem and Interfaces to DC Energy Subsystem. This revision will consolidate industry’s learning and experience since these standards were first published in 2015.
The DC standards project is a substantial undertaking which comprises two revised RGS, two new RISs and the withdrawal of two guidance notes. This revision also takes account of the post-EU-exit legislative landscape. It will remove any duplication with the Energy NTSN and ensure the remaining requirements meet the criteria for NTRs. In addition, the two new RISs will include content previously contained in RGSs which no longer meets the criteria for NTR, but which industry has decided remains beneficial to retain within RSSB standards. The development of these RGSs and RISs takes account of industry application experience gained over the preceding years, from deviation applications and other forms of industry feedback. Findings from research projects will also be integrated where relevant. It is also anticipated that industry will choose to adopt the latest versions of European Standards where their content is appropriate for the needs of the GB mainline railway.
The committee continues to monitor and inform, via BSI and its committees, the UK’s input to the drafting of European standards related to electrification undertaken by CENELEC. However, there have been lower levels of activity more recently because several standards had already been updated by 2022 in readiness to support the 2023 TSI revision. These standards also form an important part of the European standardisation regime, and in Great Britain, they support the Railway Interoperability Regulations (RIR) via the NTSNs and NTRs.
The committee also continued to monitor the activities of the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) in relation to the 2023 revision of the Energy TSI and associated guidance published by ERA.
For the majority of the year the committee has generally been operating with good representation for each member category, except for freight and other non-passenger train operators. The vacancy for this category has existed for several months and to date efforts to fill it have been unsuccessful.
The routine annual refresh has also been undertaken successfully which included re-election of the Committee’s Chair. While there have been some changes in personnel because of the refresh, a substantial body of experience and expertise continues to be available within the Committee.
During the early part of 2023, committee members actively supported RSSB’s webinar to support the implementation of the revised AC standards for electrification, published December 2022. This event and others were successful in communicating to industry the changes which had been made and highlighted the opportunities that they provided to support the delivery of AC electrification at lower cost.
The Committee’s workload on deviations has seen a considerable reduction during this year, 26 in 2022 compared to one in 2023. This is mainly a result of recent work to revise the Committee’s AC standards. This shows that the standards content is now better suited to industry needs and illustrates how the learning from deviation applications is being incorporated effectively into updated standards.
At the invitation of the TRU project, the Committee held its November standards committee meeting in Manchester. This visit also provided an opportunity to engage informally with project staff and hear first-hand how the revised AC standards are being applied and how benefits are already being realised on this high-profile project. On the site visit, the committee members were able to see modifications to existing bridge parapets to manage risk which were more proportionate. They also saw how surge arresters were being deployed to manage electrical clearances and reduce or avoid expensive and disruptive modifications to civil structures such as over-line bridges.
Mike TattonChair of the Energy Standards Committee
In January, Gary Portsmouth resigned as the Chair of the Traffic Operation and Management Standards Committee (TOM SC), following his move into a new position at the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB). TOM SC thanked Gary for his contributions during his years as the Chair. James Webb, who was appointed as RSSB’s new Professional Head of Rail Operations and had been chairing TOM SC on an interim basis since September 2022, was elected as the new Chair in February.
TOM SC has supported the industry’s efforts to improve workforce safety during the year. In June, a new guidance note GOGN3616 issue one Guidance on Operational Railway Safety Awareness was published. This guidance note is intended to help railway undertakings improve the safety of staff whose duties require them to work on the track. Historically, personal track safety has often been subject to a ‘one size fits all’ approach, with the same training offered to staff regardless of their duties. The new guidance facilitates the design and delivery of operational railway safety training that is tailored to staff roles and the tasks they will carry out. It is supported by specimen training materials which are designed to be adapted by users.
RIS-3350-TOM issue two Communication of urgent operating advice was also published in June. This makes the requirements for industry to report certain types of high-risk operating incidents clearer, so that safety learning can be shared more effectively.
The committee has supported the GB rail industry’s work to reduce the use of detonators through two main workstreams.
Firstly, the annual Rule Book updates were published on schedule in September and came into force in December. New rules for assistance protection have eliminated the use of detonators in this scenario. In many cases the driver of a failed train is no longer required to leave the failed train at all, improving workforce safety. This is the first major use case for detonators to be eliminated in Great Britain (see ‘Key Achievements’).
Secondly, TOM SC has approved deviations to support Network Rail’s work to find alternatives to the use of detonators for protecting possessions and line blockages. This is a phased programme of work that will continue as shown below.
TOM SC approved the publication in September of RIS-3780-TOM issue two Operational Requirements for GSM-R Radio. This helps the industry improve both safety and performance by introducing a new mitigation measure that can be applied when the GSM-R radio in the leading cab of a train is defective. The corresponding rules in Rule Book module TW5 issue twelve Defective or isolated vehicles and on-train equipment were also updated to facilitate this change.
DetonatorsThe committee will continue to support work to remove detonators. As well as facilitating Network Rail’s ongoing programme to investigate alternatives for staff protection on the track, projects are underway to review the use of detonators in other remaining operational scenarios where they are currently required. This work will investigate whether alternative arrangements can be used instead of detonators.
Medical standardsA fundamental review of industry medical standards for safety-critical staff is underway, currently scheduled for publication in 2025.
Train driver selectionGood progress is being made on the review of RIS‑3751-TOM issue three Train driver selection. This is being updated to align with current legislation and signpost relevant guidance documents such as those from the Rail Delivery Group’s Train Driver Academy and the British Psychological Society.
Defective on-train equipmentTOM SC has approved a project to review the standards and rules relating to defective on-train equipment, with sixteen different objectives. This work is expected to result in updated standards in September 2025, allowing for dependencies on other research projects and the complexity of the material.
Secondary voice communications in the absence of GSM-RRSSB has produced an evidence-based risk model to help industry decide what level and type of secondary communication provision are appropriate when new signalling schemes are carried out. This work has the potential to bring some significant changes to certain existing working arrangements and has encountered challenges with achieving the required consensus at Standards Committees. In 2024 RSSB will continue to work with industry to agree a high-level strategy for operational voice communications, which is intended to pave the way for the findings of the risk model to be taken forward in industry standards.
New signs for certain types of speed restrictionsCurrent industry rules and standards prevent trains from accelerating after a speed restriction until the entire train has passed the termination board. This is appropriate in some cases, for example where the restriction relates to an infrastructure fault. In others, such as where the restriction is related to a sighting issue at a passive level crossing, this arrangement is unnecessarily restrictive and causes delays. New rules and standards for signage that will allow trains to accelerate when the front of the train has passed the termination board will be developed, for use in those cases where this is appropriate. These are expected to be published in September 2024.
Updated requirements for the operation of freight trains and carriage of dangerous goodsDuring 2024, RIS-3781-TOM, Requirements for the operation of freight trains and the conveyance of dangerous goods by any train will be updated to make requirements and guidance for freight train operation clearer. This will include enhanced guidance to support freight train preparation, errors during which can cause serious incidents. Publication is currently scheduled for the first half of 2025.
The Chair of TOM SC regularly attends meetings of the Community of European Railways and Infrastructure Companies (CER) and joint CER – European Rail Infrastructure Managers (EIM) operations support group meetings. These are an opportunity to share knowledge and learning with European colleagues, as well as influence the future development of the Operations Technical Specification for Interoperability (OPE TSI).
The OPE TSI Mirror Group, which reports to TOM SC, meets regularly to prepare recommendations for the Operations NTSN (OPE NTSN). The group aims to minimise technical divergence from the OPE TSI, and retain the option for full compliance where railway undertakings or infrastructure managers wish to do so, but avoid adopting new TSI requirements that would not benefit the GB rail industry.
There is one vacant position on TOM SC from the passenger train operator constituency. Recruitment for this vacancy is underway. Throughout the year, committee meetings have been quorate.
James WebbChair of the Traffic and Operations Management Standards Committee
The Data, Systems and Telematics Standards Committee (DST SC) met for the first time in September 2022 and has therefore now completed its first full year of operation. The SC addresses recognised gaps in industry oversight and standardisation in the fields of data, operational systems, and the exchange of information between systems. It also has responsibility for managing the change control process for the Telematic Applications for Freight (TAF) and the Telematic Applications for Passenger Services (TAP) NTSNs and oversees the development and maintenance of standards, guidance notes, and other documents that support organisations in sharing data more easily and exploiting it more effectively.
During 2023, the Committee has focussed on establishing a pipeline of priority areas for data standardisation, building on workshops held with committee members during late 2022. A prioritisation methodology was developed and agreed with the committee, then applied to a range of candidate areas that the group had identified.
This resulted in three priority areas being confirmed: (i) the standardisation of time between systems, (ii) unique train service identification, and (iii) the integration between traffic management and stock and crew systems.
Time was identified as a priority area because of the importance of standardising a common reference time, so that operational and technical systems can reliably exchange, aggregate, and compare data. The BCfC for the standardising time project was approved by the Committee in September.
For unique train service identification, establishing a common approach to how systems and operational staff identify a particular train service as unique is important to address the limitations of current four-character alpha-numeric identifier, the fact that bespoke IDs are used within other systems, and multiple IDs need to be published for the same service and have varying durations of uniqueness. The BCfC for the standardising unique train service identifiers was approved by the Committee in November.
Standardisation of the cross-organisational interfaces between traffic management and stock and crew systems is complex but would support compatibility between different systems and would provide transparency and explanation of schemas, processes, and data fields. A series of discussions sessions have started, in relation to this area, to determine the most appropriate scope and content of the associated standards proposal.
The report of research project T1298 Identification of priority areas for data standardisation, which documents the development and application of the prioritisation approach that led to the identification of the above three areas, has been published on RSSB’s research catalogue.
The Committee has received presentations from several external relevant projects and areas. These include three from Network Rail: the Enhanced Information Exchange (ENRICH) programme, the Aligned, Cross Infrastructure and Operations Model (AXIOM) project, and the National Traffic Management Strategy project.
The TAF TAP TSI/NTSN Mirror Group met on several occasions during 2023. The group has considered the latest updates on the forthcoming TAF and TAP TSIs publication including the latest drafts being released. Indications are that the TAF and TAP TSIs will be combined into one document, Telematic Applications TSI, comprising operational information, ticketing, and retail. The Mirror Group is considering how the TSI changes will be adopted into NTSNs and how to support the industry with the adoption of Infrastructure Manager and Railway Undertaking operational messages, as specified in the TSI.
Meetings have remained quorate according to the Railway Group Standards Manual, taking into account the nature of the meeting discussions so far. All membership categories have nominated members except for Infrastructure Contractors.
Liz DaviesChair of the Data, Systems and Telematics Standards Committee