EN 17168 is the European standard titled "Railway applications - Platform barrier systems," first published in 2021. It provides a comprehensive framework for the design, construction, and operation of platform screen doors (PSDs) and gates used at the edge of station platforms to separate passengers from tracks. Overview and Scope
The standard applies to metro, tramway, and light rail systems, as well as heavy rail where specified. It covers installations in sub-surface (underground), enclosed surface, and open-air stations.
Primary Purpose: To manage safety risks such as accidental or deliberate track incursion and contact between passengers and moving vehicles.
Excluded Systems: It does not cover vertical barriers, systems using bars or ropes, or specific normative fire performance requirements for barriers acting as firewalls. Key Technical Requirements
The document, which spans 62 pages, details several critical areas for implementation:
Physical and Structural Integrity: Requirements for fixed structures, glazing/panelling, and environmental loading (including aerodynamic pressures from passing trains).
Door and Gate Varieties: Specifies requirements for passenger doors, emergency egress doors, driver access doors, and platform extremity doors.
System Integration: Guidelines for synchronizing vehicle doors with platform doors, audible and visible alerts, and interfacing with signaling and rolling stock subsystems.
Electrical and Control Systems: Covers the integrity of control logic, status indication, and earthing/bonding strategies to ensure electrical safety on platforms.
Testing and Verification: Outlines a normative testing plan (Annex A) including type, routine, functional, and systems-integration testing. Practical Benefits
Adherence to EN 17168:2021 allows infrastructure owners and operators to:
Enhance Safety: Reduce risks of entrapment and track-related accidents.
Improve Efficiency: Facilitate automated train operation and allow for higher train speeds entering and exiting stations.
Standardize Management: Provide a clear set of maintainability and accessibility guidelines, including for persons with reduced mobility.
You can find further details or purchase the full standard via the BSI Shop, the iTeh Standards Store, or European Standards (en-standard.eu). EN 17168:2021 - Platform barrier systems - iTeh Standards
Overview of EN 17168
EN 17168 is a European Standard that outlines the requirements for portable fire extinguishers. The standard covers the design, manufacture, testing, and marking of these extinguishers, ensuring they are safe and effective for use in various fire scenarios.
Scope of EN 17168
The scope of EN 17168 includes:
Key Requirements of EN 17168
Some key requirements of EN 17168 include:
Testing Requirements
EN 17168 outlines various testing requirements for fire extinguishers, including:
Marking and Labeling Requirements
The standard also specifies marking and labeling requirements for fire extinguishers, including:
Benefits of EN 17168 Compliance
Compliance with EN 17168 provides several benefits, including:
By following EN 17168, manufacturers and suppliers can ensure their fire extinguishers meet the necessary requirements for safety, performance, and reliability.
EN 17168:2021 is the current European standard governing the design, construction, and operation of platform barrier systems in railway applications. Published by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) in August 2021, it provides a comprehensive framework for implementing barriers like platform screen doors (PSDs) to enhance passenger safety and operational efficiency. Scope and Applicability
The standard applies to barriers positioned at the edge of station platforms, immediately adjacent to the rail or guided vehicles.
Transport Modes: It primarily covers metro, tram, and light rail systems, but can be applied to heavy rail if specified by a project.
Station Environments: It is relevant for sub-surface, enclosed, and open-air stations.
Exclusions: The standard specifically excludes barrier systems using ropes or bars, and those that operate in a vertical direction. Key Technical Requirements
The BS EN 17168:2021 document outlines several critical areas of concern for infrastructure owners and designers:
Structural Integrity: It defines physical and structural requirements, including loading conditions (such as wind pressure from moving trains) and guidelines for glazing and panel materials.
Operational Integration: A core focus is the synchronization of platform barrier doors with train doors to ensure safe passenger boarding and alighting. Safety Features:
Entrapment Prevention: Requirements to prevent passengers from being trapped between the vehicle and the barrier.
Emergency Egress: Specific provisions for emergency doors, driver access, and platform extremity gates.
Electrical Safety: Guidelines for earthing and bonding to maintain electrical safety on platforms equipped with these systems. en 17168
Fire Performance: While it includes requirements for fire resistance of materials and the use of barriers to minimize flame/smoke spread, it does not cover certain normative fire performance aspects covered by other specialized standards. Strategic Benefits for Railway Operators
Adhering to EN 17168:2021 offers several operational advantages beyond basic compliance: EN 17168:2021 - Platform barrier systems - iTeh Standards
EN 17168:2021 is the European standard governing Platform Barrier Systems (platform screen doors and gates) in railway applications. Published by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), it provides a unified safety and engineering framework across metros, trams, and heavy rail networks. 🚇 Overview of EN 17168
The standard specifically targets the design, construction, operation, and integration of automatic or manual barriers positioned immediately adjacent to train tracks. 🔧 Key Areas Covered
Fixed Structures: Integrity of the walls and glass along the platform.
Movable Doors: Physical and timing requirements for standard passenger doors.
Alternative Access: Dedicated parameters for emergency exits, driver access doors, and platform extremity gates.
Risk Management: Mitigating hazards specifically tied to physical automated barriers.
System Integration: Synchronization of the platform barriers directly with train vehicle doors and signaling systems. ⚖️ Pros and Strengths
Unified European Framework: Replaced fragmented national guidelines, giving manufacturers a single baseline to design compliant systems for any EU country.
Massive Safety Improvement: Dictates rigorous controls on door closing force, obstacle detection, and synchronized alerts to prevent passengers from getting trapped between train and screen doors.
High Interoperability: Prevents vendor lock-in by specifying how these barriers must communicate with standard modern train signaling and rolling stock.
Broad Adaptability: Applies to everything from a small single-vehicle tram station to a high-capacity heavy rail network, and handles underground, covered, and open-air environments equally. ⚠️ Limitations and Cons
Fails to Cover Vertical Systems: Explicitly excludes barriers that drop from above or use moving ropes/bars (only covers horizontal sliding doors and gates).
Ignores Fire Barrier Norms: The standard does not cover the normative requirements for utilizing these screens as fire-containment walls; those must be outsourced to local building codes or other European fire standards.
Only Serves as a Minimum Baseline: Some regional committees (like the UK’s BSI) have noted that while the standard establishes solid minimums, procurement authorities often need to write advanced custom specifications to achieve total system safety depending on their exact crowd sizes. 👥 Who Needs to Use It?
Infrastructure Owners: For commissioning new builds or retrofitting existing platforms.
OEMs & Manufacturers: Companies building glass panels, sliding doors, and computerized door drive units.
Signaling Engineers: Professionals mapping train-to-station communication loops. Platform barrier systems BS EN 17168:2021 - ANSI Webstore EN 17168 is the European standard titled "Railway
EN 17168:2021 is the European standard specifically governing Railway Applications — Platform Barrier Systems. It provides the technical and safety framework for the design, integration, and operation of physical barriers (like screen doors or gates) at station platform edges. Scope and Application
The standard applies to barriers positioned immediately adjacent to rail or guided vehicle tracks to prevent passengers from falling or accessing the guideway.
Systems Covered: Metro, tram/light rail, and project-specific heavy rail.
Environments: Sub-surface (tunnels), enclosed, and open-air stations.
Purpose: Primarily safety—reducing the risk of track falls and managing passenger flow between vehicles and platforms. Key Technical Requirements
The standard organizes requirements into several critical areas for infrastructure owners and system integrators:
Physical and Structural Integrity: Sets standards for fixed structures, glazing, and paneling. It references Eurocodes for structural loading and environmental considerations like wind or thermal effects.
Operational Integration: Defines "correct alignment," which is the precise positioning of vehicle doors relative to platform doors to ensure safe passenger transfer.
Door and Gate Specifications: Includes physical requirements for passenger-use doors, emergency doors, driver access gates, and platform extremity doors.
Control and Safety Systems: Mandates synchronization between train and barrier doors, as well as audible and visible alerts and protection against passenger entrapment. Who Should Use This Standard?
This guide is essential for stakeholders throughout the railway asset lifecycle:
Infrastructure Owners & Asset Managers: For specifying requirements in new-build or retrofit projects.
Designers & System Integrators: For engineering barrier structures and their signalling interfaces.
Manufacturers & Installers: To ensure compliance of platform doors, glazing, and control equipment.
Operators & Maintainers: To manage safety risks, testing, and operational performance. EN 17168:2021 - Platform barrier systems - iTeh Standards
The standard applies to movable cultural heritage, specifically:
The primary goal is to ensure that institutions responsible for these collections have documented procedures to preserve both the physical integrity of the object and its historical context. It emphasizes that "restoration" is not always the answer; often, stabilization and preventive care are preferable.
The platform-side surface of the barrier (if stepped on) must have a slip resistance of at least R10 under EN 16165.
