DIN EN 16116-2:2014-01

This European standard is part of the series "Design requirements for steps, handrails and associated access for staff", which consists of the following parts: Part 1: Passenger vehicles, luggage vans and locomotives; Part 2: Freight wagons. This document is an engineering standard for design requirements for the access of staff for railway vehicles and refers particularly to aspects of quality and ergonomics of vehicle equipment. There are normative references to EN 10025-2, EN 12561-7, standard series EN 15085 as well as EN 15273-2. To achieve an undisturbed, reliable and safe operation of freight trains it is essential to define common requirements for safe access and egress for rolling stock of interoperable trains with respect to, for example, structural requirements, operating characteristics, way of operation, maintenance as well as their handling. Coupling of freight wagons by means of screw couplings is usually done by personnel. Freight wagons require sufficient space for their coupling and uncoupling by staff without any rigid features impeding accessibility to the screw coupler. There is also a need for provision of suitable footsteps and handrails for personnel, to allow temporary travel outside the vehicle during shunting as well as to access the vehicle. To achieve an undisturbed, reliable and safe operation it is therefore essential to harmonise the functional requirements and characteristic dimensions and assess and permanently ensure their suitability for interoperable traffic. This Part 2 of the standard series specifies the minimum requirements for ergonomic and structural integrity of steps and handrails used together to give staff access to freight wagons. It does not cover ladders, top platforms and top gangways. It defines in particular the required spaces necessary for handling of screw couplings with side buffers, for shunter handrails, for shunter's stand, for steps and handrails. It also defines their dimensions, positions, limits for durability and functionality. It also defines the general requirements for the access to tail lights for freight wagons.