The first set of Technical Specifications for Interoperability, elaborated by the European Association for Railway Interoperability (AEIF), was adopted in 2002 for the Trans-European high speed railway transport system. These TSIs related to infrastructure, energy, rolling stock, command-control and signalling systems, maintenance and exploitation have been in force since December 1, 2002. Since then, high speed TSIs have already been revised and the revised TSIs are currently in force. Recently, in March, the Union of European Railway Industries (UNIFE) held a reunion on the future defined elaboration of the Technical Specifications for Interoperability for passenger transport coaches and locomotives (RST TSIs). The first priority of conventional rail traffic TSIs (CR) on freight wagons, telematics applications for freight transport, control-command and signalling, rolling stock generated noise, as well as traffic exploitation and management were adopted at the end of 2004 and mid-2005.
The TSIs on safety in railway tunnels and accessibility for low mobility people were adopted through decisions of the Commission in 2007 and came into force on July 1, 2008. These two TSIs can be applied for both high speed lines and conventional rail systems. Currently, a major responsibility of the European Railway Agency is the finalization and revision of the Technical Specifications for Interoperability. Until the end of 2009, the Agency elaborated the TSIs for conventional rail lines (CR) on infrastructure, energy, passenger locomotives and rolling stock, as well as telematics applications for passenger services. The European Railway Agency has also finalized the revision of the TSIs on the traffic exploitation and management for conventional rail systems, as well as a limited revision of the TSIs on rolling stock generated noise. The European Commission is expected to adopt these four new and two revised TSIs in 2010. This legal framework should be however further developed to correct potential errors or solve the open points of these TSIs and expand their geographical scope.
The revision of the freight wagon TSIs is currently being optimised, the objective being its finalization by the beginning of 2011. As an intermediate step, in 2009 the Commission amended the TSIs on conventional freight wagons and their exploitation and eased cross-border traffic in compliance with the cross-authorisation of freight wagons. The rolling stock subject to the present TSI (designated as a unit linked to the present TSI) must be described in the examination certificate in compliance with the European Commission’s provisions using one of the following terms, trainsets and, if applied, trains formed of several individual trains, such as those under evaluation for multiple operation.
Another characteristic of rolling stock TSI refers to single wagon loads that form a train and then wagons for general exploitation and, if applied, included in a train formed of several individual vehicles (including locomotives), such as those under evaluation for multiple operation. The technical categories of rolling stock which are subject to the present TSI include passenger transport coaches, wagons for passengers’ goods transport (luggage, cars), wagons designed with a driver’s cab, wagons designed with traction equipments, electric units defined as power supply wagons, freight and passenger locomotives. High speed rolling stock (HS) has significantly progressed during 2006-2007 when almost all vehicles have been authorized in conformity with the TSI regime. However, in 2008 the number of TSI authorisations for high speed rolling stock plummeted to 16% of the total number of authorisations. The Commission also prioritizes the management of shifting from the old regime (based on the international Regulation on vehicles (RIV), the main agreement in this sector related to international and national traffic norms) to the new regime developed by the TSIs and the infrastructure and rolling stock registers.
by Elena Ilie
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