What is BS EN 17397‑1 about?
BS EN 17397-1 is a European standard on railway applications that provide the best industry guidance on ensuring optimal performance of rail infrastructure.
BS EN 17397‑1 is the first part in the multi-series of documents that is applicable to the railway applications on rail defects.
BS EN 17397‑1 specifies the defect management system the infrastructure manager uses to control the risk of severe accidents due to degradation of internal or surface defects on rails.
Who is BS EN 17397‑1 for?
BS EN 17397‑1 on rail defects is useful for:
- Track maintenance engineers
- Infrastructure manager
- Manufacturers and welders
- Trian operating companies (TOC)s 
- Railway management authorities 
Why should you use BS EN 17397‑1?
As a result of the rail production process, cyclical loads, impact from rolling stock, rail wear, and plastic flow, rail defects can arise in any rail type or rail welds.
The defect management system to be used by the infrastructure manager to control the risk of serious accidents caused by the degradation of internal or surface flaws on trains is specified in BS EN 17397-1. This can help you analyse rail conditions, taking into account the economic optimum of reliability, availability, maintainability, and safety (RAMS) as well as life cycle costs (LCC).
If you are an infrastructure manager, BS EN 17397-1 can help you effectively assess the condition of your assets, while providing assistance across the lifecycle of the rail, from detection to monitoring to eradication. With the help of non-destructive testing methods, you can identify and minimise damaged or defective rails.
