BS EN 50488:2021

This standard BS EN 50488:2021 Railway applications. Fixed installations. Electrical protective measures for working on or near an overhead contact line system and/or its associated return circuit is classified in these ICS categories:

• 45.020 Railway engineering in general
• 13.260 Protection against electric shock. Live working

This document provides requirements for electrical safety for:

• dead working on an overhead contact line system;

• working activities near an overhead contact line system when it is live.

It applies to all work activities in relation to electrical hazards only.

This document is applicable to overhead contact line systems with the following nominal voltages and configurations:

• 1,5 kV and 3 kV DC;

• 15 kV, 2x15 kV, 25 kV and 2x25 kV AC.

It also provides requirements for work activities that can give rise to electrical hazards from the return circuit.

This document does not cover electrical risk arising from:

• live working on overhead contact line systems (live working can be carried out according to national requirements, regulations and practices);

• working on or near other electrical sources or electrical systems connected to or close to the OCL system and its return circuit.

If there are no other rules or procedures, the principles described in this document can be applied to overhead contact line systems with other nominal voltages.