TS EN 17343

TS EN 17343 is a glossary standard that brings together general terms and definitions used in railway applications. It establishes a common technical language for rail networks and rail vehicles guided by tracks and wheels, whether those wheels are made of steel or other materials; heavy rail and urban rail systems are included.

How the terminology framework is organised

The document is intended as a reference for future European Standards and for the revision of existing ones. In practice, that means it supports consistent naming of systems, components and functions across the railway domain. For railway engineering, terminology matters because it reduces ambiguity between infrastructure, rolling stock and operational concepts, especially when standards are written for different subsystems.

What is explicitly outside the scope

• Track construction and maintenance machines are outside scope when they are not travelling on rails.
• Road-rail machines are excluded when they are not travelling on rails.
• Magnetic levitation transport networks and vehicles, guided busways and guided buses are not covered.
• Non-public rail networks such as mine rail systems, and rail systems used exclusively for leisure, historical or tourist purposes, are outside the document.
• Terms and definitions related to control-command and signalling, operation, and geographical aspects are not included.

In general technical terms, a terminology standard like this helps designers, manufacturers, operators and standards writers use the same concepts consistently. It is not a performance, testing or acceptance standard for a specific railway system; its role is to harmonise railway vocabulary and definitions.