EN 16186-9:2026

• Abstract:

  This document defines front visibility conditions including positions of drivers and its assessment.; This document applies to metro vehicles with or without permanent driver, excluding shuttles used for short distance transportation.; Metro vehicle definition is according to EN 17343.; NOTE For special vehicles, see EN 14033-4 and EN 15746-4.

• Status: Not Published
• Publication Date: 13-Oct-2026
• ICS: 45.060.10 - Tractive stock
• ICS: 45.140 - Metro, tram and light rail equipment
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 256 - Railway applications
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 256/WG 37 - Driver's cabs and windscreens
• Current Stage: 6055 - CEN Ratification completed (DOR) - Publishing
• Start Date: 14-Sep-2026
• Due Date: 24-Nov-2026
• Completion Date: 14-Sep-2026
• Mandate: M/486 - Mandate for programming and standardisation addressed to the European standardisation bodies in the field of urban rail
• Ref Project: kSIST FprEN 16186-9:2026 - Railway applications - Driver's cabs - Part 9 : External visibility for metro vehicles

EN 16186-9:2026 is a CEN standard for railway applications that focuses on external visibility from the driver’s cab of metro vehicles. It specifies front, rear and lateral visibility conditions, the driver positions used for assessment, and how those checks are carried out for metro vehicles with or without a permanent driver, excluding shuttles used for short distance transportation.

What does EN 16186-9:2026 specify?

EN 16186-9:2026 applies to metro vehicles as defined in EN 17343 and sets out general design rules for cab access, forward visibility, external rear visibility and lateral visibility. The document is organized into clauses on scope, references, terms, anthropometric data, forward visibility, rear visibility and lateral visibility, with two informative annexes for reference surfaces and reference eye points.

Annex	What it covers
Annex A	Forward visibility reference surfaces for seated and standing driving positions
Annex B	Forward visibility reference eye points for adjustable foot rest and adjustable seat arrangements

What are the key requirements of EN 16186-9:2026?

Driver population and assessment basis

Clause 4 bases the visibility rules on minimum and maximum driver anthropometric data, including eye spacing and shoe allowance. In practice, the cab must work for both ends of the assumed driver range, not just for one nominal body size.

Clause 5.2.2 says the assessment is made with the vehicle in design mass and normal design payload conditions from EN 15663, on a straight and level track, using the normal driving position and one eye point. For a metro with a driver, the normal position is seated; for a driverless metro, it is standing.

Forward visibility and signal recognition

Clause 5.1 requires the forward visibility conditions to be met in both seated and standing positions, and it sets a minimum 500 mm horizontal distance from the driver’s eye to the windscreen in the seated position. Permanent equipment must not block the sightlines, except for the wiper, so cab layout has to protect the line of sight.

Clause 5.2.3 defines visibility of external signals using high and low reference points and theoretical lines of sight for both driver dummies. This is the core check for seeing signals in time, and it also applies to driver instructor locations, where the secondary person may have reduced visibility.

Clause 5.2.4 says the driver in a standing position should be able to see the leading end of the automatic coupler during coupling. That supports safe coupling work without needing to leave the cab.

Windscreen, glare and climate-related equipment

Clauses 5.3.1 to 5.3.6 cover the equipment that makes visibility usable in service. EN 16186-9:2026 relies on EN 15152 for windscreen vision requirements and does not define windscreen material properties itself.

The document requires the wiping area to cover at least 80 % of the primary vision area, with the wiper in park position outside that area when not in use, at least two wiping speeds, inside-cab washing control, and automatic wiping during and after washing. It also calls for glare protection, de-icing and de-misting for the front windscreen, side-windscreen de-icing and de-misting when side visibility is needed, and protection against reflections from the passenger area and cab interior.

Rear and lateral visibility

Clause 6 requires rear visibility from the driving position for all metro vehicles except driverless metro vehicles. Rear view can be provided by devices such as mirrors or cameras, and where rear monitoring of passenger exchange is needed, the view must support a defined cylinder-based check.

Clause 7 requires at least one opening side window or side door on the platform side, except for driverless metro vehicles. If there is no opening side window, the non-opening side windows must provide a minimum transparent area per cab side, and they must limit glare, distortion and loss of recognizability of instruments.

What terms does EN 16186-9:2026 define?

• primary vision area - the part of the windscreen through which track and signals are visible from the driving position.
• secondary vision area - the part of the windscreen outside the primary vision area that the driver can still use to look बाहर?
• windscreen - glazing in front of the driver through which the track ahead can be observed.
• side windscreen - additional glazing at the side of a mostly transverse windscreen.
• driver dummies - models that represent the minimum and maximum anthropometric data used for the visibility checks.
• driverless metro - a metro that is normally operated without a driver on board.
• shuttle - a rail system that runs back and forth between two points.

Who uses EN 16186-9:2026?

Metro vehicle manufacturers use EN 16186-9:2026 when designing cab geometry, window layouts, wipers, glare protection and rear-view equipment. Engineering and verification teams use it to check sightlines, signal visibility and coupler visibility against the required driver positions.

Operators, safety assessors and quality managers use it when reviewing whether a metro cab supports safe operation, passenger exchange monitoring and communication with ground staff. Buyers and specification writers use it to describe visibility performance clearly in procurements and technical requirements.

Which standards are used with EN 16186-9:2026?

Standard	What it contributes
EN 17343	General terms and definitions, including the metro vehicle definition
EN 15152:2019+A1:2023	Windscreen definitions and vision requirements used for primary and secondary vision areas
EN 15663	Vehicle reference masses used for the assessment conditions
EN 16186-8	Comfort angles used for the normal driving position assessment
EN 16186-12	Future replacement reference for the high reference point in the signal-visibility assessment
CEN/TR 16823	Background information on the anthropometric data used in Clause 4
EN 14033-4	Special vehicles noted in the scope note
EN 15746-4	Special vehicles noted in the scope note

What does the EN 16186-9:2026 document contain?

EN 16186-9:2026 contains body-size data for the driver dummies, drawings of forward-visibility reference surfaces, and a rear-visibility assessment figure. It also includes the reference eye-point construction for adjustable foot rest and adjustable seat arrangements.

The document gives the geometry and check conditions needed to verify a metro cab design, rather than reproducing product-specific hardware designs. In practice, it is used for cab layout design, prototype checking, supplier review and visibility assessment during development or acceptance.

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
oSIST prEN 16186-9:2025
01-junij-2025
Železniške naprave - Voznikova kabina - 9. del: Zunanja vidljivost vozil podzemne
železnice
Railway applications - Driver's cabs - Part 9 : External visibility for metro vehicles
Bahnanwendungen - Führerraum - Teil 9: Sichtbedingungen nach außen bei U-
Bahnfahrzeugen
Applications ferroviaires - Cabines de conduite - Partie 9: Visibilité extérieure depuis la
cabine de métro
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 16186-9
ICS:
45.060.10 Vlečna vozila Tractive stock
45.140 Oprema za podzemne vlake, Metro, tram and light rail
tramvaje in lahka tirna vozila equipment
oSIST prEN 16186-9:2025 en,fr,de
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

oSIST prEN 16186-9:2025
oSIST prEN 16186-9:2025
DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
prEN 16186-9
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
April 2025
ICS 45.060.10; 45.140
English Version
Railway applications - Driver's cabs - Part 9 : External
visibility for metro vehicles
EN 16186-9, Applications ferroviaires - Cabines de EN 16186-9, Bahnanwendungen - Führerraum - Teil 9 :
conduite - Partie 9 : Visibilité extérieure depuis la Sichtbedingungen nach außen bei U-Bahnfahrzeugen
cabine de métro
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 256.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations
which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.

This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.

Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2025 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 16186-9:2025 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

oSIST prEN 16186-9:2025
prEN 16186-9:2025 (E)
Contents Page
European foreword . 3
1 Scope . 4
2 Normative references . 4
3 Terms and definitions . 4
4 Driver's anthropometric data . 5
4.1 General. 5
4.2 Data . 5
5 Forward visibility . 7
5.1 General. 7
5.2 Forward visibility requirements . 8
5.2.1 Objectives . 8
5.2.2 General. 8
5.2.3 Visibility of external signals . 8
5.2.4 Visibility of couplers . 9
5.3 Windscreen and side windscreen related requirements . 9
5.3.1 General. 9
5.3.2 Front windscreen cleaning device . 9
5.3.3 Windscreen glare protection . 10
5.3.4 Front Windscreen de-icing and de-misting . 10
5.3.5 Side Windscreen de-icing and de-misting . 10
5.3.6 Reflection protection . 10
6 External rear visibility . 11
7 Lateral visibility . 11
Annex A (informative) Forward visibility reference surfaces . 12
Annex B (informative) Forward visibility reference eye points — Adjustable foot rest and
adjustable seat . 14
Bibliography . 15

oSIST prEN 16186-9:2025
prEN 16186-9:2025 (E)
European foreword
This document (prEN 16186-9:2025) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 256 “Railway
applications”, the secretariat of which is held by DIN.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
This document has been prepared under a standardization request addressed to CEN by the European
Commission. The Standing Committee of the EFTA States subsequently approves these requests for its
Member States.
EN 16186 Railway applications — Driver’s cab consists of the following parts:
— Part 1: Anthropometric data and visibility;
— Part 2: Integration of displays, controls and indicators;
— Part 3: Design of displays;
— Part 4: Layout and access;
— Part 5: External visibility for tram vehicles;
— Part 6: Integration of displays, controls and indicators for tram vehicles;
— Part 7: Design of displays for tram vehicles;
— Part 8: Tram vehicle layout and access;
— Part 9: External visibility for metro vehicles.
NOTE Part 1 to 4 above-mentioned standard are only applicable for heavy rail vehicles and part 5 to 8 are
only applicable to tram vehicles.

Under preparation, currently prEN 16186-7.
Under preparation, currently prEN 16186-9.
oSIST prEN 16186-9:2025
prEN 16186-9:2025 (E)
1 Scope
This document defines:
— General design rules for access to the metro cab,
— Front visibility conditions including positions of people,
— Assessment.
This document applies to metro vehicles with or without driver, excluding shuttles used for short
distance transportation.
Metro vehicle definition is according to EN 17343.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 17343, Railway applications - General terms and definitions
EN 15152:2019+A1:2023, Railway applications — Windscreens for trains
EN 15663, Railway applications — Vehicle reference masses
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in EN 17343 and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp
• IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
3.1
primary vision area
area of the windscreen through which track and signals are visible from the driving position text of the
definition
[SOURCE: EN 15152:2019+A1:2023, definition 3.3]
3.2
secondary vision area term
area of the windscreen outside the primary vision area, through which the driver can also look from the
driving position text of the definition
[SOURCE: EN 15152:2019+A1:2023, definition 3.4]
3.3
windscreen
glazing in front of a driver through which the track ahead can be observed
oSIST prEN 16186-9:2025
prEN 16186-9:2025 (E)
[SOURCE: EN 15152:2019+A1:2023, 3.2, modified — “or passengers” is removed.]
3.4
side windscreen
additional glazing positioned at the side of a windscreen that is predominately positioned transversely
to the running direction
[SOURCE: EN 15152:2019+A1:2023, 3.2.2]
3.5
driver dummies
models referring to the min and max anthropometric data
Note 1 to entry: The anthropometric data are provided in Clause 4.
3.6
driverless metro
metro that, in normal operation, is operated without a driver on board
Note 1 to entry: A driverless metro can be operated by a driver with a simplified desk in degraded conditions.
3.7
shuttle
rail system that runs back and forth between two points
4 Driver's anthropometric data
4.1 General
This Clause defines the anthropometric data on which the requirements in this document are based.
The background on these anthropometric data are provided in CEN/TR 16823.
4.2 Data
Figure 1 and Figure 2 give the body size measures.
oSIST prEN 16186-9:2025
prEN 16186-9:2025 (E)
Dimensions in millimetres
Measure Min. Max.
a
a 1 580 1 940
a
b 1 480 1 815
d 710 860
e 545 665
a
g 405 510
h 120 180
i 440 525
a
j 107 126
k 353 457
l 377 473
m 403 498
n 257 312
o 223 266
p 170 221
t 104 131
x 232 261
a
Includes 30 mm allowance for
shoes.
Figure 1 — Principal body size measures
oSIST prEN 16186-9:2025
prEN 16186-9:2025 (E)
Dimensions in millimetres
Min. Max.
d see Figure 1
a
f 510 635
l see Figure 1
q 78 90
r 75 101
s 105 121
t see Figure 1
u 295 387
v 450 to 600 to
550 700
w 390 to 470 to
405 510
x see Figure 1
z 220 290
a
Includes 30 mm
allowance for shoes.
Key
a) sitting upright
b) sitting inclined
1 hip point
2 seat reference point
3 heel point (lowest rear point of the heel)
z/4 non-flexible part of the shoe pad
Figure 2 — Additional body size measures
The minimum distance between the eyes is 53 mm and the maximum distance between the eyes is
70 mm.
The minimum dimensions shall be used together with the minimum requirements listed in Figure 2.
The maximum dimensions shall be used together with the maximum requirements listed in Figure 2.
5 Forward visibility
5.1 General
For the seated driving position, the forward visibility requirements of 5.2.1 shall be ensured (see also
A.1 and Annex
...