EN IEC 61373:2026
(Main)Railway applications - Rolling stock equipment - Shock and vibration tests
- Abstract
This document specifies the requirements for testing items of equipment intended for use on railway vehicles which are subsequently subjected to vibrations and shock owing to the nature of railway operational environment. To gain assurance that the quality of the equipment is acceptable, it is exposed to tests of reasonable duration that simulate the service conditions seen throughout its expected life.
Simulated long-life testing can be achieved in a number of ways each having their associated advantages and disadvantages, the following being the most common:
a) amplification: where the amplitudes are increased and the time base decreased;
b) time compression: where the amplitude history is retained and the time base is decreased (increase of the frequency);
c) decimation: where time slices of the historical data are removed when the amplitudes are below a specified threshold value.
The amplification method as stated in item a) above, is used in this document and together with the publications referred to in Clause 2; it defines the default test procedure to be followed when vibration testing items for use on railway vehicles.
Whilst this document is primarily concerned with railway vehicles on fixed rail systems, its wider use is not precluded. For systems operating on pneumatic tyres, or other transportation systems such as trolleybuses, where the level of shock and vibration clearly differ from those obtained on fixed rail systems, specific test levels can be considered. In that case, the frequency spectra and the shock duration and amplitude are computed in compliance with the guidelines in Annex A.
Annex F provides the functional random vibration load that can be considered by the user for urban vehicles operating on pneumatic tyres.
This document applies to single axis testing. However, multi-axis testing is possible.
The anchoring bolts at the fixing point(s) of the equipment are not evaluated in this document.
This document is intended to evaluate equipment which is attached to the main structure of the vehicle (and components mounted thereon). It is not intended to test equipment which forms part of the main structure. Main structure in the sense of this document means car body, bogie and axle.
The following items are out of scope of this document:
– the traction motors for railway vehicles;
– any mechanical substructure not equipped with electrical, electronic or pneumatic component.
Additional or special vibration tests for some specific equipment are not specified in this document, for example:
a) equipment mounted on, or linked to, items which are known to produce defined frequency excitation;
b) equipment such as pantographs, shoegear, or suspension components which are known to be exposed to specific shock and vibration excitation;
c) equipment intended for use in special operational environments as specified by the customer;
d) transportation and handling tests.
- Status
- Published
- Publication Date
- 10-Sep-2026
- Technical Committee
- CLC/TC 9X - Electrical and electronic applications for railways
- Drafting Committee
- IEC/TC 9 - IEC_TC_9
- Current Stage
- 6060 - Document made available - Publishing
- Start Date
- 11-Sep-2026
- Due Date
- 01-Apr-2024
- Completion Date
- 11-Sep-2026
EN IEC 61373:2026 is a CENELEC European Standard, identical to IEC 61373:2026, for shock and vibration tests on railway rolling stock equipment. It specifies how to test pneumatic, electrical and electronic equipment and components fitted to railway vehicles so manufacturers, test houses and railway suppliers can verify functional performance, mechanical integrity and resistance to service-like vibration and shock.
What does EN IEC 61373:2026 specify?
EN IEC 61373:2026 specifies test requirements for equipment mounted on railway vehicles and exposed to vibration and shock in service. It is built around random vibration and shock testing, with the amplification method used as the default way to simulate long-life exposure.
The document applies mainly to fixed rail systems, but it also gives a path for equipment on pneumatic tyres and other transport systems where the vibration environment is different. It excludes traction motors, mechanical substructures without electrical, electronic or pneumatic components, and equipment that is part of the vehicle main structure.
Its organization is straightforward:
- Clauses 1-3 cover scope, normative references, and terms.
- Clauses 4-16 cover the test concept, mounting, functional testing, long-life vibration, shock, reporting, certification and disposal.
- Annex A explains how service measurements are turned into test levels.
- Annex B links vehicle location to test category.
- Annex C gives a type test certificate example.
- Annex D gives RMS calculation guidance.
- Annex E gives guidance for numerical validation with FEA.
- Annex F gives default loads for urban vehicles operating on pneumatic tyres.
- Annex ZA lists the normative references with their European publications.
| Annex | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Annex A | Service measurements, measuring positions, recording methods, and how test levels are derived from service data |
| Annex B | Equipment location on railway vehicles and the resulting test category |
| Annex C | Example of a type test certificate |
| Annex D | Calculating RMS values from ASD values or levels |
| Annex E | Numerical validation of structural parts of cubicles |
| Annex F | Functional random vibration loads for urban vehicles operating on pneumatic tyres |
What are the key requirements of EN IEC 61373:2026?
EN IEC 61373:2026 requires three core verifications: functional random vibration, simulated long-life random vibration, and shock. Clause 4 states that these are the mandatory tests for compliance, and Clause 12 sets the acceptance criteria.
Test category depends on installation location
The standard classifies equipment only by where it is mounted:
- Category 1, body mounted, with Class A and Class B
- Category 2, bogie mounted
- Category 3, axle mounted
This matters because the test levels change with location on the vehicle. A supplier therefore has to define the mounting position before test levels can be selected.
Mounting and test order must match the installation
Clause 5 allows the vertical, transverse and longitudinal axes to be tested in any order, but the order and orientation must be recorded. Clause 6 requires the equipment to be mounted in a way that represents vehicle installation, with bolts tightened to nominal design torque.
Where resilient mounts are present, Clause 6 allows them to be removed for the simulated long-life test, but they are kept in place for functional random vibration and shock tests. If mounts are removed, their transfer function must be measured and used to adjust the long-life ASD level.
Functional random vibration checks operation under service-like loads
Clause 8 requires the equipment to be run under random vibration at the category-specific ASD levels. The test duration must be long enough for all specified functions to be completed, and the functional checks are performed during the test.
This is the practical pass-fail check for in-service behavior. In other words, the equipment must keep working within its defined limits while being vibrated at the levels expected in service.
Simulated long-life testing checks mechanical integrity
Clause 9 raises the vibration level to accelerate fatigue damage. The standard allows test durations from 5 h to 100 h per axis and links those durations to default acceleration ratios in Table 13.
If the material fatigue curves are known, a specific acceleration ratio can be calculated from Annex A.6 and reported instead of using the default value. This is important when a supplier wants the test to reflect the actual design material rather than a generic assumption.
Shock testing simulates rare events
Clause 10 uses single half-sine pulses in accordance with IEC 60068-2-27. The pulse severity depends on the category and orientation, and 18 shocks are applied in the three orthogonal axes.
The equipment does not have to function during the shock test, but functional integrity can still be required by the test specification. That means the test is mainly about surviving the event without damage or loss of integrity.
Final acceptance and reporting are part of compliance
Clause 12 requires final performance checks, visual inspection, and confirmation that mechanical integrity has not changed. Clause 14 and Clause 15 require a detailed report and a signed test certificate, including mounting method, test order, functional results and any specific acceleration-ratio calculation.
For users, this means the test is not complete until the evidence package is written up clearly enough for product approval or audit.
Exemption by analysis is permitted for structural parts of cubicles
Clause 13 allows subassembly testing, FEA, or a mix of testing and FEA for structural parts of a cubicle, when justified in the specification and report. Annex E gives guidance for numerical validation.
That gives design teams a route to reduce repeated physical testing on structural parts, but only when the analysis is properly justified and linked to test evidence.
What terms does EN IEC 61373:2026 define?
EN IEC 61373:2026 defines the key vibration and test terms used throughout the document.
- Random vibration - vibration whose instantaneous value cannot be precisely predicted at any moment in time.
- Acceleration spectral density (ASD) - the mean-square acceleration signal per unit bandwidth, used to define the vibration test level.
- Acceleration ratio - the coefficient applied to the functional ASD value to obtain the simulated long-life ASD value.
- Cubicle - a self-contained item of equipment comprising structure, mechanical parts and mounted components.
- Finite element analysis (FEA) - the numerical method allowed in Clause 13 and Annex E for structural validation of cubicle parts.
- Probability density function (PDF) - the statistical distribution used in the random-vibration method and its reproducibility checks.
- Root mean square value (RMS) - the overall vibration level derived from the ASD spectrum and used for service-data comparison and reporting.
Who uses EN IEC 61373:2026?
EN IEC 61373:2026 is used by railway equipment manufacturers, rolling stock suppliers, vibration test laboratories, and certification teams. It is also used by design engineers and quality managers who need to define test categories, mounting conditions, acceptance criteria and test evidence.
In practice, users apply it when they:
- choose the category from the equipment location on the vehicle
- prepare a test specification for prototype or production equipment
- set up vibration and shock tests on a bench
- document transfer functions, mounting conditions and functional checks
- decide whether FEA or subassembly testing can support structural validation
- issue test reports and certificates for approval or customer acceptance
What changed in EN IEC 61373:2026 from the previous edition?
EN IEC 61373:2026 supersedes EN 61373:2010 and its amendments and corrigenda. The foreword lists these significant technical changes:
- use of specific ASD spectra from onboard measurements, with certification limited to the specific case
- exclusion of traction motors and substructures without electrical, electronic or pneumatic devices
- clearer test order and typical sequence, including the possibility of simultaneous multi-axis testing
- guidance on removing resilient mounts during the long-life test
- qualification of the fixture device used to attach the equipment to the test bench
- use of a measuring point to assess mechanical integrity
- revised method for calculating the acceleration ratio
- long-life test duration extended within a 5 h to 100 h per-axis range
- clearer treatment of structural integrity
- test exemption cases, subassembly tests and FEA added in a new Annex E
- default lowest ASD frequencies set to 5 Hz for categories 1 and 2, and 10 Hz for category 3
- updated functional random vibration ASD spectra
- a new Annex F for urban vehicles operating on pneumatic tyres
Which standards are used with EN IEC 61373:2026?
EN IEC 61373:2026 uses these standards directly in its requirements or supporting guidance:
| Standard | What it contributes |
|---|---|
| IEC 60068-2-27 | Shock test method, pulse shape, velocity change and related guidance |
| IEC 60068-2-47 | Mounting of specimens for vibration, impact and similar dynamic tests |
| IEC 60068-2-64:2008 and IEC 60068-2-64:2008/AMD1:2019 | Random vibration testing guidance, tolerances and general dynamic-test practice |
| ISO 3534-1 | Statistical vocabulary and symbols used for probability and random-test terms |
| EN 12663 | Example of a structural requirements standard for railway vehicle bodies |
| EN 13749 | Example of a structural requirements standard for bogie frames |
| EN 17149 series | Strength assessment of railway vehicle structures, especially fatigue assessment in Annex E |
What does the EN IEC 61373:2026 document contain?
EN IEC 61373:2026 contains category-specific ASD spectra, test sequences, mounting guidance, shock pulse limits, acceleration-ratio methods and acceptance criteria. It also includes figures for transfer functions, probability density, test categories and pulse shape, plus tables for functional and long-life test levels.
Annex A is particularly practical because it shows how service data are gathered and converted into ASD levels for testing. Annex D gives formulas for RMS calculations, Annex E gives the structure of numerical validation for cubicles, and Annex F gives ready-to-use functional random vibration levels for urban vehicles operating on pneumatic tyres.
For engineering work, that means the standard can be used to plan qualification tests, compare measured service vibration with test levels, decide on test exemptions, and prepare the evidence package needed for product certification or technical audit.
Relations
- Effective Date
- 23-Jan-2023
- Effective Date
- 26-Jul-2022
- Effective Date
- 11-Aug-2026
- Effective Date
- 11-Aug-2026
- Effective Date
- 11-Aug-2026
- Effective Date
- 11-Aug-2026
- Effective Date
- 11-Aug-2026
- Effective Date
- 15-Sep-2026
- Effective Date
- 15-Sep-2026
- Effective Date
- 15-Sep-2026
- Effective Date
- 15-Sep-2026
- Effective Date
- 15-Sep-2026
- Effective Date
- 15-Sep-2026
- Effective Date
- 15-Sep-2026
- Effective Date
- 15-Sep-2026
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Frequently Asked Questions
EN IEC 61373:2026 is a standard published by CLC. Its full title is "Railway applications - Rolling stock equipment - Shock and vibration tests". This standard covers: This document specifies the requirements for testing items of equipment intended for use on railway vehicles which are subsequently subjected to vibrations and shock owing to the nature of railway operational environment. To gain assurance that the quality of the equipment is acceptable, it is exposed to tests of reasonable duration that simulate the service conditions seen throughout its expected life. Simulated long-life testing can be achieved in a number of ways each having their associated advantages and disadvantages, the following being the most common: a) amplification: where the amplitudes are increased and the time base decreased; b) time compression: where the amplitude history is retained and the time base is decreased (increase of the frequency); c) decimation: where time slices of the historical data are removed when the amplitudes are below a specified threshold value. The amplification method as stated in item a) above, is used in this document and together with the publications referred to in Clause 2; it defines the default test procedure to be followed when vibration testing items for use on railway vehicles. Whilst this document is primarily concerned with railway vehicles on fixed rail systems, its wider use is not precluded. For systems operating on pneumatic tyres, or other transportation systems such as trolleybuses, where the level of shock and vibration clearly differ from those obtained on fixed rail systems, specific test levels can be considered. In that case, the frequency spectra and the shock duration and amplitude are computed in compliance with the guidelines in Annex A. Annex F provides the functional random vibration load that can be considered by the user for urban vehicles operating on pneumatic tyres. This document applies to single axis testing. However, multi-axis testing is possible. The anchoring bolts at the fixing point(s) of the equipment are not evaluated in this document. This document is intended to evaluate equipment which is attached to the main structure of the vehicle (and components mounted thereon). It is not intended to test equipment which forms part of the main structure. Main structure in the sense of this document means car body, bogie and axle. The following items are out of scope of this document: – the traction motors for railway vehicles; – any mechanical substructure not equipped with electrical, electronic or pneumatic component. Additional or special vibration tests for some specific equipment are not specified in this document, for example: a) equipment mounted on, or linked to, items which are known to produce defined frequency excitation; b) equipment such as pantographs, shoegear, or suspension components which are known to be exposed to specific shock and vibration excitation; c) equipment intended for use in special operational environments as specified by the customer; d) transportation and handling tests.
This document specifies the requirements for testing items of equipment intended for use on railway vehicles which are subsequently subjected to vibrations and shock owing to the nature of railway operational environment. To gain assurance that the quality of the equipment is acceptable, it is exposed to tests of reasonable duration that simulate the service conditions seen throughout its expected life. Simulated long-life testing can be achieved in a number of ways each having their associated advantages and disadvantages, the following being the most common: a) amplification: where the amplitudes are increased and the time base decreased; b) time compression: where the amplitude history is retained and the time base is decreased (increase of the frequency); c) decimation: where time slices of the historical data are removed when the amplitudes are below a specified threshold value. The amplification method as stated in item a) above, is used in this document and together with the publications referred to in Clause 2; it defines the default test procedure to be followed when vibration testing items for use on railway vehicles. Whilst this document is primarily concerned with railway vehicles on fixed rail systems, its wider use is not precluded. For systems operating on pneumatic tyres, or other transportation systems such as trolleybuses, where the level of shock and vibration clearly differ from those obtained on fixed rail systems, specific test levels can be considered. In that case, the frequency spectra and the shock duration and amplitude are computed in compliance with the guidelines in Annex A. Annex F provides the functional random vibration load that can be considered by the user for urban vehicles operating on pneumatic tyres. This document applies to single axis testing. However, multi-axis testing is possible. The anchoring bolts at the fixing point(s) of the equipment are not evaluated in this document. This document is intended to evaluate equipment which is attached to the main structure of the vehicle (and components mounted thereon). It is not intended to test equipment which forms part of the main structure. Main structure in the sense of this document means car body, bogie and axle. The following items are out of scope of this document: – the traction motors for railway vehicles; – any mechanical substructure not equipped with electrical, electronic or pneumatic component. Additional or special vibration tests for some specific equipment are not specified in this document, for example: a) equipment mounted on, or linked to, items which are known to produce defined frequency excitation; b) equipment such as pantographs, shoegear, or suspension components which are known to be exposed to specific shock and vibration excitation; c) equipment intended for use in special operational environments as specified by the customer; d) transportation and handling tests.
EN IEC 61373:2026 is classified under the following ICS (International Classification for Standards) categories: 45.060.01 - Railway rolling stock in general. The ICS classification helps identify the subject area and facilitates finding related standards.
EN IEC 61373:2026 has the following relationships with other standards: It is inter standard links to EN 61373:2010, EN 61373:2010/AC:2017-09, EN 60068-2-27:2009, EN 60068-2-64:2008/A1:2019, ISO 3534-1:2006, EN 60068-2-47:2005, EN 60068-2-64:2008, EN 62864-1:2016, CEN/TS 15427-1-2:2023, CEN/TS 15427-1-3:2023, EN IEC 60077-4:2019, EN 14752:2015, EN 16241:2014+A1:2016, EN 15595:2018, EN 13802:2004. Understanding these relationships helps ensure you are using the most current and applicable version of the standard.
EN IEC 61373:2026 is available in PDF format for immediate download after purchase. The document can be added to your cart and obtained through the secure checkout process. Digital delivery ensures instant access to the complete standard document.
Standards Content (Sample)
SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-november-2026
Železniške naprave - Oprema tirnih vozil - Preskusi na udarce in vibracije
Railway applications - Rolling stock equipment - Shock and vibration tests
Bahnanwendungen – Betriebsmittel von Bahnfahrzeugen – Prüfungen für Schwingen
und Schocken
Applications ferroviaires - Matériel roulant - Essais de chocs et vibrations
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN IEC 61373:2026
ICS:
17.160 Vibracije, meritve udarcev in Vibrations, shock and
vibracij vibration measurements
45.060.01 Železniška vozila na splošno Railway rolling stock in
general
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
EUROPEAN STANDARD EN IEC 61373
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM September 2026
ICS 45.060.01 Supersedes EN 61373:2010; EN 61373:2010/AC:2017-09
English Version
Railway applications - Rolling stock equipment - Shock and
vibration tests
(IEC 61373:2026)
Applications ferroviaires - Matériel roulant - Essais de chocs Bahnanwendungen - Betriebsmittel von Bahnfahrzeugen -
et vibrations Prüfungen für Schwingen und Schocken
(IEC 61373:2026) (IEC 61373:2026)
This European Standard was approved by CENELEC on 2026-08-21. CENELEC 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.
Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre or to any CENELEC member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation
under the responsibility of a CENELEC member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the
same status as the official versions.
CENELEC members are the national electrotechnical committees of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Türkiye and the United Kingdom.
European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
Comité Européen de Normalisation Electrotechnique
Europäisches Komitee für Elektrotechnische Normung
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2026 CENELEC All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CENELEC Members.
Ref. No. EN IEC 61373:2026 E
European foreword
The text of document 9/3266/FDIS, future edition 3 of IEC 61373, prepared by TC 9 "Electrical
equipment and systems for railways" was submitted to the IEC-CENELEC parallel vote and approved
by CENELEC as EN IEC 61373:2026.
The following dates are fixed:
• latest date by which the document has to be implemented at national (dop) 2027-09-30
level by publication of an identical national standard or by endorsement
• latest date by which the national standards conflicting with the (dow) 2029-09-30
document have to be withdrawn
This document supersedes EN 61373:2010 and all of its amendments and corrigenda (if any).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CENELEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national committee. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CENELEC website.
Endorsement notice
The text of the International Standard IEC 61373:2026 was approved by CENELEC as a European
Standard without any modification.
Annex ZA
(normative)
Normative references to international publications
with their corresponding European publications
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.
NOTE 1 Where an International Publication has been modified by common modifications, indicated by (mod),
the relevant EN/HD applies.
NOTE 2 Up-to-date information on the latest versions of the European Standards listed in this annex is available
here: www.cencenelec.eu.
Publication Year Title EN/HD Year
IEC 60068-2-27 - Environmental testing - Part 2-27: Tests - EN 60068-2-27 -
Test Ea and guidance: Shock
IEC 60068-2-47 - Environmental testing - Part 2-47: Test - EN 60068-2-47 -
Mounting of specimens for vibration,
impact and similar dynamic tests
IEC 60068-2-64 2008 Environmental testing - Part 2-64: Tests - EN 60068-2-64 2008
Test Fh: Vibration, broadband random and
guidance
+ A1 2019 + A1 2019
ISO 3534-1 - Statistics - Vocabulary and symbols – Part - -
1: General statistical terms and terms used
in probability
IEC 61373 ®
Edition 3.0 2026-07
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
Railway applications - Rolling stock equipment - Shock and vibration tests
ICS 45.060.01 ISBN 978-2-8327-1205-4
IEC 61373:2026-07(en)
IEC 61373:2026 © IEC 2026
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 5
INTRODUCTION . 7
1 Scope . 8
2 Normative references . 9
3 Terms, definitions, symbols and abbreviated terms . 9
3.1 Terms and definitions. 9
3.2 Symbols and abbreviated terms . 11
4 General . 12
5 Order of testing . 14
6 Test conditions . 15
6.1 General . 15
6.2 Method of mounting and orientation of equipment under test . 15
6.3 Reference and check points . 17
6.3.1 General . 17
6.3.2 Fixing point . 17
6.3.3 Check point . 17
6.3.4 Reference point . 17
6.3.5 Measuring point . 18
6.4 Mechanical state and functioning during test . 18
6.4.1 Mechanical state . 18
6.4.2 Functional tests . 18
6.4.3 Performance tests . 18
6.4.4 Lifetime assessment . 18
6.5 Reproducibility for random vibration tests . 19
6.5.1 General . 19
6.5.2 Acceleration spectral density (ASD) . 19
6.5.3 Root mean square value (RMS) . 19
6.5.4 Probability density function (PDF) . 19
6.5.5 Duration . 20
6.6 Measuring tolerances . 20
6.7 Recovery . 20
7 Initial measurements and preconditioning . 21
8 Functional random vibration tests . 21
8.1 Test severity and frequency range . 21
8.1.1 General . 21
8.1.2 Body mounted – Category 1 Class A. 22
8.1.3 Body mounted – Category 1 Class B. 24
8.1.4 Bogie mounted – Category 2 . 26
8.1.5 Axle mounted – Category 3 . 30
8.2 Duration of the functional random vibration tests. 32
8.3 Functioning during tests . 32
9 Simulated long-life tests at increased random vibration levels . 32
9.1 Test severity and frequency range . 32
9.1.1 General . 32
9.1.2 Body mounted – Category 1 Class A. 33
9.1.3 Body mounted – Category 1 Class B. 33
IEC 61373:2026 © IEC 2026
9.1.4 Bogie mounted – Category 2 . 34
9.1.5 Axle mounted – Category 3 . 35
9.2 Duration and acceleration ratio of the simulated long-life vibration tests . 36
10 Shock tests . 38
10.1 Pulse shape and tolerance . 38
10.2 Velocity change . 38
10.3 Mounting . 38
10.4 Repetition rate . 38
10.5 Test severity, pulse shape and direction . 38
10.6 Number of shocks . 39
10.7 Functioning during tests . 40
11 Transportation and handling . 40
12 Final measurements and acceptance criteria . 40
12.1 Final measurements. 40
12.2 Acceptance criteria . 40
13 Test exemption . 41
14 Report . 41
15 Test certificate . 42
16 Disposal . 42
Annex A (informative) Explanation of service measurements, measuring positions,
methods of recording service data, summary of service data, and method used to
obtain random test levels from acquired service data . 43
A.1 General . 43
A.2 Standard measuring positions used for axle, bogie and body-mounted
categories . 43
A.3 Service data obtained from rail operators and equipment manufacturers
utilizing a two-page questionnaire . 44
A.4 Method used to obtain ASD values from the acquired service data . 45
A.5 Summarized service data obtained . 46
A.6 Method to compute the acceleration ratio to be used for long-life tests . 48
A.7 Long-life test levels obtained from functional test levels using the method in
Clause A.6 . 56
Annex B (informative) Figure identifying general location of equipment on railway
vehicles and their resulting test category . 57
Annex C (informative) Example of a type test certificate . 58
Annex D (informative) Guidance for calculating RMS values from ASD values or levels. 59
D.1 General . 59
D.2 Calculation of the functional RMS value from the service data . 59
D.3 Calculation of the RMS values from ASD levels of Figure 6 to Figure 10 . 60
Annex E (informative) Guidance for numerical validation of structural parts of cubicles . 61
E.1 General . 61
E.2 Software . 61
E.3 Model validity . 61
E.3.1 General . 61
E.3.2 Coordinate system . 61
E.3.3 Assumptions . 61
E.3.4 Boundary conditions . 62
E.4 Modal analysis . 62
E.4.1 General . 62
IEC 61373:2026 © IEC 2026
E.4.2 Post processing . 62
E.4.3 Criteria . 62
E.5 Shocks . 62
E.5.1 General . 62
E.5.2 Loading . 62
E.5.3 Post processing . 63
E.5.4 Acceptance criteria . 63
E.6 Random vibration . 63
E.6.1 General . 63
E.6.2 Post processing . 64
E.6.3 Acceptance criteria . 67
Annex F (informative) Urban vehicles operating on pneumatic tyres. 69
F.1 General . 69
F.2 Specific layout of urban vehicles operating on pneumatic tyres . 69
F.3 Functional random vibration ASD . 70
Bibliography . 73
Figure 1 – Gaussian distribution . 10
Figure 2 – Test sequence . 14
Figure 3 – Management of resilient mounts during testing . 15
Figure 4 – Example of transfer function magnitude . 16
Figure 5 – Cumulative PDF tolerance bands . 20
Figure 6 – Category 1 – Class A – Body-mounted – ASD spectra . 23
Figure 7 – Category 1 – Class B – Body-mounted – ASD spectra . 26
Figure 8 – Category 2 – Bogie mounted – ASD spectra . 28
Figure 9 – Category 2 – Bogie mounted – Validity plan for default ASD spectra . 29
Figure 10 – Category 3 – Axle mounted – ASD spectra . 31
Figure 11 – Pulse shape and limits of tolerance for half-sine pulse . 39
Figure A.1 – Standard measuring positions used for axle, bogie (frame) and body . 43
Figure A.2 – Typical fatigue strength curve . 48
Figure A.3 – Acceleration ratio as function as number of cycles during long life test N . 50
T
Figure A.4 – Default acceleration ratio as function as long-life test duration d for
LLT
categories 1 and 2 . 51
Figure A.5 – Default acceleration ratio as function as long-life test duration d for
LLT
category 3 . 52
Figure B.1 – General location of equipment on vehicles . 57
Figure D.1 – ASD spectrum . 60
Figure E.1 – Stress value on element, frequency response analysis . 64
Figure E.2 – Power spectral density, acceleration and stress σ (f) . 65
PSD
Figure F.1 – General location of equipment on vehicles operating on pneumatic tyres . 70
Table 1 – Test severity and frequency range for functional random vibration tests of
category 1 Class A . 24
Table 2 – Test severity and frequency range for functional random vibration tests of
category 1 Class B . 26
IEC 61373:2026 © IEC 2026
Table 3 – Test severity and frequency range for functional random vibration tests of
category 2 . 29
Table 4 – Test severity and frequency range for functional random vibration tests of
category 3 . 32
Table 5 – Test severity and frequency range for 5 h simulated long-life random
vibration tests of category 1 Class A . 33
Table 6 – Test severity and frequency range for 100 h simulated long-life random
vibration tests of category 1 Class A . 33
Table 7 – Test severity and frequency range for 5 h simulated long-life random
vibration tests of category 1 Class B . 34
Table 8 – Test severity and frequency range for 100 h simulated long-life random
vibration tests of category 1 Class B . 34
Table 9 – Test severity and frequency range for 5 h simulated long-life random
vibration tests of category 2 . 34
Table 10 – Test severity and frequency range for 100 h simulated long-life random
vibration tests of category 2 . 35
Table 11 – Test severity and frequency range for 5 h simulated long-life random
vibration tests of category 3 . 35
Table 12 – Test severity and frequency range for 100 h simulated long-life random
vibration tests of category 3 . 36
Table 13 – Acceleration ratio and long-life test duration table (default values) . 37
Table 14 – Test severity, pulse shape and direction . 39
Table A.1 – Environment data acquisition summary of the test parameters . 44
Table A.2 – Summary of the additional RMS acceleration levels obtained from the
questionnaire . 46
Table A.3 – Summary of collected data (category 1A) . 47
Table A.4 – Summary of collected data (category 1B) . 47
Table A.5 – Fatigue curves parameters considered for default acceleration ratio
computation . 49
Table A.6 – Acceleration ratio and long-life test duration table (default values) . 52
Table A.7 – Parameters for specific acceleration ratio computation (Example 1) . 54
Table A.8 – Parameters for specific acceleration ratio computation (Example 2) . 55
Table E.1 – Description of stress spectrum . 66
Table F.1 – Test severity and frequency range for functional random vibration tests of
category 1 Class A, urban vehicle operating on pneumatic tyres . 71
Table F.2 – Test severity and frequency range for functional random vibration tests of
category 1 Class B, urban vehicle operating on pneumatic tyres . 71
Table F.3 – Test severity and frequency range for functional random vibration tests of
category 2, urban vehicle operating on pneumatic tyres . 72
IEC 61373:2026 © IEC 2026
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
Railway applications - Rolling stock equipment -
Shock and vibration tests
FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote international
co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To this end and
in addition to other activities, IEC publishes International Standards, Technical Specifications, Technical Reports,
Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) and Guides (hereafter referred to as "IEC Publication(s)"). Their
preparation is entrusted to technical committees; any IEC National Committee interested in the subject dealt with
may participate in this preparatory work. International, governmental and non-governmental organizations liaising
with the IEC also participate in this preparation. IEC collaborates closely with the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by agreement between the two organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an international
consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation from all
interested IEC National Committees.
3) IEC Publications have the form of recommendations for international use and are accepted by IEC National
Committees in that sense. While all reasonable efforts are made to ensure that the technical content of IEC
Publications is accurate, IEC cannot be held responsible for the way in which they are used or for any
misinterpretation by any end user.
4) In order to promote international uniformity, IEC National Committees undertake to apply IEC Publications
transparently to the maximum extent possible in their national and regional publications. Any divergence between
any IEC Publication and the corresponding national or regional publication shall be clearly indicated in the latter.
5) IEC itself does not provide any attestation of conformity. Independent certification bodies provide conformity
assessment services and, in some areas, access to IEC marks of conformity. IEC is not responsible for any
services carried out by independent certification bodies.
6) All users should ensure that they have the latest edition of this publication.
7) No liability shall attach to IEC or its directors, employees, servants or agents including individual experts and
members of its technical committees and IEC National Committees for any personal injury, property damage or
other damage of any nature whatsoever, whether direct or indirect, or for costs (including legal fees) and
expenses arising out of the publication, use of, or reliance upon, this IEC Publication or any other IEC
Publications.
8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication. Use of the referenced publications is
indispensable for the correct application of this publication.
9) IEC draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). IEC takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent rights in
respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, IEC had not received notice of (a) patent(s), which
may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that this may not represent
the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at https://patents.iec.ch. IEC
shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
IEC 61373 has been prepared by IEC technical committee 9: Electrical equipment and systems
for railways. It is an International Standard.
This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition published in 2010. This edition
constitutes a technical revision.
This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous
edition:
a) consideration of specific ASD spectra from onboard measurements and certification limited
to the specific case;
b) exclusion from the scope of applicability of traction motors and any substructure not
equipped with electrical, electronic or pneumatic device;
c) clarification for order of testing and typical test sequence, taking into account the possibility
of simultaneous multi-axis testing;
IEC 61373:2026 © IEC 2026
d) recommendation and guidance for removing resilient mounts of the equipment (if located
between the equipment and the main structure) during the long-life test;
e) qualification of the fixture device used to attach the equipment to the test bench;
f) guidance for using a measuring point as a possibility to assess mechanical integrity;
g) change of the method to calculate the acceleration ratio which shall be applied to the
functional ASD value to obtain the simulated long-life ASD value;
h) duration of long-life test can be set from 5 h to 100 h per axis, with corresponding
acceleration ratio (default value) indicated in a table;
i) clarification of the concept of structural integrity;
j) description of test exemption cases, subassembly tests, and finite element analysis for
structural parts of equipment (new Annex E);
k) the lowest frequency f of ASD spectra of Category 1 and Category 2 is fixed at 5 Hz as a
default value, and the lowest frequency f of ASD spectra of Category 3 is fixed at 10 Hz as
a default value;
l) update of ASD spectra for functional random vibration test: Table 1, Table 2, Table 3,
Table 4, Table A.2 and Figure 6, Figure 7, Figure 8, Figure 10. This update was
recommended in the Rail Safety and Standard Board research program document:
“Vibration environment for rail vehicle mounted Equipment”;
m) new annex F dedicated on urban vehicle operating on pneumatic tyres.
The text of this International Standard is based on the following documents:
Draft Report on voting
9/3266/FDIS 9/3321/RVD
Full information on the voting for its approval can be found in the report on voting indicated in
the above table.
The language used for the development of this International Standard is English.
This document was drafted in accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2, and developed in
accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1 and ISO/IEC Directives, IEC Supplement, available
at www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs. The main document types developed by IEC are
described in greater detail at www.iec.ch/publications.
The committee has decided that the contents of this document will remain unchanged until the
stability date indicated on the IEC website under webstore.iec.ch in the data related to the
specific document. At this date, the document will be
– reconfirmed,
– withdrawn, or
– revised.
IEC 61373:2026 © IEC 2026
INTRODUCTION
This document covers the requirements for random vibration and shock testing items of
pneumatic, electrical and electronic equipment or components (hereinafter only referred to as
equipment) to be fitted on to railway vehicles. Random vibration and shock is the only method
to be used for equipment or component approval.
The tests contained within this document are specifically aimed at demonstrating the ability of
the equipment under test to withstand the type of environmental vibration conditions normally
expected for railway vehicles. In order to achieve the best representation possible, the values
quoted in this document have been derived from actual service measurements submitted by
various contributing bodies from around the world.
This document is not intended to cover self-induced vibrations as these will be specific to
particular applications.
Engineering judgement and experience are recommended in the execution and interpretation
of this document.
This document is suitable for design and validation purposes; however, it does not exclude the
use of other development tools (such as sine sweep), which can be used to ensure a
predetermined degree of mechanical and operational confidence. The test levels to be applied
to the equipment under test are dictated only by its location on the train (i.e. axle, bogie or
body-mounted).
It should be noted that these tests can be performed on prototypes in order to gain design
information about the product performance under random vibration. However, for test
certification purposes, the tests are carried out on equipment taken from normal production.
The procedures and requirements defined in this document do not substitute or overrule any
structural assessment required from other structural requirement standards. This document is
not intended to be used as a proof of fatigue strength.
NOTE European Standards EN 12663 and EN 13749 are examples of such structural requirement standards.
IEC 61373:2026 © IEC 2026
1 Scope
This document specifies the requirements for testing items of equipment intended for use on
railway vehicles which are subsequently subjected to vibrations and shock owing to the nature
of railway operational environment. To gain assurance that the quality of the equipment is
acceptable, it is exposed to tests of reasonable duration that simulate the service conditions
seen throughout its expected life.
Simulated long-life testing can be achieved in a number of ways each having their associated
advantages and disadvantages, the following being the most common:
a) amplification: where the amplitudes are increased and the time base decreased;
b) time compression: where the amplitude history is retained and the time base is decreased
(increase of the frequency);
c) decimation: where time slices of the historical data are removed when the amplitudes are
below a specified threshold value.
The amplification method as stated in item a) above, is used in this document and together with
the publications referred to in Clause 2; it defines the default test procedure to be followed
when vibration testing items for use on railway vehicles.
Whilst this document is primarily concerned with railway vehicles on fixed rail systems, its wider
use is not precluded. For systems operating on pneumatic tyres, or other transportation systems
such as trolleybuses, where the level of shock and vibration clearly differ from those obtained
on fixed rail systems, specific test levels can be considered. In that case, the frequency spectra
and the shock duration and amplitude are computed in compliance with the guidelines in
Annex A.
Annex F provides the functional random vibration load that can be considered by the user for
urban vehicles operating on pneumatic tyres.
This document applies to single axis testing. However, multi-axis testing is possible.
The anchoring bolts at the fixing point(s) of the equipment are not evaluated in this document.
This document is intended to evaluate equipment which is attached to the main structure of the
vehicle (and components mounted thereon). It is not intended to test equipment which forms
part of the main structure. Main structure in the sense of this document means car body, bogie
and axle.
The following items are out of scope of this document:
– the traction motors for railway vehicles;
– any mechanical substructure not equipped with electrical, electronic or pneumatic
component.
Additional or special vibration tests for some specific equipment are not specified in this
document, for example:
a) equipment mounted on, or linked to, items which are known to produce defined frequency
excitation;
b) equipment such as pantographs, shoegear, or suspension components which are known to
be exposed to specific shock and vibration excitation;
c) equipment intended for use in special operational environments as specified by the
customer;
d) transportation and handling tests.
IEC 61373:2026 © IEC 2026
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.
IEC 60068-2-27, Environmental testing - Part 2-27: Tests - Test Ea and guidance: Shock
IEC 60068-2-47, Environmental testing - Part 2-47: Test - Mounting of specimens for vibration,
impact and similar dynamic tests
IEC 60068-2-64:2008, Environmental testing - Part 2-64: Tests - Test Fh: Vibration, broadband
random and guidance
IEC 60068-2-64:2008/AMD1:2019
ISO 3534-1, Statistics - Vocabulary and symbols - Part 1: General statistical terms and terms
used in probability
3 Terms, definitions, symbols and abbreviated terms
3.1 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in IEC 60068-2-64,
ISO 3534-1 and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following
addresses:
– IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
– ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp
3.1.1
random vibration
vibration the instantaneous value of which cannot be precisely predicted for any given instant
of time
3.1.2
Gaussian distribution
continuous distribution with probability density function equal to:
–(xx – )²
P ()x ×
2 ×σ²
x e
σ 2 × π
where
σ is the standard deviation;
x is the instantaneous value;
x is the mean value of x.
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 1.
=
IEC 61373:2026 © IEC 2026
Figure 1 – Gaussian distribution
Note 2 to entry: According to Figure 1, the probability that the instantaneous acceleration value is between ±a is
equal to the zone under the probability density curve P (x). This means that the instantaneous acceleration value
x
between:
– 0 and 1σ represents 68,26 % of the time,
– 1σ and 2σ represents 27,18 % of the time,
– 2σ and 3σ represents 4,30 % of the time.
3.1.3
acceleration spectral density
ASD
mean-square value of that part of an acceleration signal passed by a narrow-band filter of a
centre frequency, per unit bandwidth, in the limit as the bandwidth approaches zero and the
averaging time approaches infinity
3.1.4
component
pneumatic, electrical, or electronic part located inside a cubicle
3.1.5
cubicle
self-contained item of equipment, comprising structure, mechanical parts and mounted
components
Note 1 to entry: Examples include converter, inverter, battery box.
3.1.6
anchoring bolt
bolt that enables the assembly of the equipment on the test table or the fixture device
3.1.7
internal bolt
bolt used in the equipment itself
3.1.8
acceleration ratio
coefficient applied to the functional ASD value to obtain the simulated long-life ASD value
3.1.9
weakest point
structural area which provides the lowest margin of safety under fatigue loads
IEC 61373:2026 © IEC 2026
3.2 Symbols and abbreviated terms
ADC analog to digital converter
2 2
ASD acceleration spectral density ((m/s ) /Hz)
2 2
ASD ASD value of the measured data number "i" ((m/s ) /Hz)
i
DAT digital audio tape
d duration of the simulated long-life test (h)
LLT
DR digital recorder
d duration of the vehicle service life (h)
s
D total cumulated damage of each element
T
D cumulated damage of each element due to longitudinal acceleration
T
l
D cumulated damage of each element due to transverse acceleration
T
t
cumulated damage of each element due to vertical acceleration
D
T
v
D cumulated cumulative damage of each element due to longitudinal, transverse, and
T
ltv
vertical acceleration (multidirectional load case)
D cumulative admissible sum limit
M
d projected longitudinal distance between the fixing point of the equipment and the
X
validity plan (m)
E Young's Modulus of material (MPa)
E expected number of zero-crossings
E expected number of peaks
P
f frequency (Hz)
F force (N) or (daN), should be consistent with other values
f minimum frequency of ASD (Hz)
maximum frequency of ASD (Hz)
f
f frequency value of the measured data number "i" (Hz)
i
FDS fatigue damage spectrum
FTU ultimate stress (or tensile stress) of material (MPa)
FEA finite element analysis
FM frequency modulation
H transfer function
m mass of the equipment (kg)
m spectral moment rank n
n
n number of check point(s)
c
N the minimal number of cycles estimated during the service life
S
N the minimal number of cycles estimated during the long-life test
T
PCM pulse code modulation
PDF probability density function
R stress ratio (-)
RH relative humidity (%)
RMS root mean square value
IEC 61373:2026 © IEC 2026
RMS root mean square value of check point number “i”
i
R yield strength of material (MPa)
p
S safety factor (-)
WB wheelbase of the bogie (m)
∆f frequency resolution of the ASD (Hz)
∆σ fully reversed cut-off limit of material (MPa)
L
∆σ
RMS stress range of the block i on the element under functional ASD load (MPa)
RMS
i
γ irregularity factor
Ɛ material strain (%)
ε statistical error
S
σ stress at the centre of gravity of the element (MPa)
σ endurance limit of the material (MPa)
D
σ cut-off limit of the material (MPa)
L
ζ damping ratio (-)
4 General
This document is intended to highlight any weakness which can result in problems as a
consequence of operation under environments where vibration and shock are known to occur
in service on a rai
...