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

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: - 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 and practices); - working on or near other electrical sources. If there are no other rules or procedures, this document could be applied to overhead contact line systems with other nominal voltages.

Bahnanwendungen - Ortsfeste Anlagen - Elektrische Schutzmaßnahmen bei Arbeiten an oder in der Nähe einer Oberleitungsanlage und/oder ihrer zugehörigen Rückleitung

Applications ferroviaires - Installations Fixes - Mesures de protection électriques pour des activités de travail sur ou à proximité des systèmes de lignes aériennes de contact et/ou le circuit de retour associé

Le présent document fournit les exigences relatives à la sécurité électrique : - du travail hors tension sur un système de lignes aériennes de contact ; - des interventions à proximité d'un système de lignes aériennes de contact sous tension. Il s'applique à l'ensemble des travaux impliquant des phénomènes électriques dangereux. Le présent document s'applique aux systèmes de lignes aériennes de contact ayant les tensions nominales et configurations suivantes : - 1,5 kV et 3 kV cc ; - 15 kV, 2 x 15 kV, 25 kV et 2 x 25 kV ca. Il établit également les exigences applicables aux travaux pouvant provoquer des phénomènes électriques dangereux liés au circuit de retour. Le présent document ne couvre pas le risque électrique associé aux : - travaux sous tension effectués sur des systèmes de lignes aériennes de contact (les travaux sous tension peuvent être effectués conformément aux exigences, réglementations et pratiques nationales) ; - travaux effectués sur ou à proximité d'autres sources électriques ou de systèmes électriques reliés ou situés à proximité du système de caténaire et de son circuit de retour. En l'absence d'autres règles ou procédures, les principes décrits dans le présent document peuvent être appliqués aux systèmes de lignes aériennes de contact présentant d'autres tensions nominales.

Železniške naprave - Fiksni postroji - Električni zaščitni ukrepi za delo na nadzemnem vodu ali v njegovi bližini in/ali njegovem pripadajočem povratnem tokokrogu

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 28-Jan-2021
• ICS: 13.260 - Protection against electric shock. Live working
• ICS: 45.020 - Railway engineering in general
• Technical Committee: CLC/TC 9X - Electrical and electronic applications for railways
• Drafting Committee: CLC/SC 9XC - Electric supply and earthing systems for public transport equipment and ancillary apparatus (fixed i
• Current Stage: 6060 - Document made available - Publishing
• Start Date: 29-Jan-2021
• Due Date: 27-May-2020
• Completion Date: 29-Jan-2021
• Directive: 2008/57/EC - Directive 2008/57/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008 on the interoperability of the rail system within the Community (Recast)
• Directive: 2016/797/EU - Directive (EU) 2016/797 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on the interoperability of the rail system within the European Union (Text with EEA relevance)
• Directive: 89/391/EEC - Safety and health of workers at the work
• Directive: 92/57/EEC - Implementation of minimum safety and health requirements at temporary or mobile constructions sites
• Mandate: M/483 - Mandate for programming and standardisation addressed to the European standardisation bodies under directive 2008/57/EC in the field of the interoperability of the rail system within the European Union
• Ref Project: SIST 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

Relations

• Replaces: CLC/TR 50488:2006 - Railway applications - Safety measures for the personnel working on or near overhead contact lines
• Effective Date: 31-Jan-2017

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-julij-2021
Nadomešča:
SIST-TP CLC/TR 50488:2007
Železniške naprave - Stabilne naprave električne vleke - Električni zaščitni ukrepi
za delo na nadzemnem vodu ali v njegovi bližini in/ali njegovem pripadajočem
povratnem tokokrogu
Railway applications - Fixed Installations - Electrical protective measures for working on
or near an overhead contact line system and/or its associated return circuit
Bahnanwendungen - Ortsfeste Anlagen - Elektrische Sicherheitsmaßnahmen bei
Arbeiten an oder in der Nähe von Oberleitungsanlagen und/oder ihrer Rückleitung
Applications ferroviaires - Installations Fixes - Mesures de sécurité électriques pour le
travail sur ou à proximité d'un système de ligne aérienne de contact et/ou de son circuit
de retour associé
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN 50488:2021
ICS:
13.260 Varstvo pred električnim Protection against electric
udarom. Delo pod napetostjo shock. Live working
45.020 Železniška tehnika na Railway engineering in
splošno general
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EUROPEAN STANDARD EN 50488
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
July 2020
ICS 13.260; 45.020 Supersedes CLC/TR 50488:2006 and all of its
amendments and corrigenda (if any)
English Version
Railway applications - Fixed installations - Electrical protective
measures for working on or near an overhead contact line
system and/or its associated return circuit
Applications ferroviaires - Installations fixes - Mesures de Bahnanwendungen - Ortsfeste Anlagen - Elektrische
protection électriques pour des activités de travail sur ou à Schutzmaßnahmen bei Arbeiten an oder in der Nähe einer
proximité des systèmes de lignes aériennes de contact Oberleitungsanlage und/oder ihrer zugehörigen Rückleitung
et/ou le circuit de retour associé
This European Standard was approved by CENELEC on 2020-06-29. 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,
Turkey 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
© 2020 CENELEC All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CENELEC Members.
Ref. No. EN 50488:2020 E
EN 50488:2020 (E)
Contents Page
European foreword . 4
Introduction . 5
1 Scope . 6
2 Normative references . 6
3 Terms, definitions, symbols and abbreviated terms . 6
3.1 Terms and definitions . 6
3.2 Symbols .14
3.3 Abbreviated terms .15
4 Basic principles .15
4.1 Electrical safety for work activity .15
4.2 Personnel .16
4.3 Organization .17
4.4 Communication .18
4.5 Work location .18
4.6 Tools, equipment and devices.19
4.7 Documentation for safe working .19
4.8 Signs .19
4.9 Emergency arrangements during work activity .20
5 Protective measures for work activities on or near overhead contact line system .20
5.1 General .20
5.2 Dead working .20
5.3 Working near to hazardous live parts .23
5.4 Live working.26
5.5 Electromagnetic influences .27
5.6 Environmental conditions .27
6 Working procedures for work activities on or near return circuit .27
6.1 General .27
6.2 Working on or near parts of return circuit without electrical shock hazards in normal
operating condition .27
6.3 Working on or near parts of return circuit with electrical shock hazards in normal
operating condition .28
7 Recommended distances in air for work activities .29
Annex A (informative) Method of calculation of the distances in air for working procedures .30
A.1 Calculation of the outer limit of the danger zone D .30
R
A.2 Determination of approach distances D and D .30
L A
A.3 Determination of D .31
V
A.4 Distances overview .31
Annex B (informative) Examples of physical measures to limit the movement of workers .33
B.1 General .33
B.2 Distances between physical measure and hazardous-live-part when working zone
encroaches D .34
V
EN 50488:2020 (E)
B.3 Distances between physical measure and hazardous-live-part when working zone
does not encroach D .35
V
Annex C (informative) Illustration of selection process of the protective measures.37
Bibliography .38

EN 50488:2020 (E)
European foreword
This document (EN 50488:2020) has been prepared by CLC/SC 9XC “Electric supply and earthing systems
for public transport equipment and ancillary apparatus (Fixed installations)”, of Technical Committee
CLC/TC 9X, “Electrical and electronic applications for railways”.
The following dates are fixed:
• latest date by which this document has to be (dop) 2021-06-29
implemented at national level by publication of
an identical national standard or by
endorsement
• latest date by which the national standards (dow) 2023-06-29
conflicting with this document have to be
withdrawn
This document supersedes CLC/TR 50488:2006 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.
EN 50488:2020 (E)
Introduction
This document provides railway specific requirements for electrical protective measures for working on or
near an overhead contact line system and/or its associated return circuit.
When developing this document, EN 50110-1, Operation of electrical installations – Part 1: General
requirements, was used as a guide. EN 50110-1 was not developed specifically to apply to the electric
traction system which have different characteristics than those commonly found in other electrical
installations.
Due to the numerous variations of organization, this document does not give any recommendations
concerning organisational structure.
Because of numerous variations in overhead contact lines with nominal voltage lower than 1,5 kV, this
document does not deal with work activities on or near these overhead contact lines and/or their associated
return circuit.
The trend in Europe is that “dead working” is more common than “live working”. In the countries where live
working on the overhead contact lines is allowed, the national regulation should state the necessary safety
rules.
EN 50488:2020 (E)
1 Scope
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.
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 50122-1:2011, Railway applications - Fixed installations - Electrical safety, earthing and the return
circuit - Part 1: Protective provisions against electric shock
3 Terms, definitions, symbols and abbreviated terms
3.1 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
• IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp
3.1.1 General
3.1.1.1
charged
qualifies an entity having non-zero electric charge
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-113:2011, 113-06-26]
EN 50488:2020 (E)
3.1.1.2
contact line
conductor system for supplying electric energy to vehicles through current-collecting equipment
Note 1 to entry: This includes all current-collecting conductors and conducting rails or bars, including the following:
• reinforcing feeders;
• cross-track feeders;
• disconnectors;
• section insulators;
• over-voltage protection devices;
• supports that are not insulated from the conductors;
• insulators connected to live parts;
• droppers;
• auxiliary catenary wires;
• stitch wires;
• along-track feeders;
but excluding other conductors, such as earth wires and return conductors.
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-811:2017, 811-33-01, modified – "Along-track feeders" has been added in the note
1 to entry]
3.1.1.3
contact line system
support system and contact line supplying electric energy to vehicles
...

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-julij-2021
Nadomešča:
SIST-TP CLC/TR 50488:2007
Železniške naprave - Fiksni postroji - Električni zaščitni ukrepi za delo na
nadzemnem vodu ali v njegovi bližini in/ali njegovem pripadajočem povratnem
tokokrogu
Railway applications - Fixed Installations - Electrical protective measures for working on
or near an overhead contact line system and/or its associated return circuit
Bahnanwendungen - Ortsfeste Anlagen - Elektrische Sicherheitsmaßnahmen bei
Arbeiten an oder in der Nähe von Oberleitungsanlagen und/oder ihrer Rückleitung
Applications ferroviaires - Installations Fixes - Mesures de sécurité électriques pour le
travail sur ou à proximité d'un système de ligne aérienne de contact et/ou de son circuit
de retour associé
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN 50488:2021
ICS:
13.260 Varstvo pred električnim Protection against electric
udarom. Delo pod napetostjo shock. Live working
45.020 Železniška tehnika na Railway engineering in
splošno general
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EUROPEAN STANDARD EN 50488
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
January 2021
ICS 13.260; 45.020 Supersedes CLC/TR 50488:2006 and all of its
amendments and corrigenda (if any)
English Version
Railway applications - Fixed installations - Electrical protective
measures for working on or near an overhead contact line
system and/or its associated return circuit
Applications ferroviaires - Installations fixes - Mesures de Bahnanwendungen - Ortsfeste Anlagen - Elektrische
protection électriques pour des activités de travail sur ou à Schutzmaßnahmen bei Arbeiten an oder in der Nähe einer
proximité des systèmes de lignes aériennes de contact Oberleitungsanlage und/oder ihrer zugehörigen Rückleitung
et/ou le circuit de retour associé
This European Standard was approved by CENELEC on 2020-06-29. 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,
Turkey 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
© 2021 CENELEC All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CENELEC Members.
Ref. No. EN 50488:2021 E
Contents Page
European foreword . 4
Introduction . 5
1 Scope . 6
2 Normative references . 6
3 Terms, definitions, symbols and abbreviated terms . 6
3.1 Terms and definitions . 6
3.2 Symbols .14
3.3 Abbreviated terms .15
4 Basic principles .15
4.1 Electrical safety for work activity .15
4.2 Personnel .16
4.3 Organization .17
4.4 Communication .18
4.5 Work location .18
4.6 Tools, equipment and devices.19
4.7 Documentation for safe working .19
4.8 Signs .19
4.9 Emergency arrangements during work activity .20
5 Protective measures for work activities on or near overhead contact line system .20
5.1 General .20
5.2 Dead working .20
5.3 Working near to hazardous live parts .23
5.4 Live working.26
5.5 Electromagnetic influences .27
5.6 Environmental conditions .27
6 Working procedures for work activities on or near return circuit .27
6.1 General .27
6.2 Working on or near parts of return circuit without electrical shock hazards in normal
operating condition .27
6.3 Working on or near parts of return circuit with electrical shock hazards in normal
operating condition .28
7 Recommended distances in air for work activities .29
Annex A (informative) Method of calculation of the distances in air for working procedures .30
A.1 Calculation of the outer limit of the danger zone D .30
R
A.2 Determination of approach distances D and D .30
L A
A.3 Determination of D .31
V
A.4 Distances overview .31
Annex B (informative) Examples of physical measures to limit the movement of workers .33
B.1 General .33
B.2 Distances between physical measure and hazardous-live-part when working zone
encroaches D .34
V
B.3 Distances between physical measure and hazardous-live-part when working zone
does not encroach D .35
V
Annex C (informative) Illustration of selection process of the protective measures.37
Bibliography .38

European foreword
This document (EN 50488:2021) has been prepared by CLC/SC 9XC “Electric supply and earthing systems
for public transport equipment and ancillary apparatus (Fixed installations)”, of Technical Committee
CLC/TC 9X, “Electrical and electronic applications for railways”.
The following dates are fixed:
• latest date by which this document has to be (dop) 2021-07-29
implemented at national level by publication of
an identical national standard or by
endorsement
• latest date by which the national standards (dow) 2026-01-29
conflicting with this document have to be
withdrawn
This document supersedes CLC/TR 50488:2006 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.

Introduction
This document provides railway specific requirements for electrical protective measures for working on or
near an overhead contact line system and/or its associated return circuit.
When developing this document, EN 50110-1, Operation of electrical installations – Part 1: General
requirements, was used as a guide. EN 50110-1 was not developed specifically to apply to the electric
traction system which have different characteristics than those commonly found in other electrical
installations.
Due to the numerous variations of organization, this document does not give any recommendations
concerning organisational structure.
Because of numerous variations in overhead contact lines with nominal voltage lower than 1,5 kV, this
document does not deal with work activities on or near these overhead contact lines and/or their associated
return circuit.
The trend in Europe is that “dead working” is more common than “live working”. In the countries where live
working on the overhead contact lines is allowed, the national regulation should state the necessary safety
rules.
1 Scope
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.
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 50122-1:2011, Railway applications - Fixed installations - Electrical safety, earthing and the return
circuit - Part 1: Protective provisions against electric shock
3 Terms, definitions, symbols and abbreviated terms
3.1 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
• IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp
3.1.1 General
3.1.1.1
charged
qualifies an entity having non-zero electric charge
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-113:2011, 113-06-26]

3.1.1.2
contact line
conductor system for supplying electric energy to vehicles through current-collecting equipment
Note 1 to entry: This includes all current-collecting conductors and conducting rails or bars, including the following:
• reinforcing feeders;
• cross-track feeders;
• disconnectors;
• section insulators;
• over-voltage protection devices;
• supports that are not insulated from the conductors;
• insulators connected to live parts;
• droppers;
• auxiliary catenary wires;
• stitch wires;
• along-track feeders;
but excluding other conductors, such as earth wires and return conductors.
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-811:2017, 811-33-01, modified – "Along-track feeders" has been added in the note
1 to entry]
3.1.1.3
contact line system
support system and contact line supplying electric energy to vehicles through current-collecting equipment
Note 1 to e
...