A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of Man. SSSI/ASSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in the United Kingdom are based upon them, including national nature reserves, Ramsar sites, Special Protection Areas, and Special Areas of Conservation. The acronym "SSSI" is often pronounced "triple-S I".
ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 codes are two-letter country codes defined in ISO 3166-1, part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), to represent countries, dependent territories, and special areas of geographical interest. They are the most widely used of the country codes published by ISO, and are used most prominently for the Internet's country code top-level domains. They are also used as country identifiers extending the postal code when appropriate within the international postal system for paper mail, and has replaced the previous one consisting one-letter codes. They were first included as part of the ISO 3166 standard in its first edition in 1974.
The International Union of Railways is an international rail transport industry body.
The European Train Control System (ETCS) is the signalling and control component of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). It is a replacement for legacy train protection systems and designed to replace the many incompatible safety systems currently used by European railways. The standard was also adopted outside Europe and is an option for worldwide application. In technical terms it is a kind of positive train control.
A notifiable disease is any disease that is required by law to be reported to government authorities. The collation of information allows the authorities to monitor the disease, and provides early warning of possible outbreaks. In the case of livestock diseases, there may also be the legal requirement to destroy the infected livestock upon notification. Many governments have enacted regulations for reporting of both human and animal diseases.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) is a British government agency that investigates rail accidents in the United Kingdom and the Channel Tunnel in order to find a cause, not to lay blame. Created in 2005, it is required by law to investigate accidents causing death, serious injuries or extensive damage. It also has authority to investigate incidents that could have resulted in accidents. It currently has two bases – Derby and Farnborough – to allow it to respond quickly to accidents.
Rail transport in Europe is characterised by its diversity, both technical and infrastructural.
Transport in the European Union is a shared competence of the Union and its member states. The European Commission includes a Commissioner for Transport, currently Violeta Bulc. Since 2012, the Commission also includes a Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport which develops EU policies in the transport sector and manages funding for Trans-European Networks and technological development and innovation, worth €850 million yearly for the period 2000–2006.
A notified body, in the European Union, is an organisation that has been designated by a Member State to assess the conformity of certain products, before being placed on the E.U. market, with the applicable essential technical requirements. These essential requirements are publicised in European Directives or Regulations. A manufacturer can use voluntarily European harmonised standards to demonstrate that a product complies with some of the EU essential requirements; a Notified Body can use the same harmonised standards to assess the conformity to these essential requirements. Conformity assessment can include inspection and examination of a product, its design, and the manufacturing environment and processes associated with it. For example, a notified body may designate that a medical device conforms to the E.U. Medical Devices Directive, which defines the applicable legislation, including the essential requirements, for medical devices. With this Declaration of Conformity, the manufacturer can label the product with the CE Mark, which is required for distribution and sale in the E.U. Additionally, the E.U. member state accrediting the notified body will then inform the European Commission that the product complies with set standards.
The Technical Specification for Interoperability (TSI) are specifications drafted by the European Railway Agency and adopted in a Decision by the European Commission, to ensure the interoperability of the trans-European rail system. The interoperability issues apply to the lines within the Trans-European Rail network. The European Railway Agency regularly publishes a summary of the status of the TSIs.
The UIC identification marking for tractive stock is a standard for identifying train stock like locomotives that supply tractive force. Since the beginning of 2007 locomotives or other traction units in Europe have been given a 12-digit number. Vehicle numbering is now governed by the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail and in Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSI) of the European Union, specifically the European Railway Agency's CR OPE TSI. This makes the locomotive clearly identifiable within Europe and parts of Asia and northern Africa.
The Second Railway Package is a group of European Union legislation which promote common standards and open access, working towards an integrated European railway area.
Regulation No. 305/2011 of the European Parliament and of the European Council is a regulation of 9 March 2011 that lays down harmonised conditions for the marketing of construction products and replaces Construction Products Directive (89/106/EEC). The EU regulation is designed to simplify and clarify the existing framework for the placing on the market of construction products.
The Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 2010 is a Statutory Instrument in the United Kingdom. It aims to set standards designed to improve accessibility for disabled people on light rail passenger vehicles.
The Railway Institute is a research institute located in Warsaw, Poland.
The fourth railway package is a set of changes to rail transport regulation in the European Union law. It covers standards and authorisation for rolling stock; workforce skills; independent management of infrastructure; and the liberalisation of domestic passenger services in an attempt to reduce European rail subsidies.
Network Rail Certification Body Limited is a private limited company providing conformity assessment and consulting services to the rail industry. The company is headquartered in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom and was founded in 2012 as a subsidiary of Network Rail.
The European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) is the agency of the European Union (EU) that sets mandatory requirements for European railways and manufacturers in the form of Technical Specifications for Interoperability, which apply to the Trans-European Rail system. The ERA publishes a document summarizing the status of the TSIs. The ERA sets common safety targets, common safety methods and common safety indicators, following Directive 2004/49/EC and amendments. The ERA also hosts a number of databases, among which a register of remaining, applicable national rules.
The EN 15227 is a European standard for railway applications about the crashworthiness requirements for railway vehicle bodies. It was first resolved in 2008 and it is binding since 2012 for all new vehicles in the European Union. The required energy absorption modules had major impacts on the headshape design of locomotives and passenger rolling stock. The specification is accompanied by EN 12663 on the general Structural requirements of railway vehicle bodies that was updated in 2008 to meet the EN 15227 scenarios.
