December 2025: Updated Railway Documentation Standards for Parts Lists Released

In December 2025, a pivotal update to technical documentation requirements for the railway sector arrived, with the release of EN 15016-2:2023+A1:2025. This newly amended standard, published by CEN, refines how parts lists are prepared, reproduced, and maintained across all railway design projects. Covering foundational principles and granular layout guidance, this update sets a higher bar for systematic documentation and seamless information exchange—a crucial development for an industry built on safety, precision, and traceability.

With only one but highly impactful standard featured this month, this release signals significant progress for those involved in engineering design, technical documentation, standardization, and compliance within railways.

Overview: The Role of Documentation Standards in Railways

Technical documentation is the backbone of reliable, safe, and compliant railway operations. Standards within this field streamline communication between OEMs, suppliers, integrators, and customers, reducing the risks of misinterpretation and costly errors. Consistent documentation standards like EN 15016 ensure that all stakeholders speak the same language when it comes to design, maintenance, and upgrades.

This article will walk you through:

• The scope and core requirements of the updated standard
• Practical implications for organizations
• Industry impact and compliance strategies
• Technical insights and best practices for implementation

Detailed Standards Coverage

EN 15016-2:2023+A1:2025 – Standardized Parts Lists for Railway Technical Documentation

Full Standard Title: Railway applications — Technical documents — Part 2: Parts lists

Published as an amendment and revision to the 2023 edition, this European Standard focuses exclusively on the preparation and reproduction of design parts lists for all railway applications. It sits within the broader suite of standards for railway technical documents (EN 15016 series), but this update addresses specific needs for clarity, consistency, and information exchange at the level of design assemblies, subassemblies, and components.

Scope and Applicability

The standard sets principles for:

• Creating and maintaining parts lists during the design phase
• Ensuring compatibility with relevant EN, ISO, or IEC standards
• Accommodating both traditional paper-based and computer-generated documentation

It is compulsory for:

• OEMs and design engineers developing railway vehicles and systems
• Documentation specialists in rolling stock and infrastructure
• Suppliers, partners, and customers requiring unified contract documentation

Key Requirements and Specifications

• Parts List Features:
  • Must be identifiable as standalone documents or as adjuncts to technical drawings
  • Each part list page requires an explicit identification number and sheet tracking
• Presentation Format:
  • Separate lists should be printed on A4 paper, conforming to EN ISO 216:2007
  • Mandated borderlines, centring marks, and line widths to ensure legibility and reproducibility
  • Lettering heights and line spacings closely regulated for optimal scanning and data capture
• Mandatory Data Fields:
  • Position number, quantity, unit, title/designation, item identification, material, technical data, mass/unit, and remarks
  • First item must correspond to the main product as denominated in the title block
• Title Block:
  • Strict rules for layout, minimum information, and referencing behind intellectual property and exploitation rights (ISO 16016 compliance)
• Change Management:
  • Retention of position numbers for items remaining after deletions, simplifying revision cycles
• Alignment with Other Standards:
  • Links and references to EN 15016-1 (General principles), EN 61355-1 (document designation), EN ISO 10209 (vocabulary), and more

Who Needs to Comply?

If your organization is involved in any phase of railway design, build, or technical documentation production within Europe (and internationally by harmonization), this standard applies to you. Specifically, roles impacted include:

• Railway engineering managers
• Documentation and record-keeping offices
• Quality assurance professionals
• Procurement and contract management staff

Practical Implications & Notable Changes

• Harmonizes practices across the sector, reducing risks in documentation exchange
• Facilitates digitization and seamless integration with electronic document management systems (EDMS)
• Enhanced detail on layout and data field structure supports automated processing and machine readability
• Amendment A1 (2025) introduces clarifications and refinements over the 2023 baseline, especially regarding layout, title block definition, and data interoperability

Key highlights:

• Comprehensive specification of data fields for all railway project parts lists
• Layout and formatting optimized for both print and digital workflows
• Clear requirements for title block, copyright, and intellectual property statements

Access the full standard:View EN 15016-2:2023+A1:2025 on iTeh Standards

Industry Impact & Compliance

Adoption of EN 15016-2:2023+A1:2025 delivers strategic value in key areas:

• Legal and Contractual Risk Mitigation: Uniform documentation supports precise fulfillment of customer contracts and regulatory safeguards
• Improved Traceability: Standard parts lists make component tracking and lifecycle monitoring more robust
• Enhanced Efficiency: Consistent formats accelerate onboarding, supplier integration, and cross-company collaboration
• Digitization Enablement: Scanning, data capture, and electronic document management benefit from well-defined layout and labeling

Compliance Considerations:

• National adoption deadline: June 2026 (per CEN/CENELEC regulations)
• Organizations must review and update current documentation workflows, templates, and information systems
• Staff training and quality procedures should be adjusted to reflect the new requirements

Benefits include:

• Reduced documentation errors in procurement and maintenance
• Smoother downstream processes for updates, audits, and modifications
• Future-proofing against emerging regulatory and digitalization requirements

Risks of non-compliance:

• Increased contract disputes
• Regulatory penalties from national authorities
• Higher total cost of ownership from inefficient documentation practices

Technical Insights

Common Technical Requirements

• Document Structure: Standardized columns and rows with explicit data field mappings
• Identification Markings: Unique ID numbers for every document and page entity
• Machine Readability: Mandated character sizes, line weights, and logical sequencing to aid automated scanning and data extraction

Best Practices for Implementation

1. Gap Analysis: Review existing parts list templates and document management systems for compliance gaps
2. Staff Training: Align engineering, quality, and documentation teams to standardized practices
3. Digital Transformation: Integrate the standard’s requirements into EDMS, CAD, and PLM systems
4. Supplier Engagement: Require upstream and downstream partners to produce parts lists to the specified format

Testing & Certification Considerations

• Internal audits should be regularly scheduled to ensure clause-by-clause adherence
• Where possible, validate scanned and digital files against optical density and format benchmarks provided in the standard
• For multinational companies, track adoption timelines across all markets of operation

Conclusion & Next Steps

EN 15016-2:2023+A1:2025 marks a next-generation step in unifying and elevating railway parts list documentation. Design and documentation teams should seize this moment to harmonize practices, invest in compliance, and turn documentation from a cost center into a strategic asset.

Recommendations:

• Begin internal adoption planning in early 2026 to beat the compliance deadline
• Audit and upgrade document templates now to align with layout and data requirements
• Train staff on new entry rules and digital documentation best practices
• Bookmark iTeh Standards for updates and future standards releases

For professionals aiming to drive operational excellence and lower documentation risk, this new standard is essential reading. Stay updated, stay compliant—and ensure your railway documentation leads the industry forward.