EN 14601:2024/prA1
(Amendment)Railway applications - Straight and angled end cocks for brake pipe and main reservoir pipe
Railway applications - Straight and angled end cocks for brake pipe and main reservoir pipe
This document is applicable to manually operated end cocks designed to cut-off the brake pipe and the main reservoir pipe of the air brake and compressed air system of rail vehicles; without taking the type of vehicles and track-gauge into consideration.
This document specifies requirements for the design, dimensions, testing and certification (qualification and/or type test), and marking.
Bahnanwendungen - Gerade und abgewinkelte Luftabsperrhähne für die Hauptluftleitung und Hauptbehälterleitung
Applications ferroviaires - Robinets d'arrêt droit ou coudé pour conduite générale de frein et conduite principale
Železniške naprave - Ravne in kotne zaporne pipe za zavorne in glavne zračne vode - Dopolnilo A1
Ta dokument se uporablja za ročno upravljane zaporne pipe, namenjene za prekinitev zavorne cevi in cevi glavnega rezervoarja zračnega zavora in sistema stisnjenega zraka železniških vozil; ne glede na vrsto vozil in tirno širino.
Ta dokument določa zahteve za načrtovanje, dimenzije, preskušanje in certificiranje (kvalifikacijski in/ali tipni preskus) ter označevanje.
General Information
- Status
- Not Published
- Publication Date
- 04-Nov-2027
- Technical Committee
- CEN/TC 256 - Railway applications
- Drafting Committee
- CEN/TC 256/SC 3/WG 47 - Braking
- Current Stage
- 4020 - Submission to enquiry - Enquiry
- Start Date
- 07-May-2026
- Due Date
- 19-Jun-2026
- Completion Date
- 07-May-2026
Relations
- Effective Date
- 30-Jul-2025
Overview
EN 14601:2024/prA1 is a draft amendment developed by CEN for railway applications, specifically standardizing straight and angled end cocks used in the brake pipe and main reservoir pipe of air brake and compressed air systems in rail vehicles. This standard applies to all manually operated end cocks, regardless of vehicle type or track gauge. The amendment refines requirements for the design, operating conditions, dimensions, testing, qualification, and marking of these essential safety components.
End cocks, critical for controlling compressed air flow, play a vital role in the operation, safety, and maintainability of railway braking systems. EN 14601:2024/prA1 ensures these components meet stringent requirements for reliability, identification, and enduring performance under a diverse range of railway environments.
Key Topics
- Scope and Purpose: Covers straight and angled end cocks for the brake pipe and main reservoir pipe in any rail vehicle.
- Design and Dimensions: Specifies standard dimensions and design criteria for handles and ports, including clear distinctions for brake pipe and main reservoir versions.
- Operating Conditions: Stipulates performance across an environmental temperature range, with specific focus on compressed air purity (ISO 4975) and temperature classes as defined by EN 50125-1.
- Manual Operation Requirements: Details torque requirements for manual actuation, differentiating between cocks with mechanical detents and latches.
- Testing and Qualification: Outlines rigorous test sequences including endurance, leakage, shock and vibration, corrosion resistance, and torque performance, all supported by clear pass/fail criteria.
- Marking and Identification: Mandates durable markings for traceability, including manufacturer, part number, and production date.
- Colour Coding: Ensures visual distinction: brake pipe cocks feature red handles; main reservoir pipe cocks are yellow or white for easy identification during operation and maintenance.
- Referenced Standards: Integrates updated references (such as EN ISO 24478 for vocabulary and EN ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory competence).
Applications
Adopting EN 14601:2024/prA1 supports:
- Railway Manufacturers: Ensures components delivered for new vehicles or retrofits meet harmonized European safety and quality standards, streamlining procurement and certification processes.
- Maintenance Operations: Facilitates quick identification and safe operation of end cocks through standardized color coding and marking, improving safety during coupling and uncoupling of rolling stock.
- System Integrators: Enables compatibility and interoperability of subsystems across a diverse fleet and international boundaries, thanks to standardized design and performance criteria.
- Certification Bodies and Testing Laboratories: Provides a clear, consistent testing regime aligned with international laboratory competence standards for type approval and in-service inspections.
- Rail Operators: Minimizes the risk of operational failures through robust qualification requirements, ensuring reliability and durability (minimum 10,000 operational cycles) in everyday service.
- Supply Chain Management: Enhances lifecycle management and traceability of components through mandated marking and manufacturer identification.
Related Standards
- EN 14601:2024 - The base standard for straight and angled end cocks in railway braking systems.
- EN ISO 24478:2024 - Provides the general vocabulary and definitions for railway braking applications.
- EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017 - Specifies general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories, ensuring reliable qualification testing.
- ISO 4975:2022 - Describes specifications for compressed air purity applicable to railway braking systems.
- EN 50125-1:2014 - Defines environmental conditions for railway equipment, relevant for temperature and operating environment requirements.
By aligning with EN 14601:2024/prA1, the railway industry ensures the safety, reliability, and interoperability of end cocks, contributing to the overall efficiency and compliance of rolling stock air brake systems across Europe.
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Frequently Asked Questions
EN 14601:2024/prA1 is a draft published by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). Its full title is "Railway applications - Straight and angled end cocks for brake pipe and main reservoir pipe". This standard covers: This document is applicable to manually operated end cocks designed to cut-off the brake pipe and the main reservoir pipe of the air brake and compressed air system of rail vehicles; without taking the type of vehicles and track-gauge into consideration. This document specifies requirements for the design, dimensions, testing and certification (qualification and/or type test), and marking.
This document is applicable to manually operated end cocks designed to cut-off the brake pipe and the main reservoir pipe of the air brake and compressed air system of rail vehicles; without taking the type of vehicles and track-gauge into consideration. This document specifies requirements for the design, dimensions, testing and certification (qualification and/or type test), and marking.
EN 14601:2024/prA1 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 14601:2024/prA1 has the following relationships with other standards: It is inter standard links to EN 14601:2024. Understanding these relationships helps ensure you are using the most current and applicable version of the standard.
EN 14601:2024/prA1 is associated with the following European legislation: EU Directives/Regulations: 2016/797/EU; Standardization Mandates: M/591. When a standard is cited in the Official Journal of the European Union, products manufactured in conformity with it benefit from a presumption of conformity with the essential requirements of the corresponding EU directive or regulation.
EN 14601:2024/prA1 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-julij-2026
Železniške naprave - Ravne in kotne zaporne pipe za zavorne in glavne zračne
vode - Dopolnilo A1
Railway applications - Straight and angled end cocks for brake pipe and main reservoir
pipe
Bahnanwendungen - Gerade und abgewinkelte Luftabsperrhähne für die Hauptluftleitung
und Hauptbehälterleitung
Applications ferroviaires - Robinets d'arrêt droit ou coudé pour conduite générale de frein
et conduite principale
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN 14601:2024/prA1
ICS:
45.040 Materiali in deli za železniško Materials and components
tehniko for railway engineering
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
EN 14601:2024
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
prA1
May 2026
ICS 45.060.01
English Version
Railway applications - Straight and angled end cocks for
brake pipe and main reservoir pipe
Applications ferroviaires - Robinets d'arrêt droit ou Bahnanwendungen - Gerade und abgewinkelte
coudé pour conduite générale de frein et conduite Luftabsperrhähne für die Hauptluftleitung und
principale Hauptbehälterleitung
This draft amendment is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee CEN/TC 256.
This draft amendment A1, if approved, will modify the European Standard EN 14601:2024. If this draft becomes an amendment,
CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for inclusion of
this amendment into the relevant national standard without any alteration.
This draft amendment was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.
Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2026 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN 14601:2024/prA1:2026 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
Contents Page
European foreword . 4
1 Modification to Clause 2, "Normative references" . 5
2 Modification to Clause 3, "Terms and definitions" . 5
3 Modification to 4.1, "Operating conditions" . 6
4 Modifications to 4.2.2, “Open and closed positions” . 6
5 Modifications to 4.2.5, “Torque” . 7
6 Modifications to 4.2.7, “Fall time” . 7
7 Modifications to 4.2.9, “Vacuum withstanding” . 7
8 Modifications to 4.3.1, “External appearance” . 7
9 Modifications to 4.3.4, “Mechanical shocks” . 8
10 Modifications to 4.3.5, “Resistance to torque” . 8
11 Modifications to 4.3.6, “Life expectancy” . 8
12 Modifications to 5.2, “Test requirements” . 8
13 Modifications to Table 1, “Operations to carry out for qualification” . 8
14 Modifications to 5.3.3, “Measurement of the operating torque” . 9
15 Modifications to numbering of subclause numbers 5.3.4 to 5.3.8 . 9
16 Modifications to 5.3.4.2, “Measurement of fall time through venting port” . 10
17 Modifications to 5.3.6.1, “Procedure” . 10
18 Modifications to 5.3.6.2, “Pass/fail criteria” . 10
19 Modifications to 5.3.7.1, “General” . 10
20 Modifications to 5.3.7.3, “End cock to be tested in closed position” . 10
21 Modifications to 5.3.7.4, “Pass/fail criteria” . 10
22 Modifications to Table 2, “Leakage permitted at temperatures of −40 °C, +20 °C, +35
°C” . 10
23 Modifications to 5.3.8, “Endurance at ambient temperature with reduced air flow” . 10
24 Modifications to 5.3.9, “Measurement of the operating torque drift”. 10
25 Modifications to 5.3.9.1, “Procedure” . 10
26 Modifications to 5.3.9.2, “Pass/fail criteria” . 11
27 Modifications to 5.3.10.1, “Procedure” . 11
28 Modifications to 5.3.14.1.1, “Procedure” . 11
29 Modifications to 5.3.14.2.1, “Procedure” . 11
30 Modifications to 5.3.15.1, “General” . 11
31 Modifications to 5.3.15.2, “End cock to be tested in open position” . 11
32 Modifications to 5.3.15.3, “End cock to be tested in closed position . 11
33 Add new subclause 5.3.14.4, “Pass/ fail criteria” . 12
34 Modifications to Clause 6, “In-service assessment” . 12
35 Modifications to Table 5, “In-service assessment tests” . 12
36 Modifications to Clause 8, “Marking” . 12
European foreword
This document (EN 14601:2024/prA1:2026) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 256
“Railway applications”, the secretariat of which is held by DIN.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
This document will amend EN 14601:2024.
EN 14601:2024:
— update of Clause 3: deleted unused terms and modified/moved definitions of the open and closed
positions to the requirements clause;
— modified requirements on the torque;
— modified requirements on the colour;
— modified requirements on the test temperature;
— modified content of Table 1 “Operations to carry out for qualification”;
— moved content of operating torque measurement to operating torque test with modified of
pass/fail criteria;
— deleted measurement of drift;
— added pass/fail criteria in pneumatic test of the isolating device at given pressures and
temperatures with waiting time.
This document has been prepared under a standardization request addressed to CEN by the European
Commission. The Standing Committee of the EFTA States subsequently approves these requests for its
Member States.
1 Modification to Clause 2, "Normative references"
Add the following reference:
“EN ISO 24478:2024, Railway applications — Braking — General vocabulary”.
Add the following reference:
“EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017, General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration
laboratories (ISO/IEC 17025:2017)”.
2 Modification to Clause 3, "Terms and definitions"
Replace the first paragraph with the following:
“For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions of EN ISO 24478 and the following
apply.”.
Replace the definition 3.1 with the following:
“cock used to enable or interrupt the continuity of the brake pipe or main reservoir pipe
Note 1 to entry: It also facilitates safe coupling and uncoupling by venting air pressure in the pneumatic
half coupling when the end cock is in the interrupt position.
[SOURCE: EN ISO 24478:2024, 3.10.4.6]”.
Delete the term and definition 3.2.1.4, “threaded port”.
Delete the term and definition 3.2.2, “direction of rotation” and modify the following numbering
accordingly.
Delete the subclause number and title “3.3.1 design” and modify the following numbering accordingly.
Delete the subclause number and title “3.3.2 location of the handle”.
Delete the term and definition 3.3.2.1, “right hand end cock”.
Delete the term and definition 3.3.2.2, “left hand end cock”.
In the definition 3.4.2 replace “member” with “component part” to read:
“position of the valve component part in which the flow path between inlet and outlet ports is fully
open, and the venting passage is closed”.
Replace term 3.4.3 with “pressure fall time” to read:
“3.4.3
pressure fall time”
Delete the term and definition 3.4.4, “proof pressure”.
Delete the term and definition 3.5, “temperature range”.
Delete the term and definition 3.6, “leakage”.
Delete the term and definition 3.6.1, “external leakage”.
Delete the term and definition 3.6.2, “internal leakage”.
Delete the term and definition 3.7, “drift”.
Delete the term and definition 3.8, “life expectancy”.
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