The purpose of the road test is to check that the standard can be interpreted consistently and leads to a
consistent estimate of roughness spectrum when used by different measurers with different instruments. Many
of the instructions of the new standard have not been practiced by measurers before and so these are also
being tested for practicability and effectiveness. The exercise is not concerned with testing instruments or
measurement technology. The standard specifies minimum performance criteria but otherwise is designed to
be as inclusive as possible with regard to technology.
In order to gain a proper understanding of the practical difficulties and the outcome in terms of consistency of
practice as well and results, it was seen as essential that the ‘road test’ should take place in an industrial
context, i.e. making measurements with instruments used by the industry on running railway lines having
normal constraints of access time and safety procedures, etc.
BS PD CEN/TR 15874:2009 history
2010BS PD CEN/TR 15874:2009 Railway applications — Noise emission — Road test of standard for rail roughness measurement EN 15610:2009