ASME Standards and Certification RT - Safety Standard for Structural Requirements for Heavy Rail Transit Vehicles, Light Rail Vehicles, and Streetcars RT - 2026

This Standard defines structural performance requirements for rail transit vehicles (railcars) including heavy rail, light rail, and streetcars. The objectives are to reduce injury risk and equipment damage resulting from railcar collisions by providing a means of protection when other preventive measures, such as signaling, have failed. This Standard defines protection for occupants of railcars by preserving vehicle structural integrity, preserving passenger occupied space, reducing risk of vehicle-to-vehicle override, and limiting collision accelerations experienced by occupants. In addition, this Standard defines design features that address the risk of entrapment for passengers of motor vehicles struck by light rail vehicles (LRVs) or streetcars, the risk of structural penetration of motor vehicles by railcar front-end equipment, and the risk to pedestrians and bicyclists if accidentally struck by a LRV or streetcar. This Standard does not address the design of railcar interior structures beyond limiting collision accelerations and consequential secondary impact velocities of passengers colliding with interior surfaces.