AS 7532 – Audible Warning Devices

The objective of this Standard is to describe the requirements for audible warning devices for the following types of rolling stock:

• locomotives
• self-propelled passenger rolling stock driving vehicles including driving vehicles on a push/pull set
• infrastructure maintenance rolling stock vehicles
• light rail vehicles and trams
• road/rail vehicles

The main purpose of the requirements is to ensure that the design is suitable to allow the audible warning device to operate as an effective safety system and, where possible, minimize adverse impacts of noise to nearby communities.

This Standard is intended to compliment the rolling stock compliance certification process outlined in AS 7501, including all vehicle types such as new, modified and heritage rolling stock.

AS 7532 is an Australian standard that sets requirements for audible warning devices on railway vehicles. Its purpose is to ensure that the design allows audible warning devices to operate as an effective safety system whilst minimising adverse noise impacts on nearby communities. The latest revision now includes road rail vehicles, light rail vehicles, and trams.

The revised standard includes several important updates:

• Alignment of terminology with other RISSB products for consistency
• Additional information and considerations for audible warning devices to be more directional
• Requirements for output volume adjustment during quieter times of the day
• Measures to reduce startle response to help minimise noise impacts on nearby communities
• New section specifically for road rail vehicles
• New section for light rail vehicles and trams

Audible warning devices are critical safety components on rolling stock that alert users on or about railway tracks of the presence of a moving train. This updated standard tries to balance the safety requirements against noise impact outcomes, ensuring effective warnings whilst being considerate of people living and working in nearby communities.

The standard helps manage several critical risks including:

• Harm to persons on or near railway tracks
• Derailment or collision incidents
• Level crossing collisions
• Rail corridor generated noise pollution affecting communities

A systematic approach is recommended:

• Review AS 7532 against your internal applicable standards
• Identify common areas and variances between standards
• Where commonality exists, use your organisation’s change management process to update requirements to reference AS 7532 (for example, change a requirement to ‘Design shall comply with AS 7532’)
• Where variances occur, assess whether AS 7532 provides better safety and/or interoperability outcomes against your organisation’s risk profile and SFAIRP argument
• If AS 7532 results in improved safety and/or interoperability outcomes, amend organisational standards to reference AS 7532 using your organisation’s change management process
• If your internal standards provide better outcomes, you may still reference AS 7532 but include a derogation or deviation statement within your organisation’s standards