This Standard outlines requirements that encourage rail organisations to adopt a whole-of-life approach to the management of turnouts and other special trackwork. This approach includes design, supply, construction, maintenance, decommissioning and disposal of turnouts and other special trackwork to promote a consistent treatment, across a range of operational track gauges used in Australia.

This standard covers the stages of installation, commissioning, maintenance, disposal and decommissioning of turnouts and other special trackwork, while design and manufacture stages are provided in AS 1085.21: Railway track material Part 21: Turnouts, switches, and crossings.