Overview
EN ISO 19659-1:2023 (adoption of ISO 19659-1:2017) is a CEN-endorsed European standard that defines the terms, definitions, symbols and abbreviated terms used throughout the ISO 19659 series for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems for rolling stock. Applicable to rail vehicles, this part establishes a common HVAC vocabulary for designers, manufacturers, operators and regulators to ensure clear communication in specifications, technical documentation and verification activities.
Key topics
The standard focuses on standardized terminology and related notation rather than prescriptive performance values. Main technical topics covered include:
- HVAC functions: cooling, pre-cooling, heating, pre-heating, dehumidification, ventilation, filtering, purifying and heat recovery.
- System position and architecture: centralized vs decentralized (dispersed) HVAC arrangements.
- Equipment definitions: HVAC unit, cooling/heating units, controller unit, ventilation and exhaust fans, supplementary heaters/fans, total heat exchangers, ducting, air diffusers, grilles and silencers.
- Operation modes: automatic, cooling/heating, forced modes, pre-cooling/pre-heating, free cooling, heat pump mode, ventilation, frost protection, degraded, power save, standby, emergency, maintenance, test and washing modes.
- Performance terminology: cooling/heating capacity, pre-cooling/pre-heating time and related enthalpy concepts.
- Symbols and abbreviations: standardized symbols and shortened terms used across the ISO 19659 series.
- References and terminology resources: points users to IEC Electropedia and ISO Online Browsing Platform for related definitions.
Applications
EN ISO 19659-1:2023 is a foundational document used to:
- Harmonize specifications and tender documents for HVAC on rail vehicles.
- Ensure consistent language in technical drawings, manuals and procurement contracts.
- Support interoperability across suppliers and international projects by reducing ambiguity in terminology.
- Guide testing, commissioning and maintenance procedures through shared definitions of modes and performance terms.
- Serve as a reference for compliance, training materials and regulatory submissions.
Who uses this standard
- Rolling stock designers and HVAC system engineers
- OEMs and component manufacturers (compressors, fans, heat exchangers)
- Rail operators, fleet maintainers and depot staff
- Technical writers, specification authors and procurement teams
- Certification bodies and standards committees
Related standards
- ISO 19659 series (other parts addressing thermal comfort, energy efficiency and installation)
- ISO/TR 16344 and ISO 13041 (referenced terminologies and editorial sources)
For the complete list of parts in the ISO 19659 series and up-to-date bibliographic references, consult the ISO Online Browsing Platform or national standards body.
