EN 15085
RAILWAY
CERTIFICATION
What Is EN 15085 Certification? Understanding the Railway Welding Standard
By PZVAR Technical Editorial Team
8 Min Read
25 July 2026
Table Of Contents
- Introduction
- What Is EN 15085 Certification?
- Brief History of EN 15085
- Why EN 15085 was introduced ?
- Who Needs EN 15085 Certification?
- Industries Using EN 15085
- Understanding EN 15085 Certification Levels
- Why Organisatioms Seek EN 15085 Certification?
- How Does EN 15085 Certification work?
- Why is EN 15085 Important?
- Conclusion
- Needs EN 15085 Certification
- Frequently Asked Questions
Key Takeaways
Certification begins with defining the correct scope.
Documentation is an essential part of the assessment.
Qualified personnel play an important role.
Assessments review processes, documentation & implementation.
Introduction:
If your company is making or fixing railway vehicles or welded railway parts, you probably already know about EN 15085 Certification.Most manufacturers come across this standard when they provide products to railway customers, especially in projects where it’s important to control welding quality.
But what does this standard actually mean?
Why is it needed, and who should follow it?
Here, you’ll find information about the standard and learn why it’s so important for railway manufacturing.
In the coming articles, we’ll take a closer look at EN 15085, discussing its requirements, the certification process, its benefits, and the different levels of certification.
What Is EN 15085 Certification?
EN 15085 is an European Standard that sets quality standards for welding in railway vehicles and their parts.It provides a clear way to manage welding activities, covering areas like planning, production, checking, and keeping records.This standard helps companies show that their welding is done properly and meets the quality needs of the railway industry.Unlike other standards that only focus on the final result of welding, EN 15085 looks at the whole process of managing welding.
Learn more about our EN 15085 Certification.
Brief History of EN 15085
As railway manufacturing grew in different countries, companies faced many different welding methods and quality rules.To make welding more consistent across Europe, a standard was developed.This standard, called EN 15085, helped ensure that the quality of welding for railway vehicles and parts was the same everywhere.It allowed manufacturers and their customers to follow the same technical guidelines.Now, this standard is widely used throughout the railway industry.It’s followed by manufacturers making new trains and parts, as well as those doing certain kinds of repairs.
Why EN 15085 was Introduced?
Railway vehicles operate in a tough environment where safety, reliability, and good manufacturing are very important.This standard was created to help control the welding process at the manufacturer level in a standard way.It lets organizations set clear rules and responsibilities for making sure the welding is of good quality.It also helps organizations stay consistent when working on different projects that have established railway welding requirements.
Who Needs EN 15085 Certification?
EN 15085 certification is needed for companies that make or fix welded parts used in railways.
This certification is usually required by:
– Companies that build railway vehicles
– Companies that make railway parts
– Firms that create railway projects through welding
– Businesses that produce rolling stock
– Companies that maintain railway systems
– Firms that make welded structures used in railways
Whether a company builds whole railway vehicles or just certain welded parts, they may need EN 15085 certification depending on what they do and what the customer requires.
Industries Using EN 15085
EN 15085 can be used in these areas of the railway industry:
– Making passenger train cars
– Creating freight railway cars
– Building metro and light rail systems
– Producing railway parts
– Running railway repair shops
– Railway infrastructure projects that include welding
– The use of EN 15085 depends on the type of welded product and the project.
Understanding EN 15085 Certification Levels
Not every manufacturer uses the same welding method.Because of this, there are different EN 15085 levels based on how complex and important the welded product is.
This helps set the right quality standards for each welding process.
Read next: EN 15085 Certification Levels Explained.
Why Organisations Seek EN 15085 Certification?
Organisations often look for EN 15085 because customers and railways usually require approved quality systems for welding.
This standard helps manage welding in a structured way and makes sure that production processes follow quality standards.
The advantages and other benefits of getting EN 15085 certified should be talked about separately.
Read next: EN 15085 Certification Advantages.
How Does EN 15085 Certification Work?
The normal process begins by checking if the company’s welding activities meet the standard requirements.
This depends on the company’s activities and the scope of its certification.
Each step, from applying to being assessed and getting certified, will be explained in detail in a separate article.
Read next: EN 15085 Certification Process: Step-by-Step Overview
Why Is EN 15085 Important?
In the railway industry, the quality of the welding work plays a big role in how dependable and well the products perform.
Using EN 15085 helps companies create a system that makes sure welding is done the same way every time, which meets the needed standards.
Since railway projects need a high level of manufacturing quality, it’s important to know about EN 15085.
Conclusion
EN 15085 Certification is more than just an engineering standard.It provides a structured way to manage and ensure the quality of welding in the railway industry’s production processes.This paper explains what EN 15085 Certification is about and what it covers.Future papers will discuss the different certification levels, the requirements needed, the steps involved in the certification process, and how it is applied in real situations.
Need EN 15085 Certification
If your company is in the business of making welded railway vehicles or parts and you want to learn how EN 15085 Certification applies to your work, check out our EN 15085 Certification service page for full details on what the certification covers and how the process works.
FAQs
What is EN 15085 Certification?
Certification in accordance with EN 15085 concerns the EN 15085 set of European standards for welding railway vehicles and components. It certifies that the organization has implemented the welding activities, qualified personnel, procedures, and quality controls required by the standard within its certified scope.
What is the EN 15085 standard used for in railway manufacturing?
EN 15085 Standard is applied for establishing controlled welding processes for railway vehicles and components. It deals with crucial aspects of the process of welding so that welding processes will be planned, executed, documented and controlled in accordance with the established railway industry requirements
Who needs EN 15085 Certification for railway welding?
EN 15085 could be applicable to the companies involved in manufacture, welding, assembling and repair of railway vehicles and components. It depends on their activity and certification scope.
No. EN 15085 does not have to be applicable only to companies producing the whole railway vehicles. It can be also applicable to the companies involved in production or repair of railway welded components or assemblies.
Is EN 15085 only for railway vehicle manufacturers?
No. The scope of EN 15085 is not restricted to the manufacturing of complete railway vehicles. It can equally be applicable to firms involved in manufacturing or repair of welded railway parts and assemblies, subject to their respective activities.
Why is EN 15085 important for railway welding?
Railway welding can have a direct impact on the quality and reliability of railway vehicles and parts. The standard EN 15085 provides a recognized means for controlling railway welding activities and ensuring consistency in welding quality in production operations.
What types of railway products can come under EN 15085?
Railway products covered by the scope of EN 15085 include passenger trains, freight wagons, metro cars, light rail vehicles, bogies, frames, and many other railway parts. The exact set of requirements is dependent on the specific product and welding activity.
Is EN 15085 an international or European railway welding standard?
EN 15085 is an EN standard intended for the welding of railway vehicles and components. Though EN 15085 originates from Europe, it is acknowledged outside of Europe, too, and might be applicable to companies producing for railway customers or projects requiring compliance to EN 15085.
Does EN 15085 apply to both railway manufacturing and repair?
EN 15085 standards might be applicable to new manufacture and some repairs of welded railway vehicles and components, depending on the activities of the organization and scope of applicability of the requirements