Railways

Railway Group Standards are the basic minimum standards which apply to everyone working on Railtrack owned infrastructure, but there is nothing to stop individual railway businesses from applying higher standards if they wish to do so.

Train Drivers (including On-Track Machine Drivers)

• Distance vision at least 6/9 in the better eye and 6/12 in the other, with spectacles or contact lenses if worn;
• Unaided vision to be at least 3/60;
• Near vision at least N8;  
• No pathological condition likely to cause visual impairment;
• Bifocal glasses permitted (currently NOT varifocals);
• Tinted or photochromic prescription lenses prohibited; (however see note below re sunglasses. Whilst not explicit, this would seem to imply that a non-tinted prescription pair should be carried as well as sunglasses)
• Contact lenses are permitted provided that:
• The wearer has demonstrated that the lenses can be tolerated in place for the duration of duty and
• The nature of the work and the working environment is suitable for contact lens use;
• A pair of spectacles of equivalent prescription is carried;
• The use of frame or clip on sunglasses is permitted provided that the sunglasses comply with BS EN 1836, are compliant with the requirements of Filter Category 2 as defined in that standard and are not photochromatic as defined in the standard. Prescription sunglasses which comply with these requirements are permitted.
• Normal colour vision, as tested by Ishihara Plates. Coloured spectacle or contact lenses are not permitted as a means of meeting the colour vision standard.

NB.  Individuals who have undergone surgical procedures for the correction of near-sightedness will not be accepted for train driving work. This is under review (May 2003) and will probably be relaxed to some degree at some point.

Guards, Conductors, Senior Conductors, Shunters

As for drivers except:

• No specific requirement for near vision;

Personal Track Safety (PTS)

• Distance vision at least 6/9 in the better eye and 6/12 in the other, with spectacles or contact lenses if worn;
• Contact lenses are permitted provided that a pair of spectacles of equivalent prescription is carried when on or near the line;
• No pathological condition likely to cause visual impairment;
• Tinted or photochromic prescription lenses allowed;
• Colour vision, as tested by Ishihara Plates to be reported as normal or abnormal. (Job specific requirements for colour vision apply).

Signallers And Crossing Keepers

As for PTS except that normal colour vision is required.

For signallers not required to have PTS Certification:

• Distance vision to be at least 6/12 in the better eye and 6/36 in the other with spectacles or contact lenses if worn;
• Normal colour vision is required.

Clerical And Non-Operational Staff

This group is not covered by Railway  Group Standards and no formal standards now exist and individual railway companies are free to set their own standards.