This European Standard specifies the characteristics of railway wheels for all track gauges. This standard can also apply to light rail and tramway applications. Five steel grades@ ER6@ ER7@ ER8@ ERS8 and ER9 are defined in this standard. NOTE ERS8 has been integrated in this standard as an optimization of steel grades ER8 and ER9 in the context of RCF@ and by taking into account European service experience e.g. BS 5892-3 in the UK. Certain characteristics are defined according to a category 1 or a category 2. Category 1 is generally chosen when the operation train speed is higher than 200 km/h. Vehicles running at speeds lower than or equal to 200 km/h generally use wheels of category 2. These categories can sometimes be subdivided@ depending upon the characteristics. This standard is applicable to solid forged and rolled wheels which are made from vacuum degassed steel and have a chilled rim. They are to have already been used in commercial conditions on a European network in a significant quantity@ or to have satisfied a technical approval procedure according to EN 13979-1 for their design. Annex A describes the assessment process for acceptance of new materials not cited in this standard. The standard defines the wheel product requirements; the technical approval procedure is not within the scope of this standard. NOTE Rim-chilled describes heat treatment of the rim@ the aim of which is to harden the rim and to create compressive residual stresses in the rim.