This European Standard describes methods of classification of existing and new railway lines and the categorization of vehicles. The standard specifies the technical requirements for ensuring the compatibility of the interface between a vehicle and infrastructure with respect to the vertical load carrying capacity of a line. The standard is suitable for use on freight, passenger and mixed traffic lines with standard track gauge and wider than standard track gauge. It contains requirements relevant to: — classification of the vertical load carrying capacity of railway infrastructure; — design of railway vehicles; — determination of payload limits of freight wagons. A summary of the classification of infrastructure and the categorization of vehicles is given in Annex B. The assessment of the vertical load carrying capacity of civil engineering structures, track, sub-grade and earthworks by the use of the load models defined in Annex A permits the classification of infrastructure into line categories. This European Standard identifies on which lines vehicles are compatible to the infrastructure for regular traffic regarding vertical load effects. Line categories are provided for: — all traffic types; — heavy freight traffic; — locomotives; — multiple units; — lightweight passenger traffic.