The Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) have released the latest version of their publication on the requirements for lifting equipment adjacent to railways controlled by Network Rail. This updated guidance has been jointly developed under the direction of the Crane Interest Group (CIG) and the Tower Crane Interest Group (TCIG) in collaboration with Network Rail, along with input and support from members of the rail sector’s M&EE networking group and the NRIL Routes Senior Asset Protection Engineers Forum.
The new guidance aligns fully with Network Rail’s latest version of their CIV0063: Piling, Drilling, Crane, MEWP and SMPT Operations Adjacent to the Railway publication, updated during 2024/2024 for which involving both crane interest groups. This ensures that both industry and the client authority work from the same technical baseline. This alignment eliminates duplication, clarifies responsibilities and provides a seamless link between Network Rail’s internal procedures and CPA’s guidance for contractors and lifting teams.
On completion of the revised CIV0063, both interest groups agreed to integrate their individual respective publications into a into a single, unified document that provides clear and consistent requirements for all crane types. As the title indicates, the publication provides the foundational knowledge and all requirements in order to mitigate any potential effects on railway infrastructure when erecting, dismantling and carrying out of lifting operations where a crane is working next to a railway boundary.
It introduces a defined hierarchy of control for assessing risk, with enhanced clarity on oversailing, collapse radius, working-range limitation and the notification process for planned operations. The guidance also sets practical expectations for early engagement, planning liaison and communication between site teams and Network Rail representatives, ensuring that lifting activities are both safe and efficiently managed. Due to the subject matter, the publication needs to contain extensive detail, but the working group have endeavoured to convey the key information in a clear-as possible, legible format in a bid to ensure the safety of travelling public using Network Rail infrastructure.
The revised CPA publication can be downloaded free of charge from the publications page of the CPA website at: https://cpa.uk.net/cpa-publications/
Note: CIC/TCIG 2503 replaces CPA1801 and CPA 1402.
