Short-primary Type Linear Induction Motors (IEC 62520)
The short-primary type linear induction motor (LIM) covered by this standard is a type of induction motors that has a primary coil mounted on board and a secondary reaction plate fixed to the track. Since the LIM's primaries are flat compared to rotary motors, the height of vehicle floor is lower. This enables the height of vehicles to be lower and the cross-sectional area of subway tunnel to be smaller, leading to reduced construction costs. Furthermore, LIMs produce direct thrust without wheels, a feature that can be applied in steep slope sections regardless of adhesion.

In Japan, steel-wheeled subway using LIMs was put into commercial operation in 1990, and it has become widespread in the subways of some cities. Outside Japan, a Canadian supplier undertakes many systems using LIMs. LIMs are provided by Japanese and Canadian suppliers, and are in the Japan-led technological field. Japan proposed this LIM's standard in order to spread the use of LIMs and facilitate trades of LIMs. This standard is the first one proposed and developed by Japan in IEC/TC 9.

The project of this standard was started in April 2007 as the result of voting on a New Work Item Proposal, which was proposed by Japan in January 2007. International meetings were held three times, and the standard was published in 2011.