Conclusion

The specificity of the rail system in terms of operation – in particular the significant synergy between the train and the infrastructure (and more specifically the signalling governing train spacing) – means that specific methods and parameters need to be defined to characterize the braking performance of each train, whatever the operating conditions. These methods and parameters also need to be accepted by all operators and infrastructure managers, so as to facilitate vehicle interoperability.

The rigorous application of these methods enables the vehicle designer to take into account all the constraints which will then enable him to dimension the vehicle's braking system in a coherent and optimized way.

These methods also enable each operator to determine the braking performance of a train, and from this deduce the characteristics of its...