Railway systems

The latest publications in this offer are:

• December 10, 2025

  TRP3081

  The tram system

  Tram is a versatile urban transport solution, combining efficiency, sustainability and accessibility.This article generally discusses trams and their integration into cities. After a brief introduction, it presents the main types of vehicle architecture as well as the different systems interacting with the tramway network. The importance of the regulatory framework, which varies across different regions of the world and strongly influences design choices, is also highlighted. Finally, the article addresses the tramway as a key issue for sustainable mobility, a major challenge for the coming decades.

• October 10, 2024

  TRP3076

  Mass transit railways: a special kind of rail operation

  Promoted since 2015 by SNCF Transilien, rail "Mass Transit" covers a specific operation, combining very high passenger flows and a high density of rail traffic. In MTF, flows of passengers dictate the running conditions of the trains, unlike other railway systems where the train schedules impose their rhythm on the behaviour of the passengers. This operation differs from metro by its specific technical constraints, as well as from traditional rail transport. It requires specialized trains, and specific service designs and stations). It needs appropriate infrastructure and timetable design methods.

• April 10, 2024

  TRP3084

  Hydrogen-powered rail traction

  Hydrogen-based rail traction is a promising technology for the transport sector. The article discusses its use in the context of the energy transition, examines the characteristics of hydrogen, describes the hydrogen traction chain, including the roles of components, and discusses benefits such as reduced emissions and faster refueling. The limitations of this technology are also explored, and the article concludes by highlighting its importance in the transition to sustainable mobility.

• February 10, 2023

  TRP3213

  CBTC signaling systems

  The objectives of CBTC are to improve the performance of the mass transit system. Those objectives are reminded. The principles of CBTC are explained. The main architectures are detailed, including the way they are operated. The wireless communication technologies are also explained. The added value of CBTC for driverless systems is analysed. The way CBTC are implemented is exposed with focus on renovation projects. Comparison with mainlines system is done. The last part shows some limitation of present CBTC systems.

• December 10, 2022

  TRP3077

  Railway Dynamics and Wheel-Rail Contact

  This paper presents the basics of wheel-rail interface and the railway dynamics fundamentals, one of the most complex and important engineering disciplines and the “heart” of the railway system. First an overview of the parameters of the track/vehicle system, influencing the dynamic behaviour of railway vehicles and the historical evolution of the tasks and methods used in the field is given. Follows the wheel-rail interface chapter which deals with fundamentals of running behaviour in tangent track and curve negotiation ability, giving also practical examples of the impact of the operation conditions in the performances of the train and on the vehicle-track damage.

• November 10, 2022

  TRP3071

  Railway safety principles

  Mass and energies engaged in rail system, as well as spectacular and sometimes tragic accidents required from the very beginning of the industry, the definition of safety principles to protect customers, the general public and workers. Issues of measuring mass, speed, position of trains drove to technological and organisation choices shared worldwide by the rail sector. Digital revolution forces to review the old stratification of mechanical and electromechanical technologies used for 1870 years and starting again from the base principles to supply new methods and solutions offering better risk management and simultaneously an economical improvement.

• August 10, 2022

  TRP3072

  The economics of the rail system

  After a definition of railway system economics, and a first glimpse of its stakes, this article gives a description of the various activities of railway transport (regional passengers, long distance passengers, freight) It then describes the various dimensions of the economics of linear and nodal infrastructures. Economics of interactions between diverse components of the railway system are then considered. Finally, a preview of perspectives of possible evolutions is given.

• March 24, 2022

  TRP3014 Review

  Electromagnetic compatibility of rail systems

  This article present the railway system, and specifically electromagnetic interactions. It details the interactions between power supply and rolling stock, and the modes of coupling between rolling stock subsystems and control-command and signaling, and the possible resulting disturbance scenarios. Some particular situations from feedback in real projects are described and the chosen solutions are presented to illustrate the fact that EMC can only be a compromise that needs to be acceptable by each sub-system concerned. Management of exported constraints requires close collaboration of experts in charge for each sub-system.

• February 2, 2022

  TRP3061 Review

  Rail braking systems

  Every railway braking system can be divided into two main functions: braking control and the production of braking force and energy dissipation. After recalling the main design rules for braking control in a railway vehicle, this paper sets out the general braking control architecture as defined in today’s European standards. It goes on to describe how this architecture can be broken down technologically into three main systems: the compressed air pneumatic brake, the direct electropneumatic brake and the electrohydraulic brake. For each of these systems, the main operating principles are detailed, followed by the main components and sub-assemblies involved in the braking control.

• February 2, 2022

  TRP3060 Review

  Rail braking systems

  After a review of braking kinematics and the different parameters involved in the process (forces, energy, power), this article describes the methods used for defining and determining the braking performance of a train, together with the parameters characterizing this performance. Finally, an overview of braking performance levels obtained for different train categories is given.

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