Bogies - Articles and news items

CETEST: Test services for commuter, long distance and high-speed railway vehicles

Latest issue / 6 December 2011 /

CETEST Test and Analysis Centre is an independent accredited laboratory focusing on the testing of railway vehicles. With headquarters in the North of Spain, we are a global company serving a diversity of customers ranging from railway undertakings (operators), system integrators (vehicle manufacturers) to equipment sub suppliers. The tests we perform cover the full spectrum of rail vehicles including urban transport (tramways and light-rail vehicles), commuter rail (both electrical and diesel multiple units), long distance and high-speed as well as locomotives and freight wagons. These tests are performed in specialised test benches at our facilities as well as while running on track depending on the nature of the need.

Our growth in recent years has followed the tendency on the railway sector for more testing in all projects worldwide. The increase in complexity and quantity of testing required grows as service level demands increase: more reliable systems and vehicles, higher speeds, better comfort, improved energy efficiency, increased safety levels etc. Also, testing needs grow as we move into the implementation of the common European regulations and all projects are required to undergo tests to check for compliance with common norms and limits. (more…)

Innovation – a major sucess factor for future product developments within Bombardier Transportation Bogie Business Unit

Issue 3 2011 / 31 May 2011 /

Since the 1930s, the rolling stock industry lost its role as ‘technology and innovation driver’ which it held for a century from the 1830s to 1930s, to the aircraft and automotive industry. Today, the railway industry is perceived as a ‘technology follower’ rather than a ‘technology driver’.

In addition, a reduction of the prices for rolling stock can be observed since the mid-90s starting with the liberalisation of the operator and rolling stock builder’s market.

The expectation from our customers for further cost reductions cannot always be fulfilled with design to cost, production improvement and global sourcing activities. (more…)

Keeping Europe’s railways rolling

Issue 3 2011 / 31 May 2011 /

EURAXLES is a three-year EU/industry research programme lead by UNIFE which aims to reduce the risk of axle failure to a level where it is no longer a significant threat to safe operation. The project unites 23 partners across Europe including six axle manufacturers, four railway operators/IMs, two system integrators, three technology suppliers, five universities, two rail sector associations and one consulting firm.

There are 3.5 million axles in service across the railways of Europe, but as yet there is no common approach to their design, maintenance and servicing. The management of wheelsets throughout their life cycle has traditionally been overseen by railway operators, combining their own experience with design and production expertise shared by the manufacturers. (more…)

FLEXXSpeed Bogies for ZEFIRO 380 – the new very high-speed train for China

Issue 5 2010 / 17 September 2010 /

In the 1950s and 1960s, specific programmes were initiated to increase service speeds on rail. In Europe and Japan especially, these efforts lead to a considerable increase in the attractiveness for long-distance travellers to choose rail instead of air or road transportation through shortening journey times. (more…)

Combining capacity with track-friendly technology: FLEXX Tronic WAKO and ARS from Bombardier

Issue 3 2010 / 31 May 2010 /

The demand for capacity is on the increase across all areas of transportation. Due to its flexibility as a mass transportation system and its environmental performance, rail transport in particular is gaining in significance. As a consequence, many countries are making major investments to meet future demand and for systems to become and remain competitive. Yet whilst this development appears very positive for the sector, it also poses significant problems, especially in densely populated European countries where new lines cannot be easily built and the capacity limitations of existing lines are already heavily exploited. (more…)

Customised Air Spring Systems for rail vehicles

Issue 3 2010 / 31 May 2010 /

Innovative suspension technology for modern rail vehicles for urban, mainline, or high-speed rail services; this is what ContiTech Railway Engineering is all about. As a development partner and OEM, the segment of ContiTech Air Spring Systems in Hannover, develops complete suspension concepts and system solutions for primary and secondary suspension systems.

Thanks to high quality materials and material combinations, it is possible to fulfill the highest requirements regarding safety, comfort, speed and reduction in vehicle noise levels, as well as economic efficiency in goods and passenger vehicles. (more…)

Simulations of running dynamics in bogie design and development

Issue 3 2008, Past issues / 28 May 2008 /

Bombardier Transportation develops and produces bogies for a complete range of modern railway vehicles_{1, 2}. The calculations and analyses of running dynamics play an indispensable part in the development of these products. This article outlines the usage of computer techniques to investigate vehicle dynamics during the individual product development phases of a project, the typical calculations and the latest challenges on running dynamics, illustrated with examples picked up among Bombardier’s experiences.

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Modern bogie solutions

Issue 5 2006, Past issues / 15 September 2006 /

The bogies of railway vehicles have become a high-tech component nowadays. At Siemens, they are developed and manufactured for the whole company in a World Centre of Competence for bogies (CoC) in Graz/Austria, where the most modern technical methods are used in development and production.

With totally new bogie concepts and a system for onboard-condition maintenance (as opposed to widely practiced mileage-based maintenance) Siemens is positioning itself in the vanguard of technical development.

The requirements placed on the bogies of railway vehicles have changed tremendously in the past 10 years. Originally, bogies represented a design and production technology which, from today’s perspective, is considered to be outdated.

Service-proven types were constantly improved on the basis of field experience and new knowledge. Then they were manufactured in a more or less manual process. The necessary mechanical safety of the bogies was essentially guaranteed by oversizing and their operational reliability by fixed inspection intervals.

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The mechatronic bogie – a novel design

Issue 4 2005, Past issues / 3 November 2005 /

Conventional bogie designs suffer from a fundamental conflict of contradicting requirements: Either they are running stable at high speed, but are by no means track friendly when negotiating curves due to their stiff wheel set guidance, or they are able to smoothly follow curved tracks through radial orientation of the wheel sets, but due to the soft wheel set guidance their running stability is limited to fairly low speed.

Beyond that, stability is influenced by the wheel and rail profiles, the inclination with which the rails are mounted, and the actual gauge, resulting in the so-called ‘equivalent conicity’. Since these parameters differ, for example, between the railway networks of France and Germany, high-speed trains running at full speed on their ‘own’ national network have to observe speed restrictions after crossing the border. (more…)

The bogies for Desiro DMU UK Class 185

Issue 3 2005, Past issues / 23 August 2005 /

Siemens Transportation Systems (STS), formerly Simmering Graz Pauker (SGP), has almost 150 years experience in the railway business. The product range covered the development and manufacture of locomotives, freight and passenger cars – mainly for the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB). In the 1990’s SGP started the development of a high speed bogie for the second and third generation of German high speed train ICE, followed by the development of a high speed tilting bogie.

Since 1996, Siemens Transportation Systems has concentrated all bogie-related activities in its world centre of expertise in Graz. Consequently, all bogies for Siemens Transportation Systems are designed and manufactured in Graz. Due to its annual output of approximately 3,000 bogies, the Graz plant is now one of the largest bogie facilities in the world.

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Development of freight wagons

Issue 2 2005, Past issues / 31 May 2005 /

European freight wagon designers have for a long time been guided by the principle that wagons must be capable of being used on all standard-gauge railway networks in Europe.

For more than 50 years the International Union of Railways (UIC) has standardised many freight wagon components – in particular their running gear, brake system and the draw gear_{1, 2}. This is in order to achieve interchangeability between the various freight wagons from different origin and ownership running through Europe. The standardisation is necessary for the interfaces between different wagons in a train, i.e. brake systems and the draw gear, but is less evident for the running gear, i.e. bogies and single-axle suspensions.

Although these goals and principles have considerable advantages in cross-border traffic, they also keep back the development of freight wagons and – indirectly – rail freight competitiveness. The running gear and its performance is particularly important where there is a need for fast overnight transport across longer distances, and/or improved transport qualities from a load damage point of view.

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