Research

Most of the research in the Rail Vehicles unit focuses on the vehicle-track dynamic interaction with key issues being safety, running stability, ride comfort and wheel-rail damage, and applications ranging from trams to high-speed passenger trains and heavy-haul freight trains. The vehicle (pantograph) interaction with the continuous electric supply system is also studied, especially for high-speed applications. In addition, the unit carries out research on energy usage of various types of rail vehicles and trains during their operational phase.

Basically, all our research is carried out in close collaboration with our rail partners in the industry and elsewhere. Most research projects are currently also European projects, partly funded by the European Commission. Among other things, our partners support us when carrying out measurements in the field and laboratory. The unit has access to powerful simulation tools for different dynamics studies and machine learning algorithms are starting to provide us with important information and support our goals towards even better rail transport systems based on solid scientific knowledge.