Research in progress
Common approaches to wheel-rail interfaces for tram-train services | Improved timetabling for freight | Updating route knowledge to make the most of ETCS | Revising vehicle gauges to maximise network access for freight traffic | Do window box clearance regulations match current risks?
Research aims to cut the cost and uncertainty of this popular mode of transport.
Tram-train services run vehicles on routes including both tramway and heavy rail infrastructure, offering seamless journeys for passengers to the heart of city centres. The first GB scheme, linking Sheffield and Rotherham, has proved to be an effective and attractive public transport option.
The vehicles’ wheels need to run on both types of track, but wheel-rail interaction can be significantly different between tram systems and heavy rail. This project considers the needs of both systems to propose an optimised hybrid approach.
Existing schemes have used bespoke solutions for the wheel-rail interface, which incurred higher costs and were not readily transferable to new projects. Working through our partnership with the University of Huddersfield and in collaboration with the Light Rail Safety and Standards Board and Network Rail, RSSB is carrying out research to better understand the track configuration and wheel profile options. The aim is to develop some common optimised approaches that can be applied to new schemes.
The findings will help project teams to approach tram-train design in a more informed way, taking away significant cost and timescale risk.
Keep up to date with the research project at rssb.co.uk/research-catalogue (search for COF-HTT-01).
To find out more about the project, or to discuss joining the steering group, contact Paul Gray, Professional Lead, Engineering:
Paul.Gray@rssb.co.uk
Using running times that reflect the capabilities of modern rolling stock will shorten journey times and free up capacity.
The assumed time that freight services take to travel over parts of the network (sectional running times, or SRT) are generally believed not to reflect reality. This disparity arose because times are based on historical rolling stock rather than reflecting modern fleets. As a result, the times used for timetable planning are longer than they need to be. Freight services can fail to find a path if they are wrongly assumed not to be able to fit around other services.
Improving how sectional running times are calculated should increase operational efficiency and allow more responsive pathing, in particular for heavier freight trains with newer locomotive types.
The work will use an engineering approach to define a methodology for determining the SRT of freight trains and services based on their true individual capabilities. The project will develop several case studies to uncover the size of the opportunity and highlight where the greatest benefits can be gained from the improved process.
Keep up to date with the progress of the project at rssb.co.uk/research-catalogue (search for T1301).
To discuss joining the steering group for the project, or if you have any other queries, contact Aaron Barrett, Lead Research Analyst:
Aaron.Barrett@rssb.co.uk
As the East Coast Main Line migrates to ETCS, we are defining the route knowledge requirements for drivers.
On the GB network, the current route knowledge requirements for colour-light signalling are set out in the industry standard RIS-3702-TOM Management of Route Knowledge. However, there is no agreed understanding of the route knowledge requirements for operating under the European Train Control System (ETCS).
ETCS is set to be implemented on the East Coast Main Line (ECML), and the route knowledge requirements needed to be clarified before the start of driver training. The first phase of this research, which is now complete, identified the specific route knowledge required to drive on this line following the ETCS upgrade. Based on an analysis of existing documents and extensive engagement with drivers, we compiled a list of tasks required to be undertaken by the driver in both normal and degraded modes of working under ETCS arrangements. We also reviewed current route knowledge requirements and removed those no longer needed to mitigate risk.
A key conclusion from this first phase was that the amount of information that drivers need to memorise about signalling infrastructure will be streamlined with ETCS. However, drivers’ system knowledge and non-technical skills will become even more important, as ETCS reduces the burden of memorising route information but presents more information for drivers to observe and interpret as they drive.
Route knowledge is an important part of the driver’s role, but what they are required to remember will change with the rollout of ETCS. Key details about the route being driven will now be provided directly to the driver through the DMI rather than relying on long-term memory. It is, therefore, important for us to understand what can be reliably provided by the system and what information the driver will have to retain. This research has helped define the minimum route knowledge our drivers will need going forward to operate trains safely.
The next stage of the research will consider how the route knowledge requirements identified for the ECML may be applicable to, or differ from, future ETCS deployments on other lines. The findings will inform an update to the existing rail industry standard.
Keep up to date with the progress of the project at rssb.co.uk/research-catalogue (search for T1319).
To discuss the research, contact Marcus Carmichael, Professional Lead, Operations and Performance:
Marcus.Carmichael@rssb.co.uk
Extending W10 and W12 gauges would allow more wagon-container combinations to run on the network.
Freight vehicle gauges have been used for many years as the simplest way to determine whether a freight train can fit through structures, principally bridges and tunnels, on a railway route. With an improved understanding of gauge capability through existing structures and better gauging analysis tools, there is an opportunity to refine the gauges so that they can accommodate a wider range of freight wagon and load combinations.
In particular, the W10 and W12 freight loading gauge definitions were designed to meet the specifications of certain wagon and container combinations present on the network around the turn of the century. Two recent container flat wagon designs (a total of more than 200 vehicles) are unable to comply with W10 or W12 because their suspensions generate movements that exceed the gauge definition. It is possible to carry out a detailed analysis for each wagon and load to determine compatibility, but a case-by-case approach does not support longer-term planning for new traffic and is not efficient.
This research project is building an evidence base for safely extending the W10 and W12 gauge definitions. It could give the green light to a wider range of wagon and container combinations on compatible routes across the GB freight network. Refining W10 and W12 might also result in being able to clear more routes on the network for these gauges. Benefits include connecting the ports, terminals, and cities on the east and west coasts of the country, where current freight movement is limited by a lack of W10- and W12-cleared lines in the north of England.
Keep up to date with the research project at rssb.co.uk/research-catalogue (search for T1327).
Allowing smaller gaps between train windows and surrounding structures could cut costs during line upgrades.
Providing enough space between moving trains and surrounding structures so that staff or passengers can lean out of the windows without risking death or serious injury is expensive, given the limited space available in the gauging envelope.
However, the need for staff to lean out is much reduced due to changed train designs and working practices. Few carriage windows open on modern trains, so passengers also have limited opportunities to lean out. So, this research is reviewing the requirements for window box clearances on the modern railway.
The work will collate scenarios and locations in which the practice of leaning out of the window is still in place, such as during platform dispatch or for safety checks, and explore alternative mitigations and options.
We will use the current Transpennine Route Upgrade as a case study to assess the challenges and costs of incorporating window box clearances, and we will assess the feasibility and safety implications of removing them.
The results of this research will provide a robust evidence base to inform future requirements for window box clearances.
Keep up to date with the research project at rssb.co.uk/research-catalogue (search for T1329).
