Innovative bogie design helps optimize the railway network
© 2013 EPFL
Track maintenance expenses contribute heavily to the overall operating costs of railways. Track degradation depends on a variety of factors, and bogie design is crucial among them.
Bombardier Transportation developed an innovative bogie design that ensures roll compensation and provides radial steering of the axles. This is expected to significantly reduce track degradation. Combining results of its own research on track maintenance and Bombardier’s data on bogie behaviour, the research led by EPFL -LITE P made it possible to assess the cost savings that this innovation can provide. This research work was a major contributory factor to the choice the Swiss Federal Railways made last spring for new rolling stock; it needed to both satisfy the requirements of the future railways whilst avoiding extra infrastructure investment.