This European Standard defines the process for assessment of the running characteristics of railway vehicles for the European network of standard gauge tracks (nominally 1 435 mm).
In addition to the assessment of the running characteristics of vehicles for acceptance processes, this standard also defines quantities and dependencies that are not directly used for acceptance purposes. This information is for example intended for the validation of simulation models. It can also be used to define operating conditions outside the reference conditions to be used for the approval.
The assessment of running characteristics applies to vehicles which:
- are newly developed;
- have had relevant design modifications; or
- have changes in their operating conditions.
The assessment process is based on specified target test conditions (see 3.1) given in this document.
Experience over many years has demonstrated that vehicles complying with this standard can be operated safely on infrastructure with conditions more severe than the target test conditions, if the current general operating rules are applied. As an example it is generally current practice to restrict cant deficiency in curves below a certain radius. It may be necessary to adapt these operating rules, if a deterioration of the infrastructure conditions is observed. These operating rules are defined on a national basis. The procedure to evaluate these operating rules is out of the scope of this standard.
NOTE 1 There are margins included in the specified limit values and the statistical evaluation. They cannot be quantified, but they explain why vehicles can also be operated at full speed and cant deficiency in many cases outside of the target test conditions.
This standard also enables the demonstration of compliance against the target test conditions for the case that their combination is not achievable during tests. It is also possible to carry out the assessment of a vehicle for limited test conditions such as test zones 1 and 2 or reduced speed or reduced cant deficiency. In this case the approval of the vehicle shall be restricted accordingly.
NOTE 2 National regulations sometimes allow the increase or decrease of the values for speed, curve radius and cant deficiency for local operation based on safety considerations taking into account the local characteristics of the infrastructure (track layout, track structure, track geometrical quality and contact conditions). These local characteristics can be different from those included in the assessment for the vehicle acceptance.
NOTE 3 The methods of this standard can also be applied to gather information about the compatibility between the vehicle and infrastructure with conditions more severe than the target test conditions. The results of such investigations can be used to determine safe operating rules for such infrastructure conditions.
Where testing the vehicle demonstrates that the performance of a vehicle complies with the requirements of this standard when operating at maximum speed and maximum cant deficiency under infrastructure conditions that are more severe than the target test conditions, the obtained results are accepted and there is no need to carry out additional tests to fulfil the requirements defined in this standard.
This standard addresses four aspects:
1) Vehicles
The assessment of the running characteristics applies principally to all railway vehicles. The document contains acceptance criteria for all types of vehicles with nominal static vertical wheelset forces up to 225 kN (of the highest loaded wheelset of the vehicle in the assessed load configuration specified in 5.3.2). In addition for freight vehicles with nominal static vertical wheelset forces up to 250 kN the acceptance criteria are defined. The acceptance criteria given in this document apply to vehicles designed to operate on standard gauge tracks.
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