Track loading limits and cross-acceptance of vehicle approvals

The requirements for track loading limits are one of the main barriers to simple cross-acceptance of vehicles where rolling stock that is already operating successfully in one (or more) networks has to be retested before it can be approved for operation on another network. DynoTRAIN Work Package 4 studied this area in order to determine whether the additional requirements were justified, or if the process could be made much cheaper and simpler without increasing the risk of track deterioration for the networks. The review of national requirements identified modified criteria and limit values for track forces in some member states; however, these can be obtained from additional analysis of the normal test results with no new tests required. The influence of design rail inclination has also been found not to be significant, provided a realistic range of wheel–rail contact conditions are included in the tests. For line speeds greater than or equal to 160 km/h, the current standards for track construction acr...