The development of rail vehicle crashworthiness

Abstract

The conscious design of passenger vehicles to provide protection to passengers in the event of collision accidents is a development of the second half of the twentieth century. This paper traces the major steps taken along this path in Europe and the United Kingdom and relates the development of the associated structural standards to the emerging vehicle designs. At the present time valuable data are beginning to emerge from the European-funded ‘Safetrain’ project. This work and the safety requirements for European high-speed interoperability are being brought into the common perspective of a European crashworthiness standard for all types of rail vehicle. The structure of this standard is outlined. Some of the current areas of debate associated with achieving the objectives and validating vehicle performance are discussed