Transforming rail freight starts with smart wagon concepts

Rail freight transport is a complex but key activity within the overall railway system. Europe currently has around 500,000 freight wagons, and these must be integrated with the circulation of passenger trains.

Moreover, a freight train requires specific installations for shunting, wagon coupling and planning. Its braking systems and mechanical couplings must also undergo checks and tests before being safely dispatched onto the track. Lastly, a freight train must be managed by infrastructure managers and integrated into the traffic management system for the railway network operation.

The European rail freight sector requires rapid transformation if it is to achieve its full potential and achieve a modal share of 30% of all goods transported in Europe by rail by 2030 and more than 50% by 2050.

Technological innovation – including automation, digitalisation, interoperability, energy efficiency, innovation in rolling stock and infrastructure, safety, and reliability – can deliver the competitiveness and reliability that the supply chain demands from rail freight services.

Under the Europe’s Rail programme, partner companies developed a technical demonstrator (TD) to help drive this transformation, exploring a range of innovative smart freight wagon concepts.

Demo: Smart freight wagon concepts

These concepts were based around Running Gear, Core Market Wagon (CMW), and Extended Market Wagon (EMW) components. Together, these technologies form the basis for generating frameworks and functional requirements that enable the development of track-friendly, low-weight, low-noise, and high-speed running gear. This gear must be capable of operating under standard wagon bodies and the latest freight wagon technologies.

Running gear

• Solution: Low-noise, lightweight (aluminium), high-speed and track-friendly freight running gear to increase load capacity.
• TRL: The aluminium boggie reached TRL 4 (technology validated in lab).

Discussion

Running gear work was structured around:

1. Wagon design concepts: researchers looked at the basic parameters of existing covered wagons in the Habbins(s) range and introduced the concept of a new core wagon. They outlined the technical characteristics of the new Habbii(ll)ns(s), examined its strength calculations, and made proposals for design improvement. They then explored the concept of an Extended Market Wagon.
2. Wheelset concepts: research on various concepts for wheelsets, including for Core Market Wagons and Extended Market Wagons.
3. Evaluation of acoustics and aerodynamic characteristics using an experimental facility and wind tunnel measurements.

Key findings

Bogie frames of the Y25 series are mainly manufactured using standard carbon steels. Research focused on aluminium solutions as they reduce the weight of an empty wagon compared to similar steel constructions. This would lead to an increase in payload weight (900 kg) to the maximum axle load utilisation, under the same mechanical and operational assumptions.

This payload increase would be compensated for by delivering better production costs (track access charges and/or more payload), while also improving transport emissions (increasing the payload/tare ratio) and maintenance – because no surface treatment is needed and there is limited corrosion. This feature improves current payload ratio by 13%.

Targeted market: freight wagons market.

EU-Rail solution available for industrialisation: solution Light Thermostable Wheel is ready, solution Silent Wheelset is ready, and solution Axle Mounted Power Harvester is expected by 2025.

Who benefits: Infrastructure managers, Railway operators

Core market wagon (CMW)

• Solution: Lighter and quieter covered wagon with sliding side wall.
• TRL: 7 (system prototype demonstration in an operational environment).

Discussion

CMW is an effort to design a light and intelligent wagon for transporting goods and less rolling noise. It follows the 5L design challenge (low noise, light weight, long lifespan, logistics-capable, life-cycle cost-oriented).

Key findings

CMW is Europe’s first covered wagon with sliding side walls, initially presented as a functional mock-up in Berlin in 2018. This innovative wagon design has an increased volume of two square metres.

It also includes several sub-component optimisations: digital automated couplers (DAC), optimised running gear and wagon-body components, plus modifications on aerodynamics and acoustics. These will all contribute to a greener and more efficient operation.

The telematics and electrification systems enhance logistics capability and CBM concepts.

Targeted market: European freight wagons market.

EU-Rail solution available for commercialisation, ready pending final vehicle authorisation.

Who benefits: Infrastructure managers, Railway operators.

Extended market wagon (EMW)

• Solution: A two-axle wagon solution, provided with a new running gear design that fosters weight reduction and an improved steering capacity to minimise wear and damage of rail and wheels. This wagon aims to deliver a disruptive production solution, appealing to all markets but with a focus on the low volume, high value logistic supply chain.
• TRL: 6 (technology demonstrated in a relevant environment).

Discussion

The EMW technical demonstrator was tested in June 2023, notably with track running tests and twisted track tests, and it was presented at InnoTrans 2022. The display of the Extended Market Wagon served to demonstrate to industry representatives what the hardware components of a new approach to rail freight could look like.

The wagon itself is highly optimised for the task. It incorporates many unique features and functions that should help make rail freight more attractive and competitive in the highly demanding freight transportation sector.

The planned tests were carried out at VÚKV in Czechia and included TSI WG certification tests like quasi-static testing of torsional behaviour, low-speed passage of 150 m radius curves and S-curves, and highspeed stability testing on straight track and large radius curves.

The EMW showed good behaviour in all tests, even in its worst-case configuration with deflated air-springs. It also demonstrated the fault-tolerance and stability of its design, even under relevant failure modes.

As a result, the EMW has been demonstrated in its relevant environment, thus attaining a Technology Readiness Level 6 (technology demonstrated in relevant environment).

Key findings

EMW offers a new production model aimed at intermodal rail freight, mainly based on block trains and circular production modes. It primarily targets the high value/low volume market. Thus, vessel size (in terms of load length and/or volume), not weight or maximum payload, is the limiting factor. Therefore, the payload for road and rail freight are on the same level of 13.4 tonnes per truck and wagon. The shift factor is 1, which means that one extended market can carry the load of one truck.

EMW comes with a 10% reduction in energy consumption due to its better aerodynamics (fairing and container sequence, platform distance). It is also designed to operate at a maximum speed of 140 KPH. Furthermore, it offers a 13% increase in payload.

The wagon comes with DAC, which enables energy and data functions governed by the Wagon on Board unit, delivering info not only about the wagon status, but also payload status.

This wagon is expected to deliver between a 40-50% improvement in the specific cost of transport per unit (ISO-container or swap bodies).

Targeted market: European freight wagons market.

EU-Rail Solution available and ready for industrialisation.

Who benefits: Infrastructure managers, Railway operators.

Next steps: testing of modular and logistic-capable new wagon concepts with telematics/communication solutions.

Innovative smart freight wagon concepts

With a focus on automation, digitalisation, interoperability, energy efficiency, safety and reliability, Europe’s Rail has helped advance a number of innovative smart freight wagon concepts – concepts that are sure to help make rail freight more competitive, reliable, and sustainable.