This document defines the assessment of endurable longitudinal compressive force (LCF) of a vehicle. The endurable longitudinal compressive force is a parameter depending on the vehicle design. It is used to estimate the risk of derailment of a vehicle as a result of being subjected to longitudinal compressive force, under operating conditions.
NOTE 1 As operating conditions can vary in several aspects (infrastructure, train configurations etc.), this document defines uniform assessments of endurable longitudinal compressive force per vehicle in specific operating conditions. The main assessment of endurable longitudinal compressive force for conventional trains is derived from UIC 530-2:2011, which is based on practical tests performed in ERRI-B12. Assessments of endurable longitudinal compressive force for high-capacity trains in this document are required by the methodology of IRS 40421. IRS 40421 assesses operational train parameters.
This document applies to the following types of vehicles:
- single wagons;
- permanently coupled units with standard ends between the vehicles;
- permanently coupled units with diagonal buffers and screw couplers between the vehicles;
- permanently coupled units with a bar coupler between the vehicles;
- articulated units with 2-axle bogies;
- wagons with 3-axle bogies;
- low-floor wagons with eight or more axles (e.g. rolling road wagon);
- vehicles with centre couplers;
- railbound construction and maintenance machines as defined in EN 14033-1:2017.
NOTE 2 This document defines the acceptance process to be followed by vehicles that are operated in a way that high longitudinal compressive force occur in the trains due to their operational environment (e.g. train composition, brake mode, track layout).
The following vehicles are not in the scope of this document:
- locomotives and passenger rolling stocks;
- vehicles that are only operated in passenger trains.
NOTE 3 Locomotives, passenger rolling stocks and vehicles operated in passenger trains only are not in the scope of this document as they either are subject to low longitudinal compressive force in operation or have sufficient endurable longitudinal compressive force due to their axle load.
Acceptance criteria and test conditions as well as conditions for simulation are defined in this document. Conditions for dispensation of the assessment of the endurable longitudinal compressive force are also defined in this document.
This document applies principally to vehicles which operate without restrictions on tracks with a gauge of 1 435 mm in Europe.
NOTE 4 The influence on railway systems using other gauges is not sufficiently understood to extend the scope of this document to gauges other than 1 435 mm.
NOTE 5 For wagons with centre couplers, a need for assessment of derailment risk due to Longitudinal Forces on other gauges (1 524 mm, 1 600 mm, 1 668 mm) has been expressed. The influence on railway systems using other gauges is not sufficiently understood. This document only introduces some notions to assess it independently from the gauge.