SUSTAINABLE RAILWAY ENGINEERING AND OPERATIONS

TRANSPORT AND SUSTAINABILITY

Series Editors Stephen Ison, John Shaw and Maria Attard

Recent Volumes:

Volume 1:Cycling and Sustainability
Volume 2:Transport and Climate Change
Volume 3:Sustainable Transport for Chinese Cities
Volume 4:Sustainable Aviation Futures
Volume 5:Parking: Issues and Policies
Volume 6:Sustainable Logistics
Volume 7:Sustainable Urban Transport
Volume 8:Paratransit: Shaping the Flexible Transport Future
Volume 9:Walking: Connecting Sustainable Transport with Health
Volume 10:Transport, Travel and Later Life
Volume 11:Safe Mobility: Challenges, Methodology and Solutions
Volume 12:Urban Mobility and Social Equity in Latin America: Evidence, Concepts, Methods
Volume 13:Sustainable Transport and Tourism Destinations

EDITORIAL BOARD

  • Lucy Budd, De Montfort University, UK

  • Michela Le Pira, University of Catania, Italy

  • Becky Loo, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

  • Corinne Mulley, University of Sydney, Australia

  • John Nelson, University of Sydney, Australia

  • Joachim Scheiner, Technical University of Dortmund, Germany

TRANSPORT AND SUSTAINABILITY - VOLUME 14

SUSTAINABLE RAILWAY ENGINEERING AND OPERATIONS

EDITED BY

SIMON BLAINEY

University of Southampton, UK

and

JOHN PRESTON

University of Southampton, UK

United Kingdom – North America – Japan – India – Malaysia – China

Emerald Publishing Limited

Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley BD16 1WA, UK

First edition 2022

Copyright © 2022 Emerald Publishing Limited.

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No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without either the prior written permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying issued in the UK by The Copyright Licensing Agency and in the USA by The Copyright Clearance Center. Any opinions expressed in the chapters are those of the authors. Whilst Emerald makes every effort to ensure the quality and accuracy of its content, Emerald makes no representation implied or otherwise, as to the chapters’ suitability and application and disclaims any warranties, express or implied, to their use.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-83909-589-4 (Print)

ISBN: 978-1-83909-588-7 (Online)

ISBN: 978-1-83909-590-0 (Epub)

ISSN: 2044-9941 (Series)

Simon Blainey: This book is dedicated to my father, David Blainey, and my grandfather, Anthony Newman, both of whom inspired and encouraged my interest in transport in general and railways in particular.

List of Tablesxi
List of Figuresxiii
About the Contributorsxix
Chapter 1: Introduction 
Simon Blainey and John Preston1
Chapter 2: System and Route Planning 
Simon Blainey5
Chapter 3: Railway Station and Interchange Design: A Station Design that Perfectly Fits the Quality Needs of Passengers 
Mark van Hagen19
Chapter 4: Community Rail: Helping Our Railways to Deliver Social, Environmental and Economic Sustainability 
Jools Townsend41
Chapter 5: The Railway Track System: Performance and Trackbed Design 
Louis Le Pen and William Powrie61
Chapter 6: Railway Earthworks: Design and Performance 
Joel Smethurst and William Powrie91
Chapter 7: Noise and Vibration 
David Thompson and Giacomo Squicciarini113
Chapter 8: Rail Vehicle Dynamics 
David Thompson and Giacomo Squicciarini133
Chapter 9: Passenger Rolling Stock 
Mark Robinson and John Roberts149
Chapter 10: Sustainable Urban Railways 
Peter White171
Chapter 11: High-speed Rail 
Andrew Mcnaughton187
Chapter 12: Capacity, Timetabling and Sustainability 
John Armstrong203
Chapter 13: Signalling and Traffic Management 
Jörn Pachl221
Chapter 14: Towards a Sustainable Digital Railway 
Heather Steele and Clive Roberts239
Chapter 15: Regulation, Organisation and Governance for Sustainable Railways 
John Preston265
Chapter 16: Towards a Financially Sustainable Railway 
Jonathan Cowie281
Chapter 17: Rail Safety 
Andrew W. Evans295
Chapter 18: Interior Passive Safety 
Mark Robinson and John Roberts305
Chapter 19: Conclusions 
John Preston and Simon Blainey325
Index331
Chapter 3:
Table 1.Importance of the Trip Phases in the Overall Journey Evaluation21
Table 2.Distances Between Different Means of Transport at Selected European Stations26
Chapter 5:
Table 1.Maximum Train Speeds for Given Curve Radii68
Table 2.Load/Track Data71
Table 3.Periodic Trains72
Table 4.Example Mixed Trainset Vehicles72
Chapter 9:
Table 1.Differences between Articulated and Non-articulated Trains166
Chapter 10:
Table 1.Characteristics of Travel in London Compared With Other English Regions181
Table 2.Distance Travelled by Public Transport Modes, by Income Quintile, England 2019183
Chapter 12:
Table 1.Comparative Passenger Transport Capacities205
Chapter 14:
Table 1.Grades of Automation for Train Operation246
Chapter 17:
Table 1.Railway Fatalities: Europe 2010–2017296
Table 2.Railway Fatalities per Year Excluding Those at Level Crossings, Trespassers, and Suicides: Europe 2010–2017297
Table 3.Broad Causes of Fatal Train Accidents: Europe 1990–2017299
Table 4.Level Crossings and Fatalities: Europe 2010–2017301
Chapter 18:
Table 1.AIS310
Table 2.Passenger Injury Criteria with Target and Maximum Tolerance Levels317
Chapter 3:
Fig. 1.Two Ways to Influence the Quality of Trip Phases: e.g. Shorten the Waiting Time and Enhance the Appreciation of the Wait20
Fig. 2.Quality Dimensions in Order of Importance23
Fig. 3.Moving and Staying Translated to Fast and Slow Areas24
Fig. 4.Stimulus–Organism–Response Model27
Fig. 5.Inverted U-curve28
Fig. 6.Inverted U-curve and Psychological Reversal29
Fig. 7.Three Management Dimensions of a Service31
Fig. 8.The Learning Curve for Quality Improvement32
Fig. 9.New Rotterdam Central Station35
Fig. 10.Development of General Score of Rotterdam Central Station36
Chapter 4:
Fig. 1.The Four Pillars of the DfT’s Community Rail Development Strategy47
Fig. 2.Leeds to Morecambe Community Rail Partnership has worked with train operator Northern and community partners to provide dementia-friendly signage and features, staff training, local awareness-raising, and to show how the railway responds to local needs49
Fig. 3.Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership’s initiative promoting travel on the Looe Valley line to tourists and local families, drawing on the line’s history50
Chapter 5:
Fig. 1.Cross Section Through a Ballasted Track System63
Fig. 2.Wheel–Rail Interface Forces on a Train Curving on Canted Track66
Fig. 3.Schematic of an Infinite Beam on an Elastic Foundation with Moving Loads Fn at Axle Offsets dn69
Fig. 4.Influence of Changing Support Stiffness (System Modulus) on (a) Deflection Bowl and (b) Load Transfer for 60 kg/m Rail70
Fig. 5.An Example of a Time Deflection Trace for a Periodic Train (Class 395 Pendolino – Inlay Photo (© Louis Le Pen)) at Three Different Track Support System Moduli, a Speed of 50 m/s, and 60 kg/m rail72
Fig. 6.An Example of a Time Deflection Trace for a Mixed Freight Vehicle Trainset (Freight Vehicle, class 66 loco, Coalfish and Falcon Wagons – Inlay Photo (© Geoff Watson)) at Three Different Track Support System Moduli, a Speed of 50 m/s, and 56 kg/m Rail73
Fig. 7.An Example of a Time Deflection Trace for a Mixed Passenger Vehicle Trainset (Class 91 loco, Mark IV Coaches, Driver Van Trailer – Inlay Photo (© Geoff Watson) at Three Different Track Different Track Support System Moduli, a Speed of 50 m/s, and 56 kg/m Rail73
Fig. 8.Vertical Stress Beneath a Rail Loaded by the Ends of Two Javelin Vehicles74
Fig. 9.Measured Deflection Ranges Along a Section of Mature Ballasted UK Track as a Periodic Passenger Train Passes75
Fig. 10.Typical 35 m wavelength top data for a single rail (left hand) before and after maintenance76
Fig. 11.Typical 35 m wavelength top data for a single rail (right hand) before and after maintenance77
Fig. 12.Approximately Similar Views Along a Track (a) Before and (b) After a Renewal. Before the Renewal, a Localised Section of Mud Pumping Has Led to Relative Vertical Rail Settlement Which Is Visible to the Eye77
Fig. 13.1/8-Mile SD with Time for Section of UK Track78
Fig. 14.A Typical Mechanised Tamper80
Fig. 15.A Crossing Nose with Switch Tips in the Distance and Modular Bearers81
Fig. 16.Trackbed Design Flow Diagram83
Fig. 17.A trackbed Dug Out Ready for Renewal84
Chapter 6:
Fig. 1.Definition of an Embankment and Cutting93
Fig. 2.Earthworks Construction on the Great Central Railway Around 189798
Fig. 3.Common Modes of Failure and Deterioration in Old Earth Railway: (a) Embankments and (b) Cuttings100
Fig. 4.(a) Deep-seated Embankment Failure near Edenbridge, Kent. (b) Surface Wash-out Failure in a Chalk Cutting near Watford, Hertfordshire102
Fig. 5.Earthworks Failures on Network Rail: (a) Numbers of Earthwork Failures on the UK Network Rail System by Winter, with the Variation from the Long-term Average UK Rainfall, Redrawn from Brown (2014). (b) Earthworks Failure Numbers for Successive Five-year Network Rail Management Control Periods (CPs), from Mair (2021)104
Chapter 7:
Fig. 1.Frequency Weightings Used for Sound Signals117
Fig. 2.Attenuation with Distance Relative to 1 m for a Line Source, a Point Source and Finite Line Source of Different Lengths119
Fig. 3.Notional Time-history of Train Pass-by Noise Level Indicating Various Measurement Quantities120
Fig. 4.Example of Wheel, Rail and Sleeper Contributions to Radiated Sound at 7.5 m from the Track. Modern Electric Multiple Unit on Modern Ballasted Track122
Fig. 5.Generation of Lateral Creepage from a Nonzero Yaw Angle124
Fig. 6.Noise Levels During Train Pass-by at 25 m from the Track for Various Types of TGV126
Chapter 8:
Fig. 1.Typical Transverse Profiles of Wheels and Rails134
Fig. 2.Contact Positions on Wheel and Rail for S1002 Wheel Profile and UIC60 Rail Profile for Lateral Offsets of the Wheelset between −10 and 10 mm135
Fig. 3.Contact Patch Size and Vertical Deflection of the Contact as a Function of Normal Load for a Wheel of Radius 0.42 m on a Rail with Radius of Curvature 0.3 m Calculated Using Hertz Theory136
Fig. 4.Normal Stress Distribution on the Centreline of the Contact Patch for a Wheel of Radius 0.42 m on a Rail With Radius of Curvature 0.3 m with a Normal Load of 50 kN Calculated Using Hertz Theory137
Fig. 5.Tangential Force Behaviour138
Fig. 6.Schematic Plan View of a Bogie with Two Wheelsets in a Curve139
Fig. 7.Schematic View of Vehicle Suspension140
Fig. 8.Transmissibility for a Single Degree of Freedom System with Different Damping Ratios ζ, Plotted Against Non-dimensional Frequency ω/ωn141
Fig. 9.Typical Traction Acceleration Plotted Against Train Speed144
Fig. 10.Results for Worked Example for Level Track and 1:100 Gradients Both Up and Down146
Chapter 9:
Fig. 1.The CPM155
Fig. 2.EN 15227 Compliance Scenarios159
Fig. 3.Like-to-like Impact with an Override Condition160
Fig. 4.Standard Design Case for the 80-tonne Freight Wagon161
Fig. 5.Computer Analysis Showing Deformation of the Driver’s Cab with a Driver Survival Zone Should Be Provided161
Fig. 6.Typical Obstacle Deflector Design162
Fig. 7.Driver’s Seat Indicating the Seat Minimum Clearances163
Fig. 8.L’Autorail Grande Capacité (AGC) Car Body164
Fig. 9.Cab Structure Analysis Model165
Fig. 10.Talent Platform Showing the Energy Absorption Components165
Fig. 11.Basic Composition of a Section of Articulated Train with a Distributed Power Pattern166
Fig. 12.Basic Composition of a Section of Non-articulated Train with a Distributed Power Pattern166
Fig. 13.Energy Absorption Concept for Articulated Vehicles167
Fig. 14.Energy Absorption Device Prior to Crushing167
Fig. 15.Energy Absorption Post Crush168
Chapter 11:
Fig. 1.Development of HSR Speed (Based on UIC Data)189
Fig. 2.Length of HSR Lines in Service (Based on UIC Data)190
Chapter 12:
Fig. 1.Timetable Graph for Morning Peak Services on the Victoria Line205
Fig. 2.Historic Railway Route Mileage in Great Britain207
Chapter 13:
Fig. 1.Principles for Spacing Trains224
Fig. 2.Interlocking Routes230
Fig. 3.ETCS Levels235
Chapter 14:
Fig. 1.Sustainability Functions of Rail Within Transport, and Industry 4.0 Within Rail242
Fig. 2.The Elements of the Digital Railway and How They Interact244
Fig. 3.RSSB’s Emerging Technologies Radar for Horizon Scanning245
Fig. 4.Overview of ETCS Levels 1–3247
Fig. 5.Proposed Railway Digital Twin Layers254
Fig. 6.Relationship between Project Management and System Engineering Responsibilities260
Fig. 7.Digital Railway Core Values and Challenges261
Chapter 15:
Fig. 1.British Railways Board Organisation – 1 March 1978267
Fig. 2.Matrix Management268
Fig. 3.Multidivisional Structure269
Fig. 4.Initial Privatised Structure270
Fig. 5.Subsequent Privatised Structure271
Fig. 6.Forms of Ownership275
Fig. 7.A Taxonomy of Rail Structures276
Chapter 16:
Fig. 1.Main Areas of Railway Financial Resources and Outgoings283
Fig. 2.Deficit Funding Versus PSO Contract Payments286
Chapter 17:
Fig. 1.Distribution of Fatalities in Train Accidents: Europe 1990–2017298
Fig. 2.Fatal Train Accidents per Billion Train-kilometre: Europe 1990–2017299
Chapter 18:
Fig. 1.Typical Interior Layout313
Fig. 2.Plastic Bodyform313
Fig. 3.Impact Velocity Versus Distance of Occupant from Impacted318
Fig. 4.HIC Versus Impact Velocity319
Fig. 5.Seat Systems321

John Armstrong is a Senior Research Fellow in the Transportation Research Group at the University of Southampton, UK, working mainly in operations planning and capacity and performance analysis. His background is in civil engineering, and he has 20 years of railway-related experience in consultancy and academic research.

Simon Blainey is an Associate Professor in Transportation at the University of Southampton’s Transportation Research Group. He has published widely on railway-related topics and led a number of railway research projects, focussing particularly on demand modelling and appraisal. Teaching activities include leading a module on ‘Railway Engineering and Operations’.

Jonathan Cowie is Lecturer in Transport Economics at Edinburgh Napier University, UK, and author of The Economics of Transport published in 2009 and co-editor of the Routledge Handbook of Transport Economics published in 2017. He has written many conference and journal papers on the supply side economics of transport services and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a long-time member of the Scottish Economic Society.

Andrew W. Evans is a Senior Research Investigator and Emeritus Professor (previously Lloyds Register Professor) of Transport Risk Management in the Centre for Transport Studies at Imperial College London. Before that he was Professor of Transport Safety at University College London. He is an economist and statistician by background. His research interests include both public transport and road safety, principally risk estimation, risk appraisal, the economics of safety, and safety regulation. He gave important evidence to the Cullen and Uff rail accident inquiries and was a member of the Risk Assessment Group for the second Cullen inquiry. While the principal focus of his work has been railway safety, he has also made significant contributions to research in road safety, aviation safety and inter-modal comparisons.

Mark van Hagen (Master in Economic Geography) has been heavily involved in public transport for more than 30 years. He started his career at Schiphol Airport Amsterdam. Since 1990, he has worked for NS, now as a principal consultant customer experience. He is responsible for studies on customer demands, chain management and station development. Analysing customer data and advising the top management of NS is also his responsibility. In April 2011, he finished his dissertation on ‘Waiting experience at train stations’ with distinction at the University of Twente.

Andrew McNaughton is a Professorial Fellow at University of Southampton and Chairman of Network Rail (High Speed) Ltd, the operator and asset manager of Britain’s HS1 railway. He led the design and specification of HS2. He advises several governments on rail strategy, particularly around high-speed rail investment. He started his rail career in 1973, culminating in being Chief Engineer for the GB rail network. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of engineering in 2007.

Jörn Pachl became a Professor and Institute’s Chair for Railway Systems at TU Braunschweig after a senior management position at German Railways. He holds a PhD degree and has published several textbooks on railway operations and signalling. He is also teaching at universities in Berlin, Beijing and Bangkok.

Dr Louis Le Pen, CEng MICE, is a Senior Research Fellow in railway systems infrastructure; he has worked at University of Southampton since 2011 and prior to that worked as a Consultant Geotechnical Engineer. He co-edited the industry publication A Guide to Track Stiffness and has authored many other research papers.

William Powrie is Professor of Geotechnical Engineering and Director of Programmes in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Southampton. He is known internationally for his contributions to education and research in soil mechanics and geotechnical engineering, especially his role in developing environmental and transportation geotechnics. He was principal investigator for the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council initiative Rail Research UK to establish railway research in UK universities. He leads the major programme grant Track to the Future, investigating train–track–substructure interactions, and is Convenor of the UK Collaboratorium for Research on Infrastructure and Cities. He was elected Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2009.

John Preston has been Professor of Rail Transport at the University of Southampton since 2006. He has extensive experience in rail research and education, having undertaken doctoral research for British Rail (1982–1985) and been the British Rail Lecturer in Rail Transport (1990–1995). He is a Co-Chair of the World Conference on Transport Research Society’s Rail Special Interest Group and is a Committee Member of the International Association of Rail Operations Research. He is a member of the Future Traffic Regulation Optimisation Project Control Board and the Vehicle/Train Control and Communications Systems Interface Committee.

Clive Roberts is Professor of Railway Systems, Head of the School of Engineering and Director of the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education at the University of Birmingham. Over the last 23 years, he has worked extensively with industry and academia to improve the performance of railway systems across the world.

John Roberts is Professor of Rail Vehicle Structures and Crashworthiness; his research interests are in the simulation of rail passengers in the crash environment. He serves as Chairman of KURail at Kasetsart University Bangkok, Thailand, and UIC Ambassador for Education in Thailand.

Mark Robinson is Professor of Rail Systems Engineering; his main research interests include the development and application of lightweight materials for rail vehicles and crashworthy composite structures. In 2009, he received the Institute of Mechanical Engineers Safety Award and the Alfred Rosling Bennett/Charles S. Lake Award for his work on aluminium weld unzipping.

Joel Smethurst is Associate Professor of Geotechnical Engineering at the University of Southampton. He has taught on courses in geotechnical and railway engineering at the university for over 10 years. His main technical interest is in geotechnical transport infrastructure, including the long-term performance, deterioration/ageing and failure of geotechnical structures, and their upgrade and repair. Past and current work has investigated the impacts of climate, weather and vegetation on pore water pressures and movements within railway earthworks and methods by which they may be stabilised and repaired.

Giacomo Squicciarini is a Lecturer in the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR), University of Southampton. He studied mechanical engineering at Politecnico Milano, Italy, where he also obtained a PhD on the vibroacoustics of piano soundboards. He joined the ISVR in 2012 working in the field of railway noise.

Dr Heather Steele is a Research Fellow in the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education at the University of Birmingham, working primarily on data analysis and simulation projects to improve railway system performance. Her research interests are in future rail and sustainability.

David Thompson is Professor of Railway Noise and Vibration in the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton. He previously worked for British Rail Research and TNO in the Netherlands. He has written over 200 journal papers and a book on Railway Noise and Vibration, published in 2009.

Jools Townsend has 20 years’ experience in third-sector community engagement and communications. She is CEO of the Community Rail Network (previously Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP)): empowering and championing 1,000+ local groups and partnerships promoting access to sustainable transport and bringing people together. She has a master’s in political communication, exploring how non-governmental organisations can promote sustainability.

Peter White retired as Professor of Public Transport Systems at the University of Westminster in 2015 but continues to be active as Emeritus Professor in research and writing in this field. He is author of the textbook Public Transport: its Planning, Management and Operation (1st edition, 1976) and numerous papers and research reports.