Presentation of the EU FP7 AeroTRAIN project and first results

The paper presents the AeroTRAIN project in railway aerodynamics, the objectives and some first results. The project is promoting interoperable rail traffic by addressing identified needs in rolling stock authorisation, mainly focusing on the technical specifications for interoperability. The areas addressed are: open air pressure pulses, aerodynamic loads on track (ballast pick-up), crosswinds, train-tunnel interaction (loads on conventional trains and micro-pressure wave phenomena) and slipstream effects. The work contains full-scale and model-scale tests as well as numerical simulations. Complementing the area specific research is work focusing on regulatory acceptance by emphasising a scientific assessment of uncertainties and ensuring that the safety, effectiveness, efficiency and feasibility of the proposed conformity assessment processes are convincing.