PJM Carried Out Dynamic Tests For RhB

Rhätische Bahn is one of the most beautiful railways in the world, and the Bernina and Albula lines are even UNESCO World Heritage sites. In addition to the picturesque landscape, the technical requirements are fascinating. Typical for the metre gauge lines are curves up to 45 m radius and gradients up to 70 ‰. The Class ABe 8/12 Allegra EMUs made by Stadler, which are used on this line in various vehicle configurations, are perfectly tailored to these high line requirements.

In order to test the running characteristics of different train compositions under special operating conditions (various speeds and various puffer forces), PJM was commissioned with running tests, which included compositions of Allegra EMU + A 1271 coach + ABe 4/4 III electric railcar as well as Allegra + A 1271 coach + Allegra.

The test runs took place in November 2022. The data analysis and report were recently completed. The project was carried out in several parts by the experienced system specialist from Austria:
- In the preliminary stage, the wheel-rail forces as well as occurring buffer forces were determined by simulations. In this way, critical conditions or constellations could be resolved computationally. Another advantage is that this keeps the metrological effort to a minimum.
- Instrumented wheelsets, accelerators, transducers as well as measuring buffers were prepared in the usual way at the company‘s location in Graz and then installed on the test vehicle at the RhB main workshop in Landquart.
- The measurement campaign was carried out on the line between Poschiavo and Alp Grüm. In real operation, the running behaviour was tested under increased operating forces.

For the first time, the mobile calibration test rig for measuring wheelsets developed by PJM was used in this project in addition to the proven calibration procedure. This means that measurement reliability can also be ensured for projects on site.

RhB At A Glance

The 385 km long network is mainly located in the canton of Graubünden and a small part is situated in Italy. One third of the track is at an altitude of over 1,500 m above sea level. Typical for the metre gauge line are curves up to 45 m radius and gradients up to 70 ‰. The rolling stock comprises around 1,000 vehicles, including the panorama cars of the Bernina or Glacier Express as well as Allegra EMUs.