The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) Office of Research and Development has been conducting research into rail equipment crashworthiness. The approach taken in conducting this research has been to review relevant accidents, identify options for design modifications to improve occupant survivability, and to apply analytic tools and testing techniques for evaluating the effectiveness of these strategies. Accidents have been grouped into three categories: train-to-train collisions, collisions with objects, such as grade crossing collisions, and derailments and other single train events. In order to determine the potential effectiveness of improved crashworthiness equipment, computer models have been used to simulate the behavior of conventional and modified equipment in scenarios based on accidents.
INTRODUCTIONTrain accidents can be tragic events, with loss of life and serious injuries. The crashworthiness features of the train are intended to minimize fatalities and injuries if an accident does occur. The purpose of such features is to preserve sufficient space for the occupants to ride out the collision, and to maintain the forces and decelerations imparted to the occupants within survivable levels. Structural features of the cars, such as longitudinal strength of the carbody and crush zones at the ends of cars, influence how well the cars preserve the occupant volume during a collision and the decelerations imparted to the occupants. Occupant protection features inside the car, such as compartmentalization, influence the forces imparted to the occupants.