Rolling stock in the railway system - Volume 1

The first volume aims at facilitating the understanding of the design and functioning of rolling stock in a complex and interconnected railway system, which allows for a very wide variety of applications, from urban rail to high speed trains.
It starts with an in-depth discussion of the worldwide rolling stock and industry history and evolution, followed by a proposal for the segmentation of the railway transport market, based on the identification of its main actors, domains and services. Particular focus is given on interoperability and safety, based on an analysis of the related European directives and their associated technical documents, regulations and standards.
It continues with a technical and scientific description of two railway-specific key interfaces between rolling stock and infrastructure, gauging and wheel-rail dynamic interaction, and ends with a detailed presentation of the way in which the life cycle of the rolling stock is mastered through maintenance.