SOUTH KOREA: Rolling stock manufacturer Hyundai Rotem has appointed UK-based consultancy Frazer-Nash to assess the crashworthiness of an aluminium-bodied commuter train which it is developing. The electric multiple-unit is initially targeted at the Korean market, but Hyundai Rotem hopes to export orders will follow.
Frazer-Nash will investigate the effects of collision scenarios set out in European standards to understand how the cab and bodyshell would deform as kinetic energy is absorbed in an impact.
'Rail accidents are thankfully rare, but when they do occur they can involve collisions at significant velocities', said Graeme Anderson of Frazer-Nash. 'Most structural deformation in such a collision typically occurs in the cab area, so the driver of the train is usually in a particularly vulnerable position. Our focus is on ensuring that the new train design is sufficient to reduce this deformation and therefore protect the driver as much as possible. It is also vital to reduce the rate of deceleration of the passenger compartments as much as possible'.
