ECONOMIC HIGH-SPEED RUNNING OF RAILWAYS

Railway engineers have for some years been accelerating their understanding of those branches of engineering science applicable to the development of techniques leading to new equipment to meet changing market needs. Carrying passengers is more than half British Rail's total business, and this article describes the growth in technology devoted to improving the speeds of passenger trains. Topics dealt with include the lateral stability of vehicles, route alignment, lateral track forces, vertical track forces, track developments, braking and acceleration, aerodynamic drag, eletrification, signalling and traffic control, and the economics of innovation.