Crashworthiness Standards for the U.S. Light Rail Environment

Rail vehicle safety standards for the United States have historically placed emphasis on high structural strength requirements to ensure safety. The primary requirements to ensure crash safety were the 800,000-lb longitudinal buff strength requirement for heavy rail applications and the corresponding buff strength specification equal to twice the vehicle weight in many light rail vehicles. These requirements have resulted in rail vehicle designs that are heavier and often require significant modifications from those developed for international markets. Current efforts to develop a safety standard for light rail vehicles (LRVs) in the United States are attempting to reconcile the benefits and costs of these different design methodologies. In addition, any proposed LRV safety or crashworthiness standard should include the recent improvements in crashworthiness engineering that have been incorporated into many modern rail vehicle designs. This study addresses some of these concerns within the light rail community.

• Record URL:
  • https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/17610
• 
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00978515
• Authors:
  • Kirkpatrick, Steven W
  • Schroeder, Martin P
• Conference:
  • Light Rail Transit: A World of Applications and Opportunities. Joint International Light Rail Conference
  • Location: St. Louis Missouri, United States
  • Date: 2006-4-9 to 2006-4-11
• Publication Date: 2007-1

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: Figures; Photos; References;
• Pagination: pp 397-412
• Monograph Title: Joint International Light Rail Conference: A World of Applications and Opportunities, April 9-11, 2006, St. Louis, Missouri
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Circular
  • Issue Number: E-C112
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0097-8515

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefit cost analysis; Crashworthiness; Light rail vehicles; Safety engineering; Standards; Strength of materials; Vehicle safety
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Highways; Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01044142
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Mar 19 2007 3:55PM