This mail has the purpose of discussing the issue of use of tilting train and the resultant sectional

speed
in the semi high speed rail corridor planed between Trivandrum and Kasaragod. The contents of this mail
is based purely only on the technical literature available on the net and hence may require vetting by
inhouse experts who have worked in High speed or semi high speed rail. In the context of this project,
this is an important issue and hence expect this mail to result in

 Sharing the mail with other in-house experts and getting their inputs/ confirmation
 Whether to persist with tilting train concept for this corridor and
 To decide the speed of the corridor for design of the structural elements, though the DPR do not
require a detailed design of the structures

Tilting train:

A tilting train is a train that has a mechanism enabling increased speed on regular rail tracks increased
speed on regular rail tracks. As a train (or other vehicle) rounds a curve at speed, objects inside the train
experience inertia. This can cause - packages to slide about or - seated passengers to feel squashed and
Standing passengers to lose their balance.

Tilting trains are designed to counteract this discomfort. In a curve to the left, the train tilts to the left to
compensate for the g-force push to the right and vice versa. The train may be constructed such that
inertial forces cause the tilting (passive tilt), or it may have a computer-controlled power mechanism
(active tilt).

For building a high-speed railway transport system, tilting trains can

 either invest money in the train to make it tilt and use existing railway lines
 or invest money in a new railway but don't need to spend money on expensive tilting
mechanisms.

This is why TGV, and ICE and bullet trains do not tilt, because they have their own dedicated high-speed
railway lines where curves are built with very high radii. Tilting trains use Radius less than 600m.

Tilt is used primarily for comfort. An accelerometer is fitted in the first bogie of the train in the direction
of travel and measures lateral forces as the train enters a curve. Computer- controlled hydraulic ram tilt
each coach into the curve, up to a maximum inclination of 6.5º. The tilting system compensates for up
to 75% of the lateral force of a curve. Incidents of 'sea-sickness' or 'tilt nausea’ can occur as 25% of
lateral forces are still felt by the passengers. Rolling stock expert Sh. Priyesh has travelled on tilting trains
in London and have confirmed “tilt nausea”. He also has indicated that the tilting trains may be able to
use radius as less as 300m, which he would confirm.

It was said during the discussions here that the tilting trains can run at 250 Kmph on the semi high speed
corridor if the track curves are set for 200 kmph (for normal train set). But this would make the sectional
speed of the corridor at 250 kmph and this is HIGH SPEED RAIL. There is a lot of difference between
structural design for 200 Kmph ie semi high speed and 250 Kmph which is HIGH SPEED.
The council of the European union in their directive no. 96/48/EC has defined the term “High Speed”
covering all railway express services operated at speeds in the 200 to 300 km/h range. This includes
railway lines:

1. Built specially for high speed generally equal to or greater than 250 km/h250 km/h.

2. Specially upgraded for high speed travels of the order of 200 km/h200 km/h.

As per the above definition, sectional speed of 250 Kmph is HIGH SPEED RAIL and has different method of
analysis.

Optimal Design of Bridges for High-Speed Trains, Single and double-span bridges by CARINE MELLIER
(Master of Science Thesis Stockholm, Sweden 2010) in the chapter 2: Method of analysis shows the
following charts showing the parameters influencing bridge dynamic behavior, which shows that for train
speeds more than 200 Kmph, the parameters differ vastly beyond 200 kmph.
So, if we state that tilting trains can run at 250 Kmph in the semi high speed rail corridor, the civil
structures will have to b designed for 250 Kmph, which is HIGH SPEED RAIL.

So, I would suggest the following.

 The tilting trains are normally used for increasing the speed to higher speed on the existing sharp
curves and not in a new corridor like this project. So, the use of tilting trains in this project shall
be avoided under all circumstances. It follows that the maximum sectional speed shall be only
200 kmph and not 250 kmph.
 250 kmph is HIGH SPEED RAIL and not semi high speed and hence even if the tilting trains are
proposed to be used in this project, it shall be only to reduce the radius of curve and not to
increase the sectional speed to 250 Kmph. (For tilting rain: 600 m radius is appr. 2.9 D and 300 m
radius is app 5.8 D. So does it mean that the new semi high speed can be by the side of the existing
track, if curve is the only limitation for not doing so).
 During the presentation to the Hon. CM of Kerala, MD/ KMRL had stated that the operational
speed of the semi high speed corridor shall be 180 Kmph and average speed of the train shall
be at 130 -140 Kmph. Though this semi high speed is designed for 200 kmph and allows the train
to run at 200 kmph, the decision of the client to run at 180 kmph is final but he structures shall
be proposed to be designed for speed of 200 kmph. CRS in Indian Rail context runs at 10% excess
 of final maximum permissible speed, in this case would be at a conservative 180+18=198 Kmph
which is well below the design speed of the structures.

These above suggestions may be confirmed. I would also like to have an informal discussion with
IIT/Chennai regarding this at an appropriate time as permitted by the MD/ KRDCL.

Thanking you