PantoTRAIN is part of the TrioTRAIN cluster of projects. TrioTRAIN, an acronym for Total Regulatory Acceptance for the Interoperable Network, is the common title given to a cluster of projects (three hence “Trio”) dealing with key railway interoperability issues. The objective of these projects is to propose an innovative methodology that will ease rail vehicole certification process in Europe to become a faster, cheaper and better process for all involved stakeholders.

Accordingly, the high level objectives of the PantoTRAIN project include:

• To introduce in the current certification process of the pantograph / catenary system new procedures based on numerical simulations and Hardware-in-the-Loop testing, to reduce migration time for the implementation of new interoperable solutions;
• To use the numerical and physical simulation to extend pantograph homologation to different catenary systems, thereby enhancing the interoperable use of existing infrastructure and the development of new interoperable pantographs;
• To foster the use of innovative and mechatronic pantographs, by understanding how the homologation process needs to these systems and by revising the limits provided by the TSI’s;
• To use the simulated behaviour of new / modified pantographs or catenaries “close” to those already certified by line tests, thereby avoiding to repeat certification tests on the new / modified designs, and allowing to save a large portion of the costs associated with homologation;
• To foster the use of “Hardware-in-the-Loop” (HIL) testing as a more objective and less expensive alternative to line tests.
   

PantoTRAIN: From High Level Objectives to Results