Cost reduction with single axle running gears in metro trains

Energy and maintenance costs constitute a large part of the recurring cost for railway operation. The vehicle weight impacts both energy consumption and the need for tamping of the track, while curving performance impacts the curving resistance and the wear on wheels and rails. In the project RUN2Rail and further in NextGear, both parts of the EU-funded initiative Shift2Rail, a single axle running gear with composite frame and active wheelset guidance was proposed for metro vehicles.