Ride comfort assessment and improvement in high-speed railway vehicle

Railway transport has achieved significant improvement in terms of speed and safety in the last few decades. Compared to other means of transportation, trains are found to be environment friendly, faster, safer, and cheaper at the same time. However, increasing the operational speed of trains presents challenges, as it can negatively impact performance and require modifications to the suspension system. Passive systems have limitations, leading to the adoption of active technology for improved dynamic performance. Although active technology has been implemented in railway coaches to enhance comfort and stability, its high operational and initial costs have prevented widespread adoption, with only a few service implementations to date. So, this study aims to enhance ride comfort in high-speed trains using semi-active lateral secondary suspension control. By incorporating three different control strategies, it has been found that the use of a semi-active system greatly improves vibration isolation levels.