Eurailtest and Siemens perform VECTRON locomotive testing in Belgium
The tests on the Vectron locomotive incorporate the specifications in force. They will also adjust to future regulatory changes, particularly those related to the size of the pantograph head.
They took place in four sessions between September 2018 and February/March 2019.
Collection tests on the Vectron locomotive
Eurailtest’s testing teams, with the teams from SIEMENS VECTRON project, carried out the collection tests with an instrument on-board the locomotive to count the electric arc level and measure catenary wire uplift on the side of the tracks.
The engineers and technicians of the Railway Testing Agency (AEF), Eurailtest’s partner laboratory, showed flexibility in their organizational structure by carrying our four interventions, including one at night, on three different lines, in 25 kV and in 3 kV. This staggered schedule was an opportunity for the teams to use catenary wire uplift measurements with their new contactless system. This innovative system offers a high degree of agility in its installation and use, and allows data to be processed quickly by the AEF’s experts, while the circulation speed during the tests was reaching 160 km/h.
The contactless catenary uplift measurement is an innovative, agile service offered by Eurailtest that gives benefits to clients who want to qualify the pantograph/catenary behavior using reliable, flexible means, while taking economic needs into account.
Owing to the successful collaboration between the Railway Testing Agency teams and the teams at Belgorail and Eurailtest, SIEMENS has had its trust in foreign testing services for its line of rolling stock rewarded again, and expressed satisfaction:
“Effective treatment of the installation of measuring instrument. Very flexible when planning and coordinating tests.”
Reinhard Stiebler, Locomotives Certification Manager