The project has been working to strengthen research in railway vehicles according to contemporary industry needs. It set out to achieve this by improving knowledge and skills of research staff, acquiring new research equipment and developing strategic partnerships with prominent EU research centres.

Traditionally, the centre has been a leading Serbian institution in the field of railway vehicle investigation and testing. It provides research and development services to Serbian wagon factories and to the national railway operator, Serbian Railways. Key among its mandates is the investigation of railway vehicle dynamics and the fatigue of vehicle structures and components.

The Service project helps to boost existing cooperation in the field with other Balkan countries while also improving research competence and increasing their involvement in the European Research Area (ERA). The project successfully accomplished the aims set out for the first two years.
It exchanged experts with the Department of Mechanical, Nuclear, Aviation and Metallurgical Engineering (DIEM) at the University of Bologna (Italy), and KTH University Railway Group in Sweden. RVC is strengthening its partnership with these two institutions on many levels, over and above staff exchange.

On another front, study visits to companies in France and to the railway test centre at Szolnok in Hungary were also conducted.  Furthermore, with the project’s support, RVC brought two more experienced researchers and four young researchers into its fold. In addition, the project is overseeing the procurement of a software package for design and analysis of mechanical structures, all being performed during the Serbian centre. It is also helping RVC acquire research equipment to measure forces related to wheel-rail contact and for calibration. The construction of a specialised test track is foreseen to carry out extensive rail and wagon tests.

Dissemination of knowledge and experiences through workshops is also part of the project’s remit, as well as the dissemination of results and other communications efforts. By the end of the project, rail research in the Balkan area and eventual harmonisation of Serbia’s network will facilitate transport in the whole region and solidify the new rail standard that is taking place across the continent.

Source: Article published in research*eu results magazine (September 2011)