EuropeTrain project was launched in 2009 with the aim of accelerating and improving the test in operation of LL brake blocks. The initiators of the project have wished to show their support to the development of LL brake blocks as a method of reducing costs and source direct noise. The supporters of the project, both technically and financially, include 29 railway operators (among which CFR Marfă), seven companies from the railway industry and CER, EIM and UIC.
The train, with about 30 representative wagons, runs throughout Europe only for the in-service testing of LL brake blocks, made entirely of composite materials. In its “journey” throughout Europe, the train had to cover 200,000 km in 14 phases and had to “experience” all relevant operation conditions in Europe, thus, the train run on different ramps with different operation modes, in regions with Artic snow in Scandinavia, as well as in areas with extremely high temperature. The train has crossed Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland, Italy and Austria. The LL brake blocks have showed their potential for existing freight wagons from the point of view of cost-effective ness and noise reduction at the source. However, the brake blocks still need improvement and cannot be broadly used in Europe. In-service tests are still necessary to solve the “conicity issue”, and to better estimate the lifecycle of the system.
The composite brake blocks have an approximately 10 dB noise reduction potential which means that perceived noise is decreased by half. This is beneficial especially for people living in the areas frequently transited by cargo trains. Another objective of the project is the gradual replacement of K-blocks, fully homologated and used for years on new wagons. LL-blocks, still only homologated provisionally, but due to its 1:1 compatibility with commonly used cast-iron brake blocks, they can be retrofitted to existing freight wagon fleets at significantly reduced cost as technical modifications to the freight wagons will not be needed. A number of points are still unresolved in the homologation process, and cannot currently be used directly on a large scale in Europe.
At the middle of June 2012, EuroTrain has completed the 13th phase of its journey, covering 163,000 km of the 200,000 km. The reminder of 37,000 km will be covered in three phases in September.
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