Case Studies

Field Testing of visibility solutions for Freight Train Rear-End signals

Currently, within the EU both tail lamps and retro-reflective plates are authorised as rear-end signals for international freight trains.  However, in some parts of the railway network only the tail lamps are approved.  When freight trains fitted with reflective plates travel into these areas, the plates have to be replaced with tail lamps, increasing crossing times and costs.

 As part of a larger ERA project, OptiConsulting was commissioned by SGS Correl Rail to plan and conduct field tests to establish the optical performance of a number of rear-end lighting solutions.  The objective was to see which solution delivered acceptable visibility in a range of simulated operational lighting and environmental conditions.

The tests were conducted over a 6-week period in a 200 metre indoor test facility. The lighting solutions included LED tail lamps and retro-reflective plates (these lit by typical train head lamps: halogen, LED and HID technology).