The high-light in developing new high performance trains in Europe has often been on extreme high-speed trains. However, since the cost for new infrastructure adapted to these trains is extremely high, there is now a growing interest for more fiexible vehicles offering at a low price high performance, efficient space utilisation and high comfort. These trains are a prerequisite for achieving an efficient passenger train system. The paper describes adequate requirements on parameters essential to train effectiveness. At first the average speed of the train has been derived as functions of power, tractive effort and maximum speed for certain well defined travelling conditions. It is then discussed how the average spped and other parameters like energy consumption per passenger and the train weight per seat can be influenced by new designs and new technical solutions.
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