Collision course
‘MIRA provided a unique opportunity to witness first hand the energies involved when two substantial masses come together, dispelling any illusion that the UK lacks the ability to undertake full-scale crash tests. The stage is now set for the UK to act as the European test bed for safety development.’.
Britain’s first full-scale rail-crash test in more than 20 years has been performed by vehicle engineering specialists MIRA.
The demonstration at the Motorail Logistics site at Long Marston in Warwickshire was designed to test the crashworthiness of modern trains ahead of new EU rail safety regulations.
The high-energy collision mimicked an impact scenario set out in the European Standard for crashworthiness (EN15227). Propelled by a heritage DMU rail car travelling at 22mph, the test pitched a 32 tonne Mk 2 coach into a stationary class 86 locomotive, weighing 82 tonnes.
MIRA engineers determined that around 1.5 megajoules of energy dissipated during the impact. This, they said, gives a graphic demonstration of the devastating effects felt by rail passengers when collisions occur.
On board were four 50th-percentile Hybrid III crash test dummies to provide an assessment of occupant kinematics. The dummies are designed to represent the average male in both dimensions and weight - in this case, 78.4kg.
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