Wind tunnel tests on train scale models to investigate the effect of infrastructure scenario

The cross wind risk analysis is today, within the European railway operators, one of the most important items related to the safety problem. In order to define the risk associated with the cross wind along a railway line, the effect of the infrastructure scenario on the aerodynamic loads acting on a vehicle have to be investigated. A typical railway line is mainly characterized by two main types of scenario: viaduct and embankment. In this work, the aerodynamic coefficients of the ETR500 train, measured through wind tunnel tests, for the standard TSI infrastructure scenarios (flat ground with and without ballast and rail and 6 m-high embankment) and for a typical Italian viaduct are presented. Moreover, each infrastructure is characterized in terms of flow modification with and without train. A comparison between the experimental results obtained with the different scenarios allows to point out the effects of the infrastructure on the aerodynamic loads.