Welcome
This web page presents the ongoing research activity at the Université catholique de Louvain in the field of railway systems. By following the various links, you will learn more about our projects dealing with railway vehicles and infrastructure. You will also find details on the equipment and services we provide.
Who are we?
Our team is composed of scientists, researchers and technicians of the institute of Mechanics, Materials and Civil engineering of the Université catholique de Louvain. Thanks to our strong and ongoing collaboration with railway companies, vehicle dynamics, passenger comfort, track stability, suspension design, actuation performances, etc. are all topics that have initiated and largely directed our research priorities, educational goals and experimental developments.
What are we doing?
In the past decades, we have been involved in many projects arising out of industrial issues that have required the development of specific modelling techniques or the setting up of new experimental processes. We have thus developed our own expertise for various kinds of railway applications, such as experimental testing on track components, modelling of complex wheel/rail contact configurations, dynamics of articulated bogies, analysis of pneumatic suspension performances, electromechanical coupling effects, etc. To do this, we dispose of a wide test floor, modern testing equipment and powerful modelling tools specific to railway systems. Engineering students being our main “expertise reservoir for the future”, we also organize teaching activities in the field of railways, via courses, seminars, student projects, master theses, internships and PhD theses.