LOGISTIK Wissenschaft - Realization and Testing of the Extended Market Wagon - Reaching TRL6 with an Innovative Freight Wagon in Fr8Rail 4

Sep 18, 2026

Advanced lightweight freight wagon EMW is presented as part of the Fr8Rail 4 project within Shift2Rail IP-5, focusing on its realization, component integration, and validation through real-world testing. The article describes the EMW’s low loading height for high-cube swap bodies, structural manufacturing with S355 J2 steel, and successful commissioning of remote telematics and the type 5 Digital Automatic Coupler. Planned trials from 2022–2023 include derailment safety, yaw and suspension measurements, and driving tests in curves and straight tracks to evaluate running safety and stability up to 140 km/h.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

Extended Market Wagon (EMW) overview

Development context within Fr8Rail 4 and Shift2Rail IP-5

Design constraints and structural realization

Loading height and impact on wheelset/coupling

Manufacturing of frames and partner assembly

Commissioning of telematics and DAC type 5

Test strategy and facilities

Selection of VÚKV and test site operated by VUZ

Test series from May 2023 onward

Derailment safety test and torsion methods

Instrumented wheel-rail force measurement and sensor suite

Driving tests in curves and on straight tracks

LOGISTIK Wissenschaft Realization and testing of the Extended Market Wagon Reaching TRL6 with an innovative freight wagon in Fr8Rail 4, a Europe’s Rail Project Lightweight, freight, Europe’s Rail, Fr8Rail The Extended Market Wagon (EMW) (see article start image) is an advanced lightweight freight wagon that was developed as part of the Fr8Rail 4 project in Europe’s Rail in the Shift2Rail IP-5 programme. In a previous article, the lightweight design developed for the EMW by the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt, DLR) within the Competitive Freight Wagon (CFW) consortium was described [1] . In the following article, the subsequent manufacture of the final wagon design will be described, as well as the display of the wagon at the InnoTrans 2022 in Berlin and its testing under real world conditions in Velim in Czechia. David Krüger, Christian Gomes Alves, Nicolai Schmauder, Mathilde Laporte, Robert Winkler-Höhn, Gerhard Kopp The EMW, as previously described, consists of semi-permanently coupled two-axle wagon pairs that can each transport two swap bodies [3]. In accordance with the requirements of the Fr8Rail project, the EMW was developed with a loading height of less than 1000 mm in order to be able to transport 2.9 m tall high-cube swap bodies even on routes with smaller loading gauges [3]. The choice of loading height has a significant influence on the design of the concept, as the wheelset dimensions and also the coupling height are affected by this parameter. The Institute of Vehicle Concepts at the DLR was responsible for the design, simulation, implementation, and assembly of the structural components of full-scale demonstrator [4]. The wagon and bogies frames were manufactured as welded assemblies using S355 J2-grade steel (Figure 1, Figure 2). For the assembly of the EMW, the various parts of all partners involved were assembled and installed over several weeks in summer 2022. This included wheelsets, electronics, aerodynamic fairings, couplers, automatic locking container pins and compact EPBrakes. During assembly, various functions such as the remote access and localisation telematics as well as the hardware functionality of the type 5 Digital Automatic Coupler (DAC) and the air suspension were successfully tested. The type 5 DAC represents the highest level of automation for DACs, with coupling and decoupling able tobe fully remote-controlled [5]. The completed EMW with all tested components was successfully presented at the InnoTrans in September 2022 (Figure 3), where many of the above functions were demonstrated to the interested public. Following the InnoTrans and in the period leading from 2022 to 2023, a series of experiments were planned which were designed to test and verify various simulated results and the overall running safety and stability of the wagon under real-world conditions. A testing site and an experienced testing provider were selected, the final choice being VÚKV at the test facility operated by VUZ (Výzkumný Ústav Železniční, a. s.). The tests planned were as follows: 1. Test for safety against derailment (quasi-static torsion test in accordance with EN 14363 Method 2) [6] 26 Internationales Verkehrswesen (76) 2 ǀ 2024 DOI: 10.24053/IV-2024-0021 Wissenschaft LOGISTIK 􀁹 Wagons in five loading conditions, empty to 24 tonnes loaded 􀁹 Measurement of wheel forces on a test stand 􀁹 Measurement of the wheel-rail forces in a flat 150m curve 2. Driving test in an instrumented curve at low speed (R = approx. 150 m) 􀁹 unloaded and fully loaded with 24 tonnes 􀁹 Forces measured using instrumented track in 3 measuring positions according to EN 14363 [6] 3. Driving test according to EN 15839 [7] in an S-curve with small radius (150 m) 􀁹 Fully loaded with 24 tonnes 4. Driving test on a straight track and in curves with large radii (1400 m) 􀁹 unloaded and fully loaded with 24 tonnes 􀁹 Checking driving stability/safety up

FAQs

What is the Extended Market Wagon (EMW) and what project is it part of?

The EMW is an advanced lightweight freight wagon developed within the Fr8Rail 4 project in Europe’s Rail under the Shift2Rail IP-5 programme.

Why was the EMW loading height kept below 1000 mm?

The low loading height enables transport of 2.9 m tall high-cube swap bodies even on routes with smaller loading gauges.

How were safety and stability of the EMW evaluated during real-world testing?

Testing included derailment safety checks (quasi-static torsion per EN 14363 Method 2), instrumented measurements of wheelset and suspension behavior, and driving tests in curves and straight sections, with evaluation targets including speeds up to 140 km/h.

Sep 18, 2026

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