Carbon fibre and 3D printing could make trains quieter and more comfortable

​A £300,000 EU project will seek to develop lighter, more reliable, more comfortable and quieter rolling stock, using carbon fibre and 3D printing.

The University of Huddersfield’s Institute of Railway Research has been awarded the funding to explore the potential of new materials for use in rail bogies, which sit underneath carriages and join the axles to the train.

Benefits could include reduced weight, simpler designs and lower maintenance costs. “We hope that the result will be a step change in the running gear of rail vehicles,” said the institute's director Simon Iwnicki.

The project forms part of RUN2RAIL, a Europe-wide programme shared between leading engineering companies and universities. This particular project will begin with an investigation of carbon-fibre composites, which would allow bogie frames to be constructed layer-by-layer by robots.

“You can have any number of curves or shapes and therefore build up the shape you actually want, whereas with a steel frame there are only a certain number of shapes you can make,” said Iwnicki.  “Also, carbon fibre is much lighter and you can put the material just where you want it, which makes it lighter still.”