Brakes that can adjust forces on individual bogies are becoming more common, but as Guido Parecchini and Guido Coraglia from Faiveley Transport, France, argue, their advantages are often outweighed by advanced conventional braking systems. Brake systems suppliers are continually urged by train builders and railways to reduce weight, volume and cost - but brake systems are complex, involving a wide range of components all the way from the driver's cab to the wheels themselves. Technically, it may be simple to consider that the total braking force of a train is the sum of the contributions of each brake but looking more closely at a train in operation, a multitude of factors have to be considered. For instance, the number of passengers can be distributed unevenly, modifying the load on the bogies from one car to the other, affecting the characteristics of the adhesion of the wheel on the rail. Another consideration is the blending between electro-dynamic and friction brakes on motor bogies with friction-braked trailer bogies.
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