High-speed train aerodynamics

Article By:

Schetz, Joseph A. Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia.

Last reviewed:2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.YB031110

The aerodynamics of trains has much in common with that of other vehicles, but there are important differences. Airplanes also involve streamlined bodies, but trains operate near the ground, have much greater length-to-diameter ratios, pass by structures and other trains, are more subject to crosswinds, and operate at lower speeds. Trains are affected by phenomena that arise as they enter and exit tunnels. Automobiles and trucks also operate near the ground, pass each other, and are subject to crosswinds, but trains have much greater length-to-diameter ratios and higher speeds. As with other types of transportation systems, fluid resistance to train motion has been increasingly important as speeds have increased over the years (Fig. 1). At lower speeds, other types of resistance such as that from wheels on the track are relatively more significant.

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