Frazer Barnes, managing director of ELG Carbon Fibre commented, “Replacing steel with recycled carbon fiber to produce a rail bogie is a world first so it is a hugely exciting and rewarding project to be part of. We hope to make recycled carbon not only an attractive option for the rail industry in terms of weight reduction but also to eliminate waste and drive down cost.”
Simon Iwnicki, director of the Institute of Railway Research at the University of Huddersfield, added, “There are significant potential benefits from adopting novel materials and construction methods in railway vehicle bogies. The reduction in mass results in energy savings but can also reduce track forces and improve dynamic performance. I hope that the tests on the CAFIBO bogie being carried out here at Huddersfield will help to encourage the railway industry to accept these new techniques.”
