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The vast majority of passenger rail transport in Poland is carried out by vehicles powered by electric traction. In case when a train needs to pass through a non-electrified section of the line, it is necessary to use an electric traction-independent vehicle, which, translated into the current situation, means using a vehicle with an internal combustion engine. The authors propose using a dual-drive 111DE locomotive for passenger rail transport, which can move on electrified and non-electrified railway lines. The article also presents data on the railway infrastructure and statistics on passenger rail transport in Poland. Considerations and justification for the use of a dual-drive vehicle are presented.

In response to the market demand for modern special-purpose rail vehicles, an overview of the rolling stock available on the European and world markets was developed, along with an analysis of the scope of works they performed. The need for new alternative forms of propulsion in line with the development directions, taking into account EU and national environmental goals, was discussed. The paper presents a design of a proprietary modern special-purpose vehicle with an alternative drive. It discusses it compared to other special-purpose vehicles regarding their parameters and the viability of different drive systems, including hydrogen fuel cells.

Paper presents analysis of intermodal rail transport in selected loading units. The brief description of the loading units is presented. The volume of intermodal rail transport of load units in European countries in 2021 is shown, taking into account mass of transported goods, transport performance and average transport distance. Goods in the intermodal transport are carried out in container, swap bodies, semi-trailers and road sets. The most frequently used loading unit is the container. Semi-trailers is the most often used loading unit in road freight transport. However, semitrailers are rarely used in intermodal transport in most European countries. In the case of Poland, the share of intermodal transport of containers and swap bodies by rail constitutes a significant share in the European market, however, the transport of semi-trailers and road sets is still a rather unpopular form of transport compared to other European countries.

The e-commerce market is gaining popularity globally every year. This market also entails the need to deliver the purchased goods at a time that is affordable for the user. One of the solutions is the use of High Speed Railway (HSR) for freight purposes, which is characterized by a relatively low rate of environmental nuisance. Based on the latest available market data and a literature review, an extensive review of the use of HSR, including for cargo transport, has been performed. The article presents an analysis of the demand for express freight transport. The potential and the demand for freight HSR have been demonstrated. The activities and analysis concerning the use of HSR for freight transport were described. Rail freight transport in Poland, Europe and China are characterized. Data on the use of the HSR infrastructure in the world are presented. HSR vehicles use for the transport of goods were presented. The potential and possibilities of using freight HSR in Europe were described. Based on the data, the use of this type of transport seems justified for LDHV shipments when the delivery time is crucial for the user and when the railway infrastructure and rolling stock are properly adapted.

Strict emission standards mean that the internal combustion engines used in means of transport must meet the standards for the emission of harmful compounds. For this reason, there is an increase in the use of alternative sources of propulsion, including rail transport. The article presents unconventional solutions of drive systems in rail vehicles using hybrid systems and fuel cells. The concept of the realizing project of a special-purpose rail vehicle, which is to be able to be driven from three different sources, was presented. Considerations concerning the selection of the internal combustion propulsion system, which is to be used as an auxiliary in the vehicle, are described. The possibilities of installing the power unit on the vehicle were also presented.

The article presents the results of a simplified analysis of the feasibility of designing a rail chassis of a two-way tractor with an internal combustion or electric drive. Basic traction and operating parameters have been assumed for which the road-rail tractor could operate in an effective manner. On their basis, strength calculations were carried out and mechanical elements of the drive system meeting the required assumptions were selected. All the calculations presented in the text were fulfilled. The technical feasibility of building the mechanical part of the rail running gear of a rail-road tractor driven by an internal combustion engine or electric motors has been demonstrated.

Track works typically require the use of special-purpose rail machines, in which the main source of propulsion are high-power compression ignition engines. Reliance on these types of engines, which are characterized by a significant degree of wear and tear, relates to a relatively high specific fuel consumption and the exhaust emissions of toxic compounds. Using such rail machines to perform modernization and repair works has a negative impact on the natural environment. The article presents test results of toxic compounds exhaust emissions as measured from a special purpose rail machine. The tested vehicle was a machine designed for profiling the ballast cess labelled as PŁT-500. The machine was classified as NRMM (Non Road Mobile Machinery) and used for profiling and cleaning the cess. A PEMS (Portable Emissions Measurement System) type apparatus was used for the emissions measurement. This made it possible to measure the exhaust emissions as RDE (Real Driving Emissions) of toxic compounds from the machine in real operating conditions. The obtained test results include the measured exhaust emissions of gaseous compounds: CO, CO2, HC and NOx as well as the vehicle fuel consumption while performing its track works.

W ramach pracy przedstawiono możliwość zastosowania silnika VCR jako jednostki napędowej zespołu prądotwórczego w pojazdach szynowych. Dokonano również analiz termodynamicznych silnika. Na potrzeby badań wygenerowano drogę tłoka w symulacji dynamicznej w programie Solidworks do badania procesów zachodzących podczas procesu spalania. Droga ta została wykorzystana do przeprowadzenia symulacji w programie AVL Fire dla jednakowych warunków początkowych. Porównane zostały różne warianty wysterowania krzywki silnika przy jednakowym stopniu sprężania. W rozpatrywanym artykule analizowano moment oraz okres czasu jaki tłok pozostaje w Górnym Martwym Położeniu (GMP).

The article contains an analysis of thermodynamic indicators of the CI engine with direct fuel injection. The tested unit was an engine with an unconventional crank-piston configuration, in which at a constant compression ratio, different engine crankshaft control variants were compared. In this article the time ranges in which the piston was located in the TDC were analyzed. Additionally, tests were carried out on a conventional unit for comparative purposes. For the purposes of the work, a piston displacement characteristic was generated in dynamic analysis in SolidWorks Motion. Then, this characteristic was used in the simulations of the combustion process in the AVL Fire program, where the most important thermodynamic indicators of the engine cycle were analyzed.

The article presents an innovative solution of a two-unit rail vehicle system for passanger transport with a dual-drive, diesel engine and electric motor. The vehicle was designed as a combination of two units, one dedicated to each of the two drive systems, where one unit provides electric drive while the other a combustion engine. The selection of engine and drive components was presented along with the aftertreatment systems used in the design. The provided solution was created in response to the dynamic needs of rail vehicle operators in the European Union who aim to reduce exhaust emissions without compomising the reach of the existing rail networks.

Bezpieczeństwo pasażerów w transporcie szynowym jest jednym z najważniejszych aspektów konstrukcji pojazdów szynowych. Utrzymanie niskich statystyk śmiertelności tej gałęzi transportu wymaga rozwoju systemów transportowych, ale także dalszego rozwoju materiałów i systemów stosowanych w konstrukcji pojazdów, które poruszają się po torach Polski i Świata. W niniejszym artykule przedstawione zostały zagadnienia bezpieczeństwa pasywnego na podstawie konstrukcji lekkiego pojazdu szynowego typu 227M.

As part of the work, the piston path generated in the dynamic simulation in the Solidworks program was used to study the processes occurring during the combustion process. The simulation was carried out in the AVL Fire program for the same initial conditions. Different variants of the motor cam control were compared at the same compression ratio. In the analyzed article, the moment and period of time that the piston remains in the Upper Dead Location (TDC) were analyzed.

The article presents the functions of the relay valve and its place in brake systems of rail vehicles. The relay valve were divided according to their type, the structure and principle of their operation were discussed, and examples of rail vehicles and modules in which relay valves are installed are presented. Because of their function in braking systems the relay valves should be characterized by high reliability and correct carrying out the tasks in the braking system of rail vehicles. The article describes selected structural factors affecting the operation of the relay valve and which are important for ensuring the safety of train traffic. Such factors are the lubricants used in the relay valves and the way of controlling it simultaneously with two signals with the function of an alternative that eliminates unreliable elements of the braking system. The analysis of the test results of the lubricant parameters and the testing of the relay valves on the test bench showed that the correctness of the relay valves depends essentially on the properties of the lubricant used, especially at low temperatures. On the basis of the tests carried out, a grease was selected that at low temperatures meets the criteria for correct and reliable operation of relay valves in rail vehicles. In terms of the control method, a comparison of two control signal delivery systems to the relay valve has been made, a new design solution is presented that ensures greater operational reliability and thus greater safety of the train traffic.

Vehicles used in rail transport are characterized by a long service life, which is caused, among others, by the high cost of their purchase. In Poland, the average age of freight diesel locomotives exceeds 40 years. Increasing the wear and tear of vehicles has an impact on many aspects of machine operation, including environmental pollution. Significant wear and degradation of the powertrain components contributes to the increase in pollutant emissions and fuel consumption, which is closely correlated with the production of carbon dioxide. Modernizations involving the replacement of the drive unit are performed in order to reduce the negative impact of rail vehicles on the environment. The article compares the energy consumption of the ST44 locomotive prior to and after modernization. The older 14D40 two-stroke internal combustion engines were replaced with a more modern engine unit 12CzN26/26. Fuel consumption tests were carried out on a test bench using a OW6300 water resistor.

3D models of Szymkowiak and conventional engines were created in the Solidworks program. During the motion analysis, the characteristics of the piston path were analyzed for the two considered engine units. The imported file with the generated piston routes was used in the AVL Fire program, which simulated combustion processes in the two engines with identical initial conditions. The configurations for two different compression ratios were taken into account. The basic thermodynamic parameters occurring during the combustion process in internal combustion engines were analyzed.