Introduction

The principal aim of this handbook is to present a detailed introduction to the main issues influencing the dynamic behaviour of railway vehicles, and a summary of the history and the state of the art of the analytical and computer tools and techniques that are used in this field around the world. The level of technical detail is intended to be sufficient to allow analysis of common practical situations, but references are made to other published material for those who need more detail in specific areas. The main readership will be engineers working in the railway industry worldwide and researchers working on issues connected with railway vehicle behaviour, but it should also prove useful to those wishing to gain a basic knowledge of topics outside their specialist technical area.