GERMAN HIGH-SPEED MAGLEV TRAIN SAFETY REQUIREMENTS - POTENTIAL FOR APPLICATION IN THE UNITED STATES. INTERIM REPORT

The safety of various magnetically levitated (maglev) trains under development for possible implementation in the United States is of direct concern to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). This report is the second in a series of reports addressing the safety of high-speed maglev trains and presents the results of the review to determine the suitability of German safety requirements for application to maglev systems as proposed for U.S. operations. The intent of the review was to compare the German and U.S. safety requirements in order to assist the FRA in determining what regulations and guidelines may be necessary to ensure a high level of safety for U.S. passenger service. The review focuses on the High-Speed Maglev Trains Safety Requirements; Regelwerk Magnetschnellbahnen -- Sicherheitstechnische Anforderungen (RW MSB), which was developed by a German working group of representatives of the German Federal Railways (DB), the Testing and Planning Company for Maglev Systems (MVP), the Institute for Railway Technology (IFB), and safety experts of TUV Rheinland and TUV Hannover, headed by TUV Rheinland, and sponsored by the German Federal Ministry for Research and Technology. The German safety requirements were reviewed in terms of safety related functional areas of the following seven maglev system elements: vehicles; guideway; passenger stations; signal, control, and communications (SCC); plans and procedures; personnel; and operating environment. Potential safety concerns for each of the maglev system functional areas were identified. The German safety requirements and the applicable U.S. safety requirements are described and then compared to determine their applicability to proposed U.S. maglev system operations. Recommendations are also included for FRA consideration. In general, the German effort appears to ensure the same high level of safety for maglev trains that is expected in the United States for similar ground transportation technologies. The challenge lies in transferring the experience of Germany to the U.S. regulatory environment.