RAILWAYS START TO REALISE BENEFITS OF ECP TECHNOLOGY

The increasing gross-to-tare ratio of modern freight trains is greatly complicating brake design. There has also been little significant advance in control valve design and brake block composition in the last 10 years. North American railways are now looking at electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brake technology because of the limitations of conventional pneumatically controlled brake technology. The article examines the many benefits of using ECP brake technology.