SPEED TIME CURVE FOR TRAIN MOVEMENT & RAILWAY

SERVICES
• The movement of trains and their energy consumption can be studied by means of speed-
time and speed-distance curves.
• These curves shows the speed at different time instants after the start of run and the speed at
different distances from the starting point.
• The curve drawn between speed and time, taking speed (in Km/hr.) on Y-axis and time (in
seconds or min.) on X-axis is known as speed-time curve.
• It provides the complete information of the motion of the train.
• Slope of the curve at any point gives the acceleration at the corresponding instant or speed.
• The area covered by the curve, the time axis and the ordinates through the instants between
which the time is taken, represents the distance covered in the corresponding time.
Speed-Time curve mainly consists of –
1. Initial acceleration
2. Constant speed run or free run
3. Coasting
4. Retardation
Acceleration- It consists of two parts known as constant
acceleration or acceleration while notching up and speed curve
running or acceleration on the speed curve.
• Constant Acceleration or Acceleration while Notching Up-
During notching up period (0 to t1) the current is maintained
approximately constant and the voltage across the motor is
gradually increased by cutting out the starting resistance. Thus
tractive effort is constant and therefore, acceleration remains
constant during this period.
• Speed Curve Running or Acceleration on Speed Curve-
During speed curve running t1 to t2, the voltage acting across the
motor remains constant and current starts decreasing with
increase in speed and finally current taken by motor becomes
constant. The effective force, necessary to propel the train, at
• During this period, though the train accelerated but acceleration the wheels of locomotive is called Tractive Effort
decreases with increase in speed at which tractive effort
developed by the motor becomes exactly equal to the resistance
2. Free run or constant speed run- At the end of speed
curve running i.e., at t2 the train attains the maximum speed.
• During this period the train runs with constant speed
attained at t2 and constant power is drawn.
3. Coasting- At the end of free running period i.e., at t 3
power supply is cut off and the train is allowed to run under
its own momentum.
• The speed of the train starts decreasing on account of
resistance to the motion of train.
• The rate of decrease of speed during this coasting period
is known as coasting retardation.
4. Retardation or braking period- At the end of coasting
period i.e., at t4 the brakes are applied to bring the train to
rest.
• During this period speed decreases rapidly and finally
reduces to zero.
 Different speed-time curves
1. Urban or city service- In urban or city service the
distance between the two stops is comparatively very
short (say 1 km or so).
• The time required for this run is very small (few minutes).
• The acceleration as well as retardation is required to be
high so that high average speed and short time of run is
obtained.
• The acceleration and retardation for urban service is
between 1.5 and 4 kmphps and between 3 and 4 kmphps
respectively.
• Free run is not present in this run.
• The coasting retardation is about 0.15 kmphps.
• The coasting period is also small.
2. Suburban Service: In this service the distance between the stops
is little longer than urban service but smaller than main line service
(say between 2 and 5 km).
• Free run is still not possible.
• Coasting is for a comparatively longer period.
• Acceleration and retardation required are as high as for urban
service.
3. Main Line Service:
• The distance between two stops in main line service is considerably
more (usually more than 10 km).
• In this service free run is of longer duration.
• The duration of acceleration and retardation is a small fraction of
total running time.
• Since rate of acceleration and retardation does not affect the
average and schedule speeds, therefore, these are of little
importance in main line service.
Crest Speed, Average Speed and Schedule Speed of Train:
1. Crest Speed: The maximum speed attained by the vehicle during the
run is known as crest speed.
2. Average Speed: The mean of the speeds from start to stop i.e., the
distance covered between two stops divided by the actual time of run
is known as average speed.
• Mathematically average speed = Distance between stops/Actual time
of run, T
3. Schedule Speed: The ratio of distance covered between two stops
and total time of run including time of stop is known as schedule speed.
• Mathematically schedule speed = Distance between stops/ (Actual time
of run + stop time)
 Factors Affecting Schedule Speed of Train:
• The schedule speed of a given train when running on a given service (i.e., with a given distance between stations) is affected
by the following factors:
1. Acceleration and braking retardation; 2. Maximum or crest speed; 3. Duration of stop.
1. Effect of Acceleration and Braking Retardation: For a given run and with fixed crest speed the increase in acceleration will
result in decrease in actual time of run and, therefore, increase in schedule speed.
• Similarly increase in braking retardation will affect the schedule speed.
• Variation in acceleration and retardation will have more effect on schedule speed in case of shorter distance run in comparison to
longer distance run.
2. Effect of Maximum Speed: For a constant distance run and with fixed acceleration and retardation the actual time of run will
decrease, and therefore, schedule speed will increase with the increase in crest speed.
• The effect of variation in crest speed on schedule speed is considerable in case of long distance run.
3. Effect of Duration of Stop: For a given average speed the schedule speed will increase by reducing the duration of stop.
• The variation in duration of stop will affect the schedule speed more in case of shorter distance run as compared to longer distance
run.
• It is because stops in case of urban and suburban services are kept very small (say 15 to 20 seconds).
• When the distance between stations is much larger and duration of actual run is long as in case of main line service, station stop has
less conspicuous effect on the schedule speed.
• In order to study the performance of a service at different
schedule speeds the speed-time curves are replaced by
simple geometric shaped curves.
• From these simplified curves the relationships between
acceleration, retardation, average speed and distance can
be easily worked out.
• These can have either quadrilateral or trapezoidal shape.
So let us take-
1. The speed-time curve of an urban service- replace this
by equivalent speed-time curve of simple quadrilateral
shape.
2. The speed-time curve of a main line service- replace this
by equivalent speed-time curve of simple trapezoid shape.
Derivation- Done in class (important)
1. Calculation by trapezoidal speed-time curve-
2. Calculation by Quadrilateral speed-time curve-
• Numericals- done in class
 Mechanics of Train Movement*:
• Essential driving mechanism of an electric locomotive is
shown in Fig.
• The armature of the driving motor has a pinion of
diameter d’ attached to it.
• The tractive effort at the edge of the pinion is transferred
to the driving wheel by means of a gearwheel.
• Let the driving motor exert a torque T in Nm.
• Tractive effort at the edge of pinion is given by the
equation-
• T = F’ (d’/2) or F’ = 2T/d’
• Tractive effort transferred to the driving wheel-
where d is diameter of gearwheel in metres, D is diameter of
driving wheel in metres and η is the efficiency of transmission,
γ is the gear ratio and is equal to d/d’.
•  The maximum frictional force between the driving wheel and the track = µW
where µ is the coefficient of adhesion between the driving wheel and the track
and W is the weight of the train on the driving axles (called adhesive weight).
• Slipping will not take place unless tractive effort F > µW.
• For motion of trains without slipping tractive effort F should be less than or at
the most equal to µW but in no case greater than µW.
• The magnitude of the tractive effort that can be employed for propulsion,
therefore, depends upon the weight coming over the driving wheels and the
coefficient of adhesion between the driving wheel and the track.
• The coefficient of adhesion is defined as i.e., Coefficient of adhesion,
µ=
• The coefficient of adhesion reduces with the increase in speed as shown below
in Table.

• The normal value of coefficient of adhesion with clean dry rails is 0.25 and with
wet or greasy rails the value may be as low as 0.08.
• Electric traction has a very important advantage over steam traction and that is
on account of greater adhesive weight – in a motor coach 100 per cent of the
weight is on the driving wheels, in an electric locomotive 70 per cent whereas in
a steam locomotive less than 50 per cent.
The coefficient of adhesion in electric traction is also greater than that
in steam traction due to the following two reasons*:
(i) In electric traction the torque exerted is continuous whereas in steam
traction the torque is pulsating which causes jolting and skidding.
(ii) In electric traction the driving wheels are distributed over a much greater
length whereas in steam traction they are close to each other.
• Since higher value of tractive effort can be used in electric traction,
therefore, an electric train can be made to accelerate at a faster rate.
• This results in saving of time, especially when the distance between stops
is small e.g., in urban and suburban areas.
 Tractive Effort for Propulsion of Train:

• The effective force, necessary to propel the train, at the wheels of

locomotive is called the tractive effort.
• It is tangential to the driving wheels and measured in newtons.
• Total tractive effort required to run a train on track = Tractive effort required
for linear and angular acceleration + tractive effort to overcome the effect of
gravity + tractive effort to overcome the train resistance.
Ft= Fa ± Fg + Fr
1. Tractive Effort for Acceleration Fa :
• According to laws of dynamics force is required to accelerate the motion of the body and
is given by the expression
• Force = Mass × acceleration
• Consider a train of weight W tonnes being accelerated at a kmphps
• The weight of train = 1,000 W kgf
• Mass of train, m = 1,000 W kg
• Acceleration = α kmphps
= α × 1,000/3,600 m/s2
= 0.2778 α m/s2
• Tractive effort required for linear acceleration,
• Fa = mα
= 1,000 W × 0.2778 α
= 277.8 W α newtons
• With the linear acceleration of the train, the rotating parts of the train such as wheels
and motors also accelerate in an angular direction, and therefore, the tractive effort
required is equal to the arithmetic sum of tractive effort required to have the angular
acceleration of rotating parts and tractive effort required to have the linear acceleration.
• The tractive effort required to have the angular acceleration depends upon the
individual weight, radius of gyration etc. of the rotating parts requiring angular
acceleration.
• Hence the equivalent or accelerating weight of the train is taken as W e, which is higher
than the dead weight W requiring linear acceleration to consider the tractive effort for
the angular acceleration.
• In practice We is higher than W by 8 to 15%. The normal value lies between 10 and 12
per cent.
• Hence tractive effort required for acceleration-
• Fa = 277.8 We α newtons
2. Tractive Effort for Overcoming the Effect of Gravity Fg :
• When a train is on a slope, a force of gravity equal to the component of the dead weight along
the slope acts on the train and tends to cause its motion down the gradient or slope.
• Hence force due to gradient, Fg = 1,000 W sin θ kg ……..(1)
• But in railway work gradient is expressed as rise in metres in a track distance of 100 metres
and is denoted as ‘percentage gradient’ (G%).
i.e., G = Sin θ × 100
or sin θ = G/100
• Substituting sin θ = G/100 in E.q. (1) we have,
• Fg = 1,000 W x G/100
= 10 WG kg = 10WG x 9.81
= 98.1 WG newtons …. (2)
+ ve sign for the motion up the gradient and
-ve sign for the motion down the gradient.
3. Tractive Effort for Overcoming Train Resistance Fr:
• Train resistance consists of all the forces resisting the motion of a train when it is running at
uniform speed on a straight and level track.
• Under these circumstances the whole of the energy output from the driving axles is
expended against train resistance.
Train resistance is due to:
(i) The friction at the various parts of the rolling stock
(ii) Friction at the track and
(iii) Air resistance.
• The first two components constitute the mechanical resistance component of train resistance.
• The train resistance depends upon various factors, such as shape, size and condition of track
etc., and is expressed in newtons per tonne of the dead weight.
• For a normal train the value of specific resistance has been 40 to 70 newtons/tonne.
• The general equation for train resistance is given as R = k1 + k2V + k3V2
where k1, k2 and k3 are constants depending upon the train and the track, R is the
resistance in newtons and V is the speed in kmph.
• The first two terms represent the mechanical resistance and the last term
represents air resistance.
• Tractive effort required to overcome the train resistance,
Fr = W x r newtons
where r is the specific resistance in newtons per tonne of the dead weight.
Total tractive effort required,
• Ft = Fa ± Fg + Fr =277.8 Wα ± 98.1 WG + Wr (Imp derivation)
+ ve sign for the motion up the gradient and
-ve sign for the motion down the gradient.
• Numericals – Done in Class
Power Output from the Driving Axles:
• Power, P =Rate of doing work
=Tractive effort x (distance/time)
= Tractive effort x speed
= Ft x v where Ft is in newtons and v is in m/s
 Energy Output from Driving Axles*:
Assuming the run according to trapezoidal speed-time curve.
• Total energy required for the run = Energy required during acceleration + energy required during free
run
= Average power during acceleration x acceleration period + average power during free run x duration of
free run

where Vm is the maximum speed in kmph; t1 is the time of acceleration in seconds; t 2 is the time of free
run in seconds; Ft is the tractive effort required during acceleration in newtons and F t’ is the tractive
effort required during free run in newtons.
• Instead of expressing the energy in kWh, it is more convenient for the purpose of comparison to
introduce the weight of the train and the distance of run and to express the energy in watt-hours per
tonne-km. This quantity is called the specific
energy consumption.
• Numericals – Done in Class
Determination of Specific Energy Output Using Simplified Speed-Time
Curve**: (Done in class)

• Let the track have a gradient of G per cent throughout its run. Energy
output to accelerate the train from rest to a speed Vm–

Energy output to run the train at the speed V against the gradient and resistance to motion
This derivation
is done in class.
I have put
screenshot for
your reference
purpose
• Numericals – Done in Class
Factors Affecting Energy Consumption*:
Energy consumption in propelling the train is required for:
1. Having the linear and angular acceleration;
2. Working against gravity while moving up the gradient;
3. Working against the resistance to motion;
4. Overcoming the losses due to gearing system and
5. Supplying losses in motors and other electrical system.
• Energy required being the product of power and time depends upon the power required and the
duration for which the power is taken.
1. The power (in watts) required in accelerating the train on level track depends upon the rate of acceleration
α, the effective weight of the train W e and the speed at the end of acceleration V m, being equal to 77.17
VmWeα whereas the energy (in watts-hours) depends upon the rate of acceleration, effective weight of train,
maximum speed and the time for which the train accelerates, being equal to 0.01072 V mWe α t.
2. The power (in watts) required in overcoming the force of gravity while going up the gradient being equal
to 27.334 WG Vm depends upon the gradient. While going down the gradient the energy is returned back.
The energy required or returned (in watt-seconds) is given by the expression 27.334 WG V r and, therefore,
depends upon the gradient, dead weight of train, maximum speed and duration of run.
3. The power (in watts) required in overcoming the resistance to motion, is equal to 0.2778 Wr V m and
energy required = 0.2778 Wr Vmt watt-seconds. The expression for energy required indicates that it depends
upon the resistance to motion, maximum speed and time of run.
• The energy output of train for a given speed-time curve is independent of the type of drive employed, but
energy consumption depends upon the type of drive employed.
 Factors Affecting Specific Energy Consumption of an Electric Train
Operating on a Given Schedule Speed:

• The specific energy consumption of a train operating at a given

schedule speed depends upon the following factors:
(a) Distance between stops
(b) Acceleration
(c) Retardation
(d) Maximum speed
(e) Nature of route and
(f) The type of train equipment.
Specific energy output is given by the expression Specific energy output
• Specific energy output is independent of
locomotive overall efficiency but the specific
energy consumption being equal to specific
energy output divided by locomotive overall
efficiency depends upon the overall
efficiency of the locomotive.
• Greater the overall efficiency lesser will be
the specific energy consumption for a given
specific energy output at axles.
• The Eq. (11.25) clearly shows that specific energy consumption depends upon the maximum speed V m,
the distance travelled by the train while power is on, S 1, the specific resistance r, gradient G and distance
between stops.
• Greater the distance between stops lesser will be the specific energy consumption.
• For a given run at a given schedule speed, greater the value of acceleration and retardation, more will be
the period of coasting and, therefore, lesser the period during which power is on i.e., S 1 will be small and,
therefore, specific energy consumption will accordingly be less.
• Steep gradient will involve more energy consumption even if regenerative braking is used. Similarly
more the train resistance, greater will be the specific energy consumption.
• How the specific energy consumption falls with the increase in value of acceleration (retardation) and
distance of run is illustrated in Figs. 11.11 (a) and 11.11 (b) respectively.
• Typical values of specific energy consumption are:
(i) 50 – 75 watt-hours per tonne-km for suburban services and
(ii) 20 – 30 watt-hours per tonne-km for main line service.
Dead Weight, Accelerating Weight and Adhesive Weight*:
1. Dead Weight: The total weight of locomotive and train to be pulled by the
locomotive is known as dead weight.
2. Accelerating Weight: The dead weight of the train i.e., the weight of
locomotive and train can be considered to be divided into two parts:
1. The weight, which requires angular acceleration such as weight of wheels,
axles, gears etc. and
2. The weight, which requires linear acceleration. Hence the effective weight,
which is greater than dead weight is called the accelerating weight. Accelerating
weight is taken 5 to 10 per cent more than dead weight.
3. Adhesive Weight: The total weight to be carried on the driving wheels is
known as the adhesive weight.
• Numericals- Done in class