PSI - Issue 77

Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2026) 000–000 Available online at www.sciencedirect.com ScienceDirect

www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia

ScienceDirect

Procedia Structural Integrity 77 (2026) 631–638

© 2026 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSI organizers Abstract Railway vehicle structures must comply with strict safety regulations to ensure integrity and passive safety. A key requirement is a crashworthiness analysis under EN 15227, as collisions pose significant risks to passengers. This study evaluates the structural behaviour of a railway coach in head-on collisions, following EN 15227 criteria. Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations with a dynamic explicit model were performed, enabling virtual testing that reduces development time and costs while maintaining high standards. The analysis identifies vulnerable areas in current structures, aiming to enhance passenger safety and regulatory compliance. A modified structure was also studied, and both designs were compared in terms of survival space and structural deceleration. The findings provide insights into how structural changes influence crashworthiness performance. © 2026 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSI organizers Keywords: Crashworthiness; Transportation; Railway; EN 15227. International Conference on Structural Integrity Evaluation of a railway coach crashworthiness for the purpose of certification Christian J. Silva 1 * , Rogério F. F. Lopes 1 , Alexandre M. Löw 1 , Vasco B. Gomes 1 , Nuno V. Ramos 1 , Pedro M. G. J. Moreira 1 , João S. Silva 2 , Rodrigo S. Andrade 3 1 INEGI, Institute of Science and Innovation in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Engineering, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 400, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal 2 CP-Comboios de Portugal, Engenharia e Manutenção - Manutenção Guifões, Rua do Ferroviário, R. de Gatões, 4460-020 Guifões, Portugal 3 SERMEC GROUP, Rua de Montezelo, 540, 4425-348 Folgosa - Maia, Portugal

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +351 229578710 E-mail address: cjsilva@inegi.up.pt

2452-3216 © 2026 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSI organizers

2452-3216 © 2026 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSI organizers 10.1016/j.prostr.2026.01.078