Formosensis Alishan Mountain Train

Client: Yu-Shian

Keywords: FE Modelling; Crash Simulation; Comfortability Test and Assessment.

The Formosensis train is a new, premium tourist train on the Alishan Railway of Taiwan. The name "Formosensis" is derived from the beautiful island of Formosa (Taiwan) and its mountainous forests. The train's main structure is made of steel, with exterior decorations crafted from Taiwan red cypress and hinoki. The scientific name of

red cypress is Chamaecyparis formosensis, hence the English name "Formosensis.“

TOPU analyzes the structural stiffness and strength of the body structure and bogie components of the train, as well as conducts comfortability testing and assessment. Since the Alishan Railway ascends to Alishan via a zigzag route after reaching Fenqihu, we evaluate the safety of the structure by simulating the dynamic deformation degree of the entire train in the event of a head-on collision with a mountainside. The simulation results show that during the collision, the structural deformation of the train did not intrude into the passenger safety space.

Additionally, the Alishan Railway has a track gauge of only 762 mm, much narrower than standard railway gauges, which can cause shaking during travel. We conduct acceleration measurements of the seats

and floor according to UIC 513 regulations, and perform weighted calculations to evaluate the overall

comfort of the train.