The development of China’s high-speed railway systems and a study of the dynamics of coupled systems in high-speed trains

This paper reports on the development of high-speed railway systems in China. In addition, with respect to the characteristics of the high-speed train system, the relationship between various coupled systems that can affect train operation are analysed, including interactions between two vehicles, between a track and train, a pantograph/catenary and train, and airflow and a train. On the basis of this research, problems pertaining to the dynamics arising from high-speed operations are studied and the necessity for a study of the system dynamics of high-speed trains—considering all these interactions—is discussed. A theoretic framework for the analysis of the dynamics generated by coupled systems in high-speed trains is presented and the modelling methods for these coupled systems are outlined.