On 14 June 2012 the EuropeTrain returned to Minden after 2 weeks and ca. 12,000 km of successful operation in France.

The “Europe Train” test train, which has been travelling across Europe since December 2010 to test low-noise brakes – equipped with composite “LL” brake blocks” – before it goes into series production to retrofit the existing European freight wagon fleet, has completed its fourteenth run through France. The previous run in May took the train through France with a short trip to Luxembourg.

“Europe Train” is a project managed by UIC on behalf of the international railway community. To date, 29 railway companies, four industry suppliers and the sector organisations UIC, CER and EIM have signed the resolution for the preparation of “Europe Train”. This UIC project is managed by Mr Johannes Gräber from Deutsche Bahn.

After the train left the DB Systemtechnik test centre in Minden on 28 May, it travelled to Bad Bentheim, crossed the Netherlands and Belgium and finally crossed the French border at Quevy on 29 May on its way to Paris Le Bourget. During the French Loop the EuropeTrain travelled several times from its temporary home base in Paris Le Bourget to Lyon (7x), to Metz (1x) and to Marseille (1x). The return this time took the train via Metz and Thionville to Luxembourg for a local press event on 12 June, which was very successful.

(see more on http://europetrain.uic.org/spip.php?page=news).

On 13 June the train returned again via Belgium and the Netherlands to Minden.

Directly after the return, the measurements of wheels and brake blocks were taken as usual. Before the next run, the EuropeTrain’s International Analysis Team (IAT) will discuss the results again, define further activities and in particular decide which wagons will participate in the next run, which will be the second and last Italian Loop, starting 7 July 2012.