The aim of the article is to discuss the issues of passive safety in railway vehicles. Current design of the elements absorbing collision energy is presented. Basic functions performed by passive safety systems are indicated and the source of the applicable regulations is discussed. Crash scenarios are listed and the basic criteria for vehicle structure assessment are discussed. Some solutions of passive safety systems used in selected types of locomotives and multiple units are presented

The aim of the article is to present the issues related to the construction and principles of operation of braking systems used in railroad and tramway vehicles, paying attention to aspects of safety, achieving appropriate braking performance and wheel to rail adhesion. The article is a theoretical introduction to the applied solutions and requirements for braking systems in rail vehicles together with systems supporting the operation of brakes.

The aim of the article is to present the scope of signals recorded in event and data law recorders in railways and their interpretation. In the research methodology both signal measurements as part of pre-operational tests of railway vehicles manufactured by Newag SA as well as the subsequent observation of signals during operation were employed. The final analyses enabled the specification of safety-critical signals and determination of their correct interpretation relative to the analyzed event.

The aim of the article is to present the differences between the tram speeds recorded in the recorder and those measured with a measuring device, and to propose the use of a correlation coefficient to determine the real speed. During the experiment, performed for an expert witness opinion, differences were found between the speed values recorded in the ATM recorder and those measured with the VBOX Sport device. It was also noticed that four speeds of different values had already been recorded in the recorder. The sources of these speeds are presented and the correlation coefficient between the measured and recorded values, which was used to reproduce the actual speeds and accelerations recorded during the real event, is calculated.

A case of railbus – semitrailer collision is discussed. The cause of the collision and the influence of the railbus driver exceeding the permissible speed on the occurrence of the accident are indicated. In conclusion it is emphasized that this type of accidents can very frequently be prevented by conforming to the regulations of art. 25 para. 2 and art. 28 para. 1 and 2 of the Road Traffic Act.