Volume 17 (2021): Edizione 1 (June 2021)

The article concerns the analysis of the influence of pressure on the noise generated by tires. The largest source of noise and vibrations is the cooperation of the wheels with the surface and the aerodynamic noise. For this purpose, seven winter tires, seven summer tires and one all-season tire were tested in the same region and same conditions. By changing the pressure in them in the range of 1-3 bar, the noise of the tires was measured. On the basis of the conducted tests, it can be concluded that with the decrease of tire pressure, the noise level of the tire decreases. The average noise drop recorded during tests for all types of tested tires is about 1.5 dB at a pressure drop of approx. 2 bar. The decrease in noise at reduced pressure is also dependent on the size of the tire and the softness of the mixture used for the production of tires. When operating the vehicle, follow the manufacturer's tire pressure recommendations.

Liberalisation of the rail transport market is the main aim of the European Union in the field of transport policy. Open access on the market allows railway undertakings to provide their services, but it also requires to compete with each other. In recent years, night train services have experienced a renaissance, especially in west-Europe countries. A development of this type of services is important to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality in EU, especially in context of affordable air transport. The aim of this study is to analyse current night train services in middle Europe and find opportunities for their further development. In this article we have proposed new night train connections between Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, and Germany, provided by railway undertaking in open access mode, with a detailed cost calculation. This is necessary to assess the economic efficiency of introducing new connections. Results of the cost calculations form the basis of the price for transport on newly introduced routes.

The connection of international economies in the world represents an important role for the development of modern economies of countries. This phenomenon is known as globalization. The article describes in more detail the dependence of the Slovak Republic on the economies of East Asia, where mathematical research was performed on macroeconomic indicators of imports and exports. The Slovak Republic is experiencing an increase in GDP for the entire reference period. The growth of economic indicators in the Slovak Republic is ensured mainly due to the strong integration of our economy into international logistics chains and the strongly developed automotive industry. However, assuming the COVID-19 crisis, several studies suggest a sharp decline in economic indicators, as international trade has had to be significantly reduced for some time. The countries we examined in the article have a significant impact on these areas, so our research was focused on the main sectors of the Slovak economy. The automotive industry, the metallurgical industry and the electronics industry were evaluated. Data from world statistics were evaluated using mathematical and statistical models. The result of the study was the confirmation of dependence in all the categories.

The paper focuses on construction layout of railway stations, mainly platforms for boarding passenger trains. Platform layout has significant impact to the operation of trains, because passengers cross some tracks horizontally, when the train boarding is necessary. Horizontal track crossings cause possible dangerous situations from passengers’ point of view as well as operational problems from dispatcher point of view, because other trains have to slow or stop their ride. It may cause delays and it negatively influences timetable planning too. The problem is deeply analysed and described in a case study of Opatov railway station.

The introduction of tact timetable in rail passenger transport is currently a new evolving trend that increases the efficiency of rail transport. This article seeks to contribute in this area of the issue and thus to raise and improve this system of organizing transport in railway transport. The aim is to propose a methodology that assesses the level of stability of tact timetable based on operational and infrastructural factors. The methodology identifies operational-infrastructural factors that affect the stability and reliability of tact timetable. Using scientific methods, it presents the method of their quantification and determination of the weights of these factors, which evaluate the line sections and transport points of the examined transport path. From a practical point of view, the methodology is generally tact applicable to other European railway networks. In the final part of the work, this methodological procedure is applied in the form of model examples for various transport path.

The quality of the transport process in railway transport depends on the compliance of the timetable. Delays in rail transport are due to various reasons. One of the common factors is also failures in the stations or track interlocking systems. In the article is published the results of the performed simulation of failures of interlocking systems in the conditions of the transport laboratory at the Department of Railway Transport. The research was part of a student project solved at the University of Zilina.