Recent advances in traction drive technology for rail transit

The traction drive system is the “heart” of rail transit vehicles. The development of sustainable, secure, economic, reliable, efficient, and comfortable contemporary rail transportation has led to increasingly stringent requirements for traction drive systems. The interest in such systems is constantly growing, supported by advancements such as permanent magnet (PM) motors, advanced electronic devices such as those using silicon carbide (SiC), new-generation insulating materials such as organic silicon, and advanced magnetic materials such as rare-earth magnets and amorphous materials. Progress has also been made in control methods, manufacturing technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and other advanced technologies. In this paper, we briefly review the state-of-the-art critical global trends in rail transit traction drive technology in recent years. Potential areas for research and the main obstacles hindering the development of the next-generation rail transit traction drive systems are also discussed. Finally, we describe some advanced traction drive technologies used in actual engineering applications.