• Comparability of product specifications
• Better controllability of LCC

• Better predictability of energy costs and LCC
• Basis for penalty clauses between supplier and customer

Lengthy consultation process

International coordination effort between railways and industry could represent hurdle for a reference cycle.

Lack of applicability to concrete operation profile

Some calls for tender contain the specific operation profile envisaged for the ordered vehicles. This makes only sense in cases where the planned field of application is very narrow or even restricted to a single line. In this case, a standardised set of reference cycles for energy efficiency is useful only to a limited degree.

Excessive focus on particular operation profile

Some experts fear a reference cycle could lead to a narrow focus of optimising efforts of industry, comparable to what is happening with EURO I-IV emission standards.

Acceptance by manufacturers

Some manufacturers may not be interested in making energy efficiency of their products more transparent.

Procedure

Before starting such an initiative, a well-planned procedure for setting up the reference cycles should be set up aiming at an efficient consultation process. The role of UIC and UNIFE etc. would have to be clarified early.

Local service as a starting point

Due to high comparability of operation characteristics, local trains are particularly well suited for reference cycle. It is therefore recommendable to first introduce reference cycle for local trains to raise acceptance for this concept.