Railway wheelsets · An axle with two wheels fitted to it, designed to the bogie, brakes, drive and track: EN 13260 wheelsets built from EN 13262 wheels and EN 13261 axles in category 1 or 2, powered or non-powered, solid or bored axles, axle protection and noise-reducing wheels
A railway wheelset is an axle with two wheels fixed to it; it carries the vehicle's weight, transmits traction and braking forces and guides the vehicle on the rails. Ask three things first: which standard and category apply for the vehicle's speed and network, what vehicle, axle load, brakes and drive the wheelset must suit, and which axle design, protection and wheel type fit the service and maintenance plan.
Complete railway wheelsets (axle with two wheels, with or without brake discs and drive components) for passenger, freight, locomotive, metro and tram vehicles. Separate wheels, axles, bogie frames, axle boxes and bearings, and road-vehicle wheel assemblies (see wheel assembly) are outside this page.
01
EN 13260 specifies the characteristics of new wheelsets for use on European networks, made from wheels conforming to EN 13262 and axles conforming to EN 13261; it is not fully applicable to wheelsets undergoing maintenance. Some characteristics depend on category 1 or category 2 (which may be split into 2a and 2b); the BSI abstract gives an operating speed above 200 km/h as the guide for choosing category 1, and the wheelset then uses category 1 wheels and axles. [1]
GHH-BONATRANS says it tailors wheelsets to the customer's vehicles and technical standards, taking into account bogie design, brake systems, drives and track parameters, for all gauge types and high loads. Its range covers powered and non-powered wheelsets for passenger multiple units and coaches, metro wheelsets, low-floor tram wheelsets with independent wheels and rubber-sprung resilient wheels, and freight wheelsets including heavy haul, with stress- and heat-optimised wheels. It notes that wheelsets carry vehicles weighing tens of tonnes at speeds up to 450 km/h through a wheel–rail contact the size of a coin. [2]
Give the supplier the network and standard (EN 13260 or other), category, vehicle type and maximum speed, axle load, track gauge and wheel profile, bogie and axle box interface, brake type (tread or disc) and drive arrangement, wheel diameter and wear limits, axle design and protection, testing and documentation, and quantity.
02
GHH-BONATRANS says axles must last for decades while wheels are replaced as they wear, so axles need protection: it uses molybdenum coating on seats, strength rolling, special coatings and induction hardening, which it applies over the full axle length for high-speed, aggressive or coastal service. It offers solid axles and axles with a partial or complete longitudinal bore, which allow non-destructive inspection without disassembly and reduce wheelset weight. [3]
For wheels, it describes improved steel grades and heat treatment for long service life, wheels with noise absorbers and low-noise designs, rubber-sprung resilient wheels for urban transport that reduce noise and curve squeal, optimised freight and heavy-haul wheels, and wheels for track machines. It supplies axles separately for assembly at the customer's premises and as spare parts. [4] [3]
03
Ask any supplier for conformity to EN 13260, EN 13262 and EN 13261 (or the applicable national standard), category, wheel and axle steel grades, design calculations and fatigue validation, press-fitting records, geometric inspection results, axle protection, wheel profile, balancing, electrical resistance testing, references and lead time.
04
Axle protection earns its own row because GHH-BONATRANS expects axles to last for decades while wheels are replaced as they wear. [3]
| Part | Role | Fix in the order |
|---|---|---|
| Axle | Carries load between bearings and wheels. [3] [1] | EN 13261; bore. |
| Wheels | Run on the rail; carry and guide. [4] [1] | EN 13262; type. |
| Axle protection | Resists corrosion and damage. [3] | Coating; hardening. |
| Brake and drive interfaces | Match brakes and drive. [2] | Discs; gear seats. |
| Noise-reduction features | Absorbers or resilient wheels. [4] [2] | Option. |
05
The sources reviewed give no dimensional values for wheels or axles, so the diameter, journal, profile and tolerance rows come from your vehicle drawing and network rules.
| Field | What it means and published values | Ask the supplier for |
|---|---|---|
| Wheel Diameter (mm) | Not stated in the reviewed sources. | New and worn. |
| Axle Load (t) | Not stated in the reviewed sources. | Design load. |
| Wheel Gauge (mm) | All gauge types offered. [2] | Back-to-back. |
| Wheel Profile | Not stated in the reviewed sources. | Profile. |
| Axle Journal Diameter (mm) | Not stated in the reviewed sources. | Drawing. |
| Wheel Hardness (HBW) | Not stated in the reviewed sources. | Hardness. |
| Axle Material | To EN 13261, category by speed. [1] | Steel grade. |
| Wheel Material | To EN 13262, category by speed. [1] | Steel grade. |
| Maximum Speed (km/h) | BSI gives operating speed above 200 km/h as the guide for choosing category 1; up to 450 km/h quoted. [1] [2] | Design speed. |
| Weight (kg) | Bored axles reduce weight. [3] | Weight. |
| Wheel Diameter Tolerance (mm) | Not stated in the reviewed sources. | Tolerance. |
| Axle Straightness (mm/m) | Not stated in the reviewed sources. | Tolerance. |
06
Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.
Standard: [EN 13260; category] Vehicle: [type; speed; axle load] Track: [gauge; wheel profile] Brakes and drive: [tread; disc; powered] Axle: [solid; bored; protection] Wheels: [type; noise reduction; resilient] Quantity: [wheelsets]
2 companies list this product among what they make. Company figures are quoted from each company's own website; every card states where the relationship came from.
Its website has a product page for wheelset.
Product scope checked 2026-10-12
Its website has a product page for wheelset.
Product scope checked 2026-10-12
Explore company information and manufacturing capabilities, then discuss the scope of your project with a relevant supplier.
EN 13260, for wheelsets built from EN 13262 wheels and EN 13261 axles. [1]
EN 13260's scope, as published by BSI, gives an operating speed above 200 km/h as the guide for choosing category 1. [1]
GHH-BONATRANS says bores allow non-destructive inspection without disassembly and reduce weight. [3]
Sources checked 2026-10-11. BSI publishes EN 13260; GHH-BONATRANS makes wheelsets, wheels and axles.
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