Suspension Control Strategies for High-Speed Trains: A Comprehensive Review and Future Perspectives

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59796/jcst.V16N3.2026.206

Keywords:

adaptive and hybrid controllers, high-speed train suspension, intelligent control strategies, semi-active and active suspension, vibration suppression, reinforcement learning, magnetorheological damper

Abstract

The suspension system plays a crucial role in ensuring the smoothness, stability, and safety of high-speed trains. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the development of passive, semi-active, and active suspension systems. Advanced intelligent control architectures, such as Proportional Integral Derivative (PID), Linear Quadratic Regulator/Gaussian (LQR/LQG), and Sliding Mode Control (SMC), are compared with modern approaches, specifically fuzzy logic control frameworks based on Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Adaptive Neural Networks (ANN), and Adaptive Nonlinear Control (ANC). The paper evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of each strategy by considering five core criteria: passenger comfort, vibration suppression capability, disturbance rejection, adaptability, and implementation complexity. The synthesis of results indicates that intelligent and adaptive controllers provide significant quantitative enhancements; for instance, a PSO-optimized hybrid Fuzzy-PID controller achieves a 42.8% reduction in root-mean-square (RMS) acceleration. Most notably, the ANC strategy attains the highest improvement, enhancing ride comfort by up to 68.2% compared with passive systems. Finally, future research directions are outlined, emphasizing the necessity of high-fidelity multi-physics modeling and the development of computationally optimized, data-efficient reinforcement learning frameworks directly integrated into fault-tolerant control loops.

Author Biography

Xuan Kien Dang, Artificial Intelligent in Transportation, University of Transport Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam

Xuan-Kien Dang received a Ph.D. in Control Science and Engineering from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in June 2012. He is the Head of the Science and R&D Department at Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport, Vietnam. He has been awarded the Best Paper Award at the Conference of Science and Technology, Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport (2018, 2023, 2025), Conference on “Smart Technology Application in Industry 4.0, Smart Cities and Sustainable Development” - STAIS (2024, 2025), the President Prize for Award Winner of the Excellent Paper of The 17th Asia Maritime & Fisheries Universities Forum (2018), and Doctoral Scholarship - Huazhong Univ. of Science & Tech., China, 2008-2012. His current research interests focus on Artificial Intelligent Transportation, Control Theory, Automation, Maritime Technology, Underwater Vehicles, Optimal and Robust Control, and Networked Control Systems. Dr. Dang has authored and co-authored multiple publications in international and national journals, conference proceedings, and technical reports. His research has been published in reputable journals indexed by ISI/Scopus. He has also presented his work at various international conferences on control systems, automation, maritime engineering, and intelligent transportation systems. His publications often focus on applying artificial intelligence, robust control techniques, and optimal control algorithms for complex systems such as autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), maritime navigation, and networked control systems. Additionally, Dr. Dang has participated in multiple scientific research projects at institutional and national levels, and he actively contributes as a reviewer for several peer-reviewed journals in the fields of control engineering and intelligent systems, Dr. Dang is also Editors-in-Chief of EAI Endorsed Transactions on Transportation Systems and Ocean Engineering.

References

Akgul, T., & Unluturk, A. (2023). Comparison of PSO-LQR and PSO-PID controller performances on a real quarter vehicle suspension [Conference presentation]. 2023 Innovations in intelligent systems and applications conference (ASYU). IEEE., Sivas, Turkiye. https://doi.org/10.1109/ASYU58738.2023.10296830

Alehashem, S. S., Ni, Y. Q., & Liu, X. Z. (2021). A full-scale experimental investigation on ride comfort and rolling motion of high-speed train equipped with MR dampers. IEEE access, 9, 118113-118123. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3106953

Bruni, S., & Resta, F. (2001). Active control of railway vehicles to avoid hunting instability [Conference presentation]. 2001 IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics. Proceedings (Cat. No. 01TH8556). IEEE, Como, Italy. https://doi.org/10.1109/AIM.2001.936459

Chen, Y. H. (2009). Constraint-following servo control design for mechanical systems. Journal of Vibration and Control, 15(3), 369-389. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077546307086895

Dang, X.-K., Do, V.-D., Nguyen, N.-T., & Ly, S. (2025). Integrating model predictive control with deep learning for sway reduction in ship-to-shore crane operations. EAI Endorsed Transactions on Transportation Systems and Ocean Engineering, 1(1), Article 1.

Deng, M., Sun, D., Zhan, L., Xu, X., & Zou, J. (2024). Advancing active suspension control with TD3-PSC: Integrating physical safety constraints into deep reinforcement learning. IEEE Access, 12, 115628-115641. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2024.3445663

Dridi, I., Hamza, A., & Ben Yahia, N. (2023). A new approach to controlling an active suspension system based on reinforcement learning. Advances in Mechanical Engineering, 15(6), Article 16878132231180480. https://doi.org/10.1177/16878132231180480

Feng, X., & Jing, X. (2019). Human body inspired vibration isolation: Beneficial nonlinear stiffness, nonlinear damping & nonlinear inertia. Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, 117, 786-812. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymssp.2018.08.040

Ferhath, A. A., & Kasi, K. (2025). Prediction of damping force in magnetorheological dampers using long short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks. Iranian Journal of Science and Technology, Transactions of Mechanical Engineering, 49, 2387–2405. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40997-025-00897-9

Fu, B., Giossi, R. L., Persson, R., Stichel, S., Bruni, S., & Goodall, R. (2020). Active suspension in railway vehicles: A literature survey. Railway Engineering Science, 28(1), 3-35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40534-020-00207-w

Gao, Z. Y., Tian, B., Wu, D. P., & Chang, Y. S. (2021). Study on semi-active control of running stability in the high-speed train under unsteady aerodynamic loads and track excitation. Vehicle System Dynamics, 59(1), 101-114. https://doi.org/10.1080/00423114.2019.1662924

Goodall, R. (1997). Active railway suspensions: Implementation status and technological trends. Vehicle System Dynamics, 28(2-3), 87-117. https://doi.org/10.1080/00423119708969351

Gutiérrez-Moizant, R., Valdez, A. R., Boada, M. J. L., Boada, B. L., & Ramírez-Berasategui, M. (2025). Reliability analysis of vehicle semi-active suspension systems under parameter uncertainties in magnetorheological dampers. Results in Engineering, 27, Article 106301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rineng.2025.106301

Han, J., Hayashi, Y., Jia, P., & Yuan, Q. (2012). Economic effect of high-speed rail: Empirical analysis of Shinkansen’s impact on industrial location. Journal of Transportation Engineering, 138(12), 1551–1557. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)TE.1943-5436.0000467

He, J., Liu, Z., & Zhang, C. (2020). Sliding mode control of lateral semi-active suspension of high-speed train. Journal of Advanced Computational Intelligence and Intelligent Informatics, 24(7), 925–933. https://doi.org/10.20965/jaciii.2020.p0925

Hua, Y., Zhu, S., & Shi, X. (2022). High-performance semiactive secondary suspension of high-speed trains using negative stiffness and magnetorheological dampers. Vehicle System Dynamics, 60(7), 2290-2311. https://doi.org/10.1080/00423114.2021.1899251

Huang, D., Chen, C., Huang, T., Zhao, D., & Tang, Q. (2020). An active repetitive learning control method for lateral suspension systems of high-speed trains. IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems, 31(10), 4094-4103. https://doi.org/10.1109/TNNLS.2019.2952175

Jiang, J. Z., Matamoros-Sanchez, A. Z., Zolotas, A., Goodall, R. M., & Smith, M. C. (2015). Passive suspensions for ride quality improvement of two-axle railway vehicles. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit, 229(3), 315–329. https://doi.org/10.1177/0954409713511592

Jianjun, M., Zhongjun, W., Ruxun, X., & Decang, L. (2021). Research on active suspension control of high-speed train based on fuzzy compound strategy. Journal of System Simulation, 33(7), 1554–1564. https://doi.org/10.16182/j.issn1004731x.joss.20-0191

Jin, X. (2020). A measurement and evaluation method for wheel–rail contact forces and axle stresses of high-speed train. Measurement, 149, Article 106983. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.measurement.2019.106983

Kimball, J. B., DeBoer, B., & Bubbar, K. (2024). Adaptive control and reinforcement learning for vehicle suspension control: A review. Annual Reviews in Control, 58, Article 100974. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arcontrol.2024.100974

Koç, M. A. (2020). Dynamic response and fuzzy control of half-car high-speed train and bridge interaction. Academic Perspective Procedia, 3(1), 519–529. https://doi.org/10.33793/acperpro.03.01.100

Leblebici, A. S., & Türkay, S. (2018). An H∞ and skyhook controller design for a high speed railway vehicle. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 51(9), 156-161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifacol.2018.07.026

Li, D.-Y., Song, Y.-D., & Cai, W.-C. (2015). Neuro-adaptive fault-tolerant approach for active suspension control of high-speed trains. IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, 16(5), 2446–2456. https://doi.org/10.1109/TITS.2015.2409296

Li, X., Zhu, M., Zhang, B., Wang, X., Liu, Z., & Han, L. (2024). A review of artificial intelligence applications in high-speed railway systems. High-speed Railway, 2(1), 11-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hspr.2024.01.002

Liu, H., Li, C., & Yang, X. (2024). Overview of the balanced suspension patents. Recent Patents on Engineering, 18(8), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.2174/1872212118666230915103451

Metin, M., & Guclu, R. (2011). Active vibration control with comparative algorithms of half rail vehicle model under various track irregularities. Journal of Vibration and Control, 17(10), 1525–1539. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077546310381099

Montenegro, P. A., Carvalho, H., Ortega, M., Millanes, F., Goicolea, J. M., Zhai, W., & Calçada, R. (2022a). Impact of the train-track-bridge system characteristics in the runnability of high-speed trains against crosswinds Part I: Running safety. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, 224, Article 104974. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jweia.2022.104974

Montenegro, P. A., Ribeiro, D., Ortega, M., Millanes, F., Goicolea, J. M., Zhai, W., & Calçada, R. (2022b). Impact of the train-track-bridge system characteristics in the runnability of high-speed trains against crosswinds Part II: Riding comfort. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, 224, Article 104987. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jweia.2022.104987

Mou, R., & Chen, C. (2024). Reinforcement learning control of lateral vibration of high-speed train carbody. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2902(1), Article 012040. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2902/1/012040

Nguyen, H. C., Sone, A., Iba, D., & Masuda, A. (2008). Design of passive suspension system of railway vehicles via control theory. Journal of System Design and Dynamics, 2(2), 518-527. https://doi.org/10.1299/jsdd.2.518

Peng, J., Hu, Y., Zhang, Q., Zhou, H., Hua, T., & Cheng, C. (2022). Adaptive neural network control for active suspension systems with asymmetric time-varying output constraints [Conference presentation]. 2022 37th Youth Academic Annual Conference of Chinese Association of Automation (YAC), IEEE, Beijing, China. https://doi.org/10.1109/YAC57282.2022.10023813

Qin, W., Shangguan, W. B., Yin, H., Chen, Y. H., & Huang, J. (2021). Constraint-following control design for active suspension systems. Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, 154, Article 107578. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymssp.2020.107578

Qin, Y., Rath, J. J., Hu, C., Sentouh, C., & Wang, R. (2019). Adaptive nonlinear active suspension control based on a robust road classifier with a modified super-twisting algorithm. Nonlinear Dynamics, 97(4), 2425–2442. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11071-019-05138-8

Qiu, Z., Han, S., Na, J., & Wang, C. (2021). Vertical Suspension Optimization for a High‐Speed Train with PSO Intelligent Method. Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience, 2021(1), Article 1526792. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/1526792

Sharma, S. K., & Kumar, A. (2018). Ride comfort of a higher speed rail vehicle using a magnetorheological suspension system. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part K: Journal of Multi-Body Dynamics, 232(1), 32-48. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464419317706873

Shiao, Y., & Huynh, T. L. (2024). A new hybrid control strategy for improving ride comfort on lateral suspension system of railway vehicle. Journal of Low Frequency Noise, Vibration and Active Control, 43(4), 1842-1859. https://doi.org/10.1177/14613484241254762

Shieh, N. C., Lin, C. L., Lin, Y. C., & Liang, K. Z. (2005). Optimal design for passive suspension of a light rail vehicle using constrained multiobjective evolutionary search. Journal of Sound and Vibration, 285(1-2), 407-424. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsv.2004.08.014

Singh, P., & Prasad, M. P. R. (2019). Stability control of high speed train using robust pid controller [Conference presentation]. 2019 3rd International conference on Electronics, Communication and Aerospace Technology (ICECA), IEEE, Coimbatore, India. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICECA.2019.8822105

Singh, S., & Kumar, A. (2022). Modelling and analysis of a passenger train for enhancing the ride performance using MR-based semi-active suspension. Journal of Vibration Engineering & Technologies, 10(5), 1737-1751. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42417-022-00479-y

Soliman, A. M. A., & Kaldas, M. M. S. (2021). Semi-active suspension systems from research to mass-market a review. Journal of Low Frequency Noise, Vibration and Active Control, 40(2), 1005-1023. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461348419876392

Stichel, S., Persson, R., & Giossi, R. (2023). Improving rail vehicle dynamic performance with active suspension. High-speed Railway, 1(1), 23-30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hspr.2022.12.002

Sun, J., & Zhao, K. (2020). Adaptive neural network sliding mode control for active suspension systems with electrohydraulic actuator dynamics. International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems, 17(4), Article 1729881420941986. https://doi.org/10.1177/1729881420941986

Sun, Y., Zhou, J., Gong, D., & Ji, Y. (2022). Study on multi-degree of freedom dynamic vibration absorber of the car-body of high-speed trains. Mechanical Sciences, 13(1), 239-256. https://doi.org/10.5194/ms-13-239-2022

Tang, H. H., & Ahmad, N. S. (2025). Enhanced fuzzy logic control for active suspension systems via hybrid water wave and particle swarm optimization. International Journal of Control, Automation and Systems, 23(2), 560-571. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12555-024-0513-0

Tell, S., Andersson, A., Najafi, A., Spencer Jr, B. F., & Karoumi, R. (2022). Real-time hybrid testing for efficiency assessment of magnetorheological dampers to mitigate train-induced vibrations in bridges. International Journal of Rail Transportation, 10(4), 436-455. https://doi.org/10.1080/23248378.2021.1954560

Tran, T. D., Do, V. D., Dang, X. K., & Mai, B. L. (2022). Improving the control performance of jacking system of Jack-up rig using self-adaptive fuzzy controller based on particle swarm optimization. In International Conference on Industrial Networks and Intelligent Systems. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08878-0_13

Tran, T. T. H., et al. (2024). Application of a sliding mode control solution to control the active suspension system equipped with hydraulic actuator. In B. T. Long et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 3rd Annual International Conference on Material, Machines and Methods for Sustainable Development (MMMS2022). Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-39090-6_58

Umar, A. M., Lazi, M. K. A. M., Hassan, S. A., Hashim, H. I. C., & Zhang, Y. (2025). A bibliometric analysis of railway safety research: Thematic evolution, current status, and future research directions. Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering (English Edition), 12(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtte.2024.07.001

Valášek, M., Kortüm, W., Šika, Z., Magdolen, L., & Vaculın, O. (1998). Development of semi-active road-friendly truck suspensions. Control Engineering Practice, 6(6), 735-744. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0967-0661(98)00079-3

Wang, D. (2022). Adaptive control for the nonlinear suspension systems with stochastic disturbances and unknown time delay. Systems Science & Control Engineering, 10(1), 208-217. https://doi.org/10.1080/21642583.2021.1949403

Wang, J. F., Lin, C. C., & Chen, B. L. (2003). Vibration suppression for high-speed railway bridges using tuned mass dampers. International Journal of Solids and structures, 40(2), 465-491. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0020-7683(02)00589-9

Wijaya, A. A., Yakub, F., Abdullah, S. S., Aljazzar, S., & Kamal, M. A. S. (2024). Adaptive estimation and control of nonlinear suspension systems with natural logarithm sliding mode control. IEEE Access, 12, 60896-60907. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2024.3393970

Wu, Y., Liu, S., Wu, D., & Wang, W. (2023). Multibody system dynamics modelling and simulation of a high-speed train for its suspension optimization. Vibroengineering Procedia, 50, 70-76. https://doi.org/10.21595/vp.2023.23289

Xin, L., Xu, L., Zhang, J., Pei, M., Mao, J., & Wang, D. (2026). Research on characterization methods for track irregularities. Railway Engineering Science, 34(1), 25-39. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40534-024-00367-z

Yang, L. P., Zhu, Q., & Ni, J. (2020). Ride quality improvement for high-speed railway based on D-type iteration learning control [Conference presentation]. 2020 IEEE 9th Data Driven Control and Learning Systems Conference (DDCLS), IEEE, Liuzhou, China. https://doi.org/10.1109/DDCLS49620.2020.9275212

Ye, Y., Huang, P., & Zhang, Y. (2022). Deep learning-based fault diagnostic network of high-speed train secondary suspension systems for immunity to track irregularities and wheel wear. Railway Engineering Science, 30(1), 96-116. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40534-021-00252-z

Zhai, W. (2020). Vehicle–track coupled dynamics: Theory and applications. Singapore: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-32-9283-3

Zhai, W., & Sun, X. (1994). A detailed model for investigating vertical interaction between railway vehicle and track. Vehicle System Dynamics, 23(sup1), 603-615. https://doi.org/10.1080/00423119308969544

Zhang, C., Kordestani, H., & Shadabfar, M. (2023). A combined review of vibration control strategies for high-speed trains and railway infrastructures: Challenges and solutions. Journal of Low Frequency Noise, Vibration and Active Control, 42(1), 272-291. https://doi.org/10.1177/14613484221128682

Zhang, H., Ling, L., & Zhai, W. (2024). Adaptive nonlinear damping control of active secondary suspension for hunting stability of high-speed trains. Applied Mathematical Modelling, 133, 79-107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apm.2024.05.015

Zhang, Z. Y., Shang, D., & Su, S. (2026). Digital twin in railway industry: A bibliometric analysis and systematic review. Digital Twin, 3(1), Article 2533858. https://doi.org/10.1080/27525783.2025.2533858

Zhang, Z., Zhang, J., Yin, H., Zhang, B., & Jing, X. (2022). Bio-inspired structure reference model oriented robust full vehicle active suspension system control via constraint-following. Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, 179, Article 109368. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymssp.2022.109368

Zhao, Q., Lu, Y., Zhu, L., Li, S., Wang, H., Ma, Y., & Xu, J. (2026). Study on adaptive extended LQR control for suspension based on road recognition with experimental validation. International Journal of Automotive Technology, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12239-026-00440-y

Zhu, Q., Ding, J. J., & Yang, M. L. (2018). LQG control based lateral active secondary and primary suspensions of high‐speed train for ride quality and hunting stability. IET Control Theory & Applications, 12(10), 1497-1504. https://doi.org/10.1049/iet-cta.2017.0529

Zhu, Q., Li, L., Chen, C. J., Liu, C. Z., & Hu, G. D. (2017). A low-cost lateral active suspension system of the high-speed train for ride quality based on the resonant control method. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, 65(5), 4187-4196. https://doi.org/10.1109/TIE.2017.2767547

Downloads

Published

2026-06-25

How to Cite

Tran, T.-D., Doan, C.-S., Le, T.-D., Do, V.-D., & Dang, X. K. (2026). Suspension Control Strategies for High-Speed Trains: A Comprehensive Review and Future Perspectives. Journal of Current Science and Technology, 16(3), 206. https://doi.org/10.59796/jcst.V16N3.2026.206