A rail vehicle suspension system comprising: a supporting structure, a suspended structure, the suspended structure being movable relative to the supporting structure between a remote position and a close position through an intermediate position; a primary spring, the primary spring being operative between the suspended structure and the supporting structure such as to release potential elastic energy when the suspended structure moves away from the supporting structure from the close position to the remote position and to store potential elastic energy when the suspended structure moves towards the supporting structure from the remote position to the close position; an actuator connected to a first structure amongst the suspended structure and supporting structure, the actuator having a free end portion movable relative to the first structure between an extended position and a contracted position, wherein the actuator is operative to catch a second structure amongst the suspended structure and supporting structure and bring the supporting structure into the close position when the free end portion moves to the contracted position; a secondary spring, the secondary spring being connected to the second structure amongst the suspended structure and supporting structure; characterized in that the secondary spring is positioned such that the secondary spring is unstressed by the actuator when the free end portion of the actuator is in the retracted position and such that the free end portion of the actuator in the extended position abuts against the secondary spring at least when the suspended structure is between the intermediate position and the close position. a supporting structure, a suspended structure, the suspended structure being movable relative to the supporting structure between a remote position and a close position through an intermediate position; a primary spring, the primary spring being operative between the suspended structure and the supporting structure such as to release potential elastic energy when the suspended structure moves away from the supporting structure from the close position to the remote position and to store potential elastic energy when the suspended structure moves towards the supporting structure from the remote position to the close position; an actuator connected to a first structure amongst the suspended structure and supporting structure, the actuator having a free end portion movable relative to the first structure between an extended position and a contracted position, wherein the actuator is operative to catch a second structure amongst the suspended structure and supporting structure and bring the supporting structure into the close position when the free end portion moves to the contracted position; a secondary spring, the secondary spring being connected to the second structure amongst the suspended structure and supporting structure; characterized in that the secondary spring is positioned such that the secondary spring is unstressed by the actuator when the free end portion of the actuator is in the retracted position and such that the free end portion of the actuator in the extended position abuts against the secondary spring at least when the suspended structure is between the intermediate position and the close position.