Research efforts in the Rolling Stock Equipment and Components Program area focus on the development and improvement of equipment defect detection and control. Both wayside and on-board detection and control systems offer diverse platforms for such...

Sponsored by the Federal Railroad Administration, the Advanced Concept Train (ACT) is a demonstration train showcasing technologies to improve safety of switching operations and efficiency of train operations. The train consists of five test cars,...

Crash Energy Management The purpose of this project is to develop design data to improve the crashworthiness of passenger vehicles. A series of analyses and tests, involving different collision scenarios, are used to verify computer models and...

Under the FRA regulations, tank car owners are required to employ periodic structural integrity inspections including tank shell thickness tests and inspections of tank car welds. By limiting the required inspection to known areas of crack initiation...

Features:

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The cut-lever mechanically...

Provides Essential Features for...

Opportunity/Problem:

Switching operation safety can be improved considering that approximately 2,700 reportable lost time injuries occur each year, along with a few fatalities, as a result of switching-related duties.

Opportunity/Problem:

In 2011 U.S. railroads reported 52 wheel related train accidents to the FRA.  Half of the derailments that occurred on Class I railroads were reported as derailments occurring from a broken wheel....

Opportunity/Problem:

Wheel removals cost the heavy haul industry more than $800 million annually in North America. More than 60% of the overall wheelset replacement is attributed to high impact wheels (HIW). It also has...