Research Results
RAIL-MOUNTED OPTICAL FIBER SENSORS FOR MONITORING TRACK TRANSITIONS
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) sponsored a research team from Oklahoma State University (OSU) to assess how well Optical Fiber Sensors (OFS), specifically Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors, can monitor railroad track transitions. The initial laboratory work focused on comparing the...
EXPERTISE MANAGEMENT: A PROMISING APPROACH FOR SUCCESSION PLANNING
The railroad industry is facing a significant loss of expertise that succession planning programs alone cannot adequately mitigate, largely due to shifting demographics and an aging employee population. In 2022, FRA’s Office of Research, Development, and Technology’s Human Factors Division...
Full Moving Block (FMB) Concept and Requirements Specification for Railroad Operations
The Federal Railroad Administration sponsored Transportation Technology Center, Inc., (MxV Rail), in collaboration with a rail industry stakeholder technical advisory group (TAG), to refine concepts and develop interoperable requirements for the Full Moving Block (FMB) method of train control....
Implementing SLSI-provided Opportunities Continues to Support Safety Culture Growth
The Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI) measures short line and regional railroads’ safety culture using a multi-method assessment process that examines safety culture performance across the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Safety Council’s 10 Core Elements of a Strong Safety Culture (...
Short Line Safety Institute: Testing the Fidelity of Its Robust Model
The Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI) is dedicated to the continuous improvement of safety and safety culture across all short line and regional railroads in the United States. Strengthening a railroad’s safety culture may result in less frequent or severe accidents and create a safer working...
Ventilation Design and Procedures for Passenger Rail
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) sponsored research by the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) to study the principles of fire growth and smoke management, as well as the current state of standards and regulation in the US and abroad. This study was in...Tests To Create Tread Buildup On Railroad Wheels
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Office of Research, Development, and Technology and the Association of American Railroads (AAR) support research conducted by Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) on the root cause of wheel-related accidents. The purpose of this project was to...
Analysis of Tread Buildup on Railroad Wheels
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Office of Research, Development, and Technology and the Association of American Railroads (AAR) fund research conducted by Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) on the root cause of wheel-related accidents. The purpose of this project was to...
Tensile Test Results of Samples Taken from Critical Areas of Bolsters
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) collaborated with the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) Coupling System and Truck Castings Committee and Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) to investigate possible solutions to railcar side frame and bolster failures..