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Technical Reports

Fire Tests of Amtrak Passenger Rail Vehicle Interiors

A series of fire tests was conducted to assess the burning behavior of the interior of passenger rail vehicles. Three types of tests were performed: (1) small-scale laboratory tests to study the flammability and smoke generation characteristics of the individual materials, (2) full-scale...

Recommended Emergency Preparedness Guidelines for Passenger Trains

The document contains recommended guidelines designed to assist system operating and emergency response organization management in evaluating and modifying or supplementing their emergency response plans. The recommendations address guidelines relating to emergency plans, procedures, and training....

Construction Loads Experienced by Plastic Composite Ties

Damage to plastic composite ties during handling and track installation has been reported by a number of railroads. Results from a survey conducted to identify specific handling issues were used to develop field and laboratory tests to measure the loads plastic composite ties are subjected to...

Trespass Prevention Research Study – West Palm Beach, FL

The United States Department of Transportation’s (U.S. DOT) Research and Innovative Technology Administration’s John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center), under the direction of the U.S. DOT Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Office of Research and Development (R...