Technical Reports
Occupant Protection Experiments in Support of A Full-Scale Train-to-Train Crash Energy Management Equipment Collision Test
The Federal Railroad Administration sponsored a full-scale train-to-train crash energy management (CEM) technology test that was conducted on March 23, 2006, at the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, Colorado. The Volpe National Transportation Center directed and coordinated the...A Practical Risk Assessment Methodology for Safety-Critical Train Control Systems
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North Carolina "Sealed Corridor" Phase I, II, and III Assessment
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) tasked the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center to document the further success of the North Carolina DOT “Sealed Corridor” project through Phases I, II, and III. The Sealed Corridor is the section of the designated Southeast High Speed Rail...Engineering Studies on Structural Integrity of Railroad Tank Cars Under Accident Loading Conditions
This report describes research conducted to support the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) in addressing safety recommendations made by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) regarding a train derailment that occurred near Minot, North Dakota on January 18, 2002. Engineering studies...Survivability of Railroad Tank Car Top Fittings in Rollover Scenario Derailments - Phase 2
Phase 2 of this project is a continuation from Phase 1 and investigates the survivability of railroad tank car top fittings in rollover scenarios using Failure Element Analysis techniques. It also explores additional protective concepts intended to survive more severe impacts than those of the...Risk Analyses for the IDOT Positive Train Control System to Determine Optimum Communications Timeout: Comparison to Cab Signal Systems with Continuous Train Stop and with Speed Control
This project examines the influence of the communication timeout threshold and latency of a positive train control (PTC) system on its overall safety performance as compared with a cab signal system with continuous Automatic Train Stop and a fouraspect cab signal system with speed control, or an...Work Schedules and Sleep Patterns of Railroad Train and Engine Service Workers
This report presents the results of a study designed to characterize the work/rest schedules and sleep patterns of U.S. railroad train and engine service (T&E) personnel and to examine the relationship between these schedules and alertness. The methodology was a survey of a random sample of U...An Independent Evaluation of the Switching Operations Fatality Analysis 2010 Working Group's Processes
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USDOT Federal Railroad Administration's Third Research Needs Workshop on Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety and Trespass Prevention: Volume I - Summary of Results
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