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In Phase III of this research, FRA sponsored Sharma & Associates, Inc. (SA), with significant assistance from Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway, to conduct a series of tests to evaluate air brake system performance on a stationary train consisting of 200 cars in BNSF’s railroad...
In Phase II of this research project, FRA sponsored Wabtec to perform train air brake tests on long trains at their facility in Wilmerding, Pennsylvania, between January 2021 and March 2021. The air brake rack simulated trains with up to 200 control valves using a conventional (i.e., head-end...
This report presents the means to identify and assess impacts and mitigation methods for aerodynamic effects of high-speed trains on high-speed rail corridors for designers, operators, and other affected parties. It provides descriptions of basic concepts, criteria, standards, and examples...
From 2017–2019, the Federal Railroad Administration sponsored VORtech and its project partners to develop advanced physics-based modeling of wheel-rail friction. Sub-models were established for the elastic and plastic shearing of third body layers, heating of the contacting surfaces, and effects...
This document provides supplementary information to accompany the previously published Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) report titled Reducing Hazards Associated with Visual and Automation-Aided Track Inspections, Report No. DOT/FRA/ORD-21/18. The main report documents a study in which a...
The University of Florida and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, in partnership with the Austrian firm voestalpine Railway Systems Nortrak, developed a performance-based manufacturing control process for ensuring the freeze-thaw durability of concrete railroad ties. Air entrainment...
The Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), under Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Hazmat Transportation Safety Research and Development Strategic Plan, conducted a study of vent and burn as a method of hazardous materials incident mitigation. The purpose of the study was to...
The Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), under the Federal Railroad Administration’s Hazmat Transportation Safety Research and Development Strategic Plan, conducted a study of vent and burn as a method of hazardous materials incident mitigation. The purpose of the study was to develop...
For regions experiencing high rot and decay, engineered-polymer composite (EPC) ties offer a potential alternative to solid-sawn timber ties. However, these ties have a history of inconsistent performance and existing AREMA laboratory qualification testing have not proven effective in...
As defined by current regulations (Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 236 Subpart G), restricted speed is a speed that will permit stopping within one-half the range of vision, but does not exceed 20 mph. In the U.S., restricted speed operation is a common type of train operation on...