Technical Reports
Developing Safe and Efficient Driving and Routing Strategies at Railroad Grade Crossings based on Highway-Railway Connectivity
This report documents the research involved in developing safe and efficient driving and routing strategies at highway-rail grade crossings (i.e., highway-rail intersections) based on highway-rail connectivity for economic evaluation, driver behavior analysis, and Eco-Driving and Eco-Routing...Automated Track Change Detection Technology for Enhanced Railroad Safety Assessment
The Rail Transportation and Engineering Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Railmetrics, Inc. evaluated the use of 3D laser scanning, Deep Convolutional Neural Networks (DCNNs), and change detection technology for railway track safety inspections. Researchers evaluated...Improved Collision Protection for Train Passengers Seated in Wheelchairs: Evaluation of Active and Passive Strategies
The project evaluates wheeled mobility device (WhMD) securement and occupant restraint on passenger trains. Researchers tested three off-the-shelf wheelchair securement systems in a train-to-train collision as a proof-of-concept to mitigate the effects of second impact velocity. The tests...Low-Cost Coupler Force Calculation from Impact Testing
Fractures in the stub sills of tank cars pose a significant problem for the rail industry due to the potential for damage to the tank structure and eventual release of the contents. Previous FRA research revealed that high magnitude coupling forces that occur in yard operations have the...Comparison of Measured and Simulated Longitudinal Coupler Force on Tank Cars
Fractures in the stub sills of tank cars pose a significant problem for the rail industry due to the potential for damage to the tank structure and eventual release of the contents. Previous FRA research revealed that high magnitude coupling forces that occur in yard operations have the...Intelligent Wireless Power Transfer (IWPT) for Safe Electric Power Charging of Rolling Stock
To improve the safety of the electric power charging system for rolling stock, including both propulsion and ancillary use of stored electric power, this project proposes the use of Intelligent Wireless Power Transfer (IWPT) technology for power charging. The proposed IWPT technology removes...Water Mist Fire Suppression Systems Feasibility Study
The Federal Railroad Administration tasked a team from the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center to research the technical background and use of water mist fire suppression systems in handling on-board fires in locomotives and passenger cars. The team researched the feasibility...
Human-Automation Teaming in Track Inspection
This report provides a foundational overview of how the rail industry can approach the design of human-automation teams (HATs), with the goal of improving safety and efficiency in the track inspection process. The authors present a general process for designing HATs, then explore how this design...
Wireless Digital Train Line for Passenger Trains – Phase 3
In an extensive third phase of a Federal Railroad Administration-funded research project running from August 2020 through July 2022, a team at the Advanced Telecommunications Engineering Laboratory at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln designed, developed, and evaluated wireless communications...