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This report presents analyses of data, up to 50 million gross tons of traffic, from the Facility for Accelerated Service Testing (FAST). These analyses include concrete and wood tie track system performance and component performance, rail wear comparisons, ballast depth and type performance,...
The Volpe Center investigated how high-security fencing is used to prevent right-of-way (ROW) trespassing at several urban transit and commuter rail agencies in the United States. Interviews, operations documentation, and site visits were used to gather information for this research, and it was...
Due to the thermal expansion properties of steel, the risk that a track will buckle increases as the temperature of the rails increase. Therefore, it is desirable to keep rail temperature as low as possible, especially on hot summer days. Empirical data and modeling has shown that on such days, the...