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Research efforts in the Rolling Stock Equipment and Components Program area focus on the development and improvement of equipment defect detection and control. Both wayside and on-board detection and control systems offer diverse platforms for such research and demonstration. Early defect...
Fire safety continues to be a high priority with the need for development of refined testing techniques and metrics of performance that can be applied by car manufactures’ and operating authorities for new equipment purchases. FRA will continue its efforts to develop enhanced passenger rail fire...
This subprogram research area is directed at the safe and efficient passenger rail car evacuations during various emergency scenarios. A goal is to determine, if time-based evacuation criteria can replace existing prescriptive rules on the number and configuration of emergency exits. Studies...
This aspect of the research focuses on ensuring that passengers and crew members can safely ride out a collision or derailment event. To do so, it is necessary to minimize the secondary impact forces that occupants experience as they strike interior surfaces to survivable levels. One key...
The conducting of risk assessments serves as both the starting point in any research program and can be used to justify the cost/benefits necessary to develop either regulatory or industry standards or revisions to existing standards. There are three key tasks to be conducted parallel to the...
This page contains links to recorded webinars, trainings, and other resources that will be of assistance in preparing National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents for rail projects.
There are no FRA Rail Program Delivery Webinars currently scheduled. To view the most recent events, and any of FRA’s archived webinars, visit the FRA Webinars page.
If you would like to be added to FRA’s mailing list to learn about future trainings and...
Section 11504 of the 2015 Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) directed the Secretary of Transportation to develop a proposed exemption of railroad rights-of-way (ROW) from review under the requirements of...
FRA developed a MS Excel spreadsheet model as a tool to assess noise impacts from train horns in the vicinity of highway-rail grade crossings. The model predicts noise levels to the side of the railway and the anticipated effects using FRA noise impact criteria.
Noise is one of the most common environmental impacts from transportation systems including rail operations. Guidance is available on how to assess noise and vibration impacts as part of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation. FAQs and an analytic model to assess horn noise...