Railroads
Virtual Block Track Circuit Assessment
To research the Virtual Block Track Circuit (VBTC) concept and evaluate the performance of a supplier’s prototype, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) sponsored Transportation Technology Center, Inc. from 2021 through August 2022 to perform a capacity analysis related to potential...
Rainy Section at FAST: Phase I Summary
As part of continuing research into mud pumping and fine-filled ballast, the Federal Railroad Administration and the Association of American Railroads studied how moisture in fine-filled ballast can affect track performance. The goals of this research were to better identify problematic...
Rainy Section Track Settlement Model
In collaboration with the Federal Railroad Administration, Transportation Technology Center, Inc. used the Rainy Section of the High Tonnage Loop at the Facility for Accelerated Service Testing in Pueblo, CO, to develop a new track settlement model. Research was conducted in 2019. The team...
Effectiveness Of Spot Tamping In Fine-Filled Ballast
As part of ongoing Federal Railroad Administration-funded research examining the behavior of fine-filled ballast when exposed to moisture, Transportation Technology Center, Inc., used the Rainy Section at the Facility for Accelerated Service Testing to study the effectiveness of spot tamping in...
Update on the Methodology for Amtrak Performance Tracking (APT) - Volume 2: Annual Update for Appendix A and B, Fiscal Year 2021
The Appendices presented below are a continuation of an annual data update which began with the publication of the 2016 Update on the Methodology for Amtrak Cost Accounting Amtrak Performance Tracking (APT).1 The 2016 report described Amtrak’s implemented APT cost allocation methodology and the...
Update on the Methodology for Amtrak Performance Tracking (APT) - Volume 1: Main Report
This document updates previous FRA publications on the cost accounting methodology used by Amtrak to calculate and report route costs, Amtrak Performance Tracking (APT). The prior version of this report published in 2016, Update on the Methodology for Amtrak Cost Accounting Amtrak Performance...