General
FRA Rigorously Examines Safety and Quality of Life Implications of Long Trains
Agency finalizes three new research reports, building on previous safety warnings to Class I railroads and efforts to gather more information on long trains
WASHINGTON, D.C. – With train length and the number of long trains increasing, the Federal Railroad...
Very Long Trains – Phase IV - Moving Train Test
In the final phase of this research project, a team from Sharma & Associates, Inc. conducted moving train tests on a 228-car, Distributed Power (DP) configured train consist traveling from Minot, ND, to Vancouver, WA, using a Burlington Northern and Santa Fe (BNSF) train and crew. This...
Very Long Trains – Phase III - Stationary Train Tests
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...
Very Long Trains – Phase II - Rack Tests
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...
FRA Continues Strengthening Rail Safety Through New Rules Requiring Certification of Dispatchers and Signal Employees
Final rules announced today will require railroads to certify train dispatchers and signal employees and bolster training requirements
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today...
Aerodynamic Assessment and Mitigation – Design Considerations for High-Speed Rail
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...