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High-Speed Passenger Rail Tie-Ballast Interaction

This Research Results Report presents evidence of poor tie support and increased applied loads that were used to determine the “root cause” of transient and permanent vertical displacements at two Amtrak bridge transitions. These results are from a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) study on...

Application of Alternative Criteria and Procedures to Passenger Railcars

Occupied volume integrity (OVI) refers to a passenger railcar’s ability to preserve space for passengers and crew during an accident. The Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Office of Research and Development (R&D) is sponsoring research investigating OVI. The results of a series of...

WISESight™: A Multispectral Smart Video-Track Intrusion Monitor

International Electronic Machines Corporation (IEM) developed, tested, and validated a unique smart video-based intrusion monitoring system for use at highway-rail grade crossings. The system used both thermal infrared (IR) and visible/near-infrared (NIR) imaging to detect, identify, and...

From Research to Rulemaking in the Federal Railroad Administration

The Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) research and development program provides the engineering and scientific foundation for rail rulemaking and enforcement in the United States. This paper describes how the program is funded and executed. Examples of projects in the track, rolling stock,...

Revising US passenger railcar occupant volume integrity requirements

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is developing new regulations addressing the occupant volume integrity (compressive end strength) of passenger rail cars. The new rules are being adopted to accommodate the introduction of rail equipment designed to alternate standards that will provide a...

Positive Train Control Shared Network

The Interoperable Train Control (ITC) Positive Train Control (PTC) Shared Network (IPSN) project investigated anticipated industry benefits and the level of support for the development of a hosted technological platform for PTC messaging across multiple railroads. A hosted network would reduce...