TRACK

SECTION ONE
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Cameron Stewart • (202) 306-5326 • cameron.stuart@dot.gov

o Funding: $425,000

o Project Duration: September 2023 – May 2025

COST & SCHEDULE

o University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

o Railmetrics

o CSX

o Florida East Coast Railway

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

PROJECT PARTNERS o Comprehensive track feature detection 

and classification employing 3D laser/camera 

system

o Automated track inspection technology at 

a high detail level, suitable for 

component inventory, change detection, and 

higher analytics

o Technology to augment human 

inspection requirements producing highly 

reliable safety information with actionable 

resolution

o Advances technology-augmented 

human inspection capabilities to yield improved 

track condition awareness and safety.

RAILROAD IMPACT

This project develops and demonstrates 

new technology to augment human track 

inspection activities. The research adapts 

commercially available 3D scanning sensors and 

artificial intelligence technologies to identify and 

classify track features and to compare the 

changes in these features over time.

Understanding how track conditions change in 

response to loads provides valuable insight into 

track degradation rates and maintenance 

effectiveness.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Automated Track Change Detection (ATCD) – Phase 3
o Funding: $859,000

o Project Duration: April 2018 – September 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

o Advanced Rail Management Corp.

o Norfolk Southern Railway

o Lewis Nut & Bolt Co.

o Pandrol

o Progress Rail Services

o voestalpine Railway Systems Nortrak

o Vossloh AG

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Methods and technology to mitigate 

spike failures in wood tie track.

o Tested solutions to reduce spike stress 

in track

o Improved rail safety through reduction 

of spike failures and associated 

derailments

o Improved system safety and reliability

and reduced life cycle infrastructure 

costs

RAILROAD IMPACT

Spike failures are identified as the root 

causes of recent derailments. FRA 

research has identified spike failures in 

wood ties with elastic fastening systems 

resulting from overloading 

conditions. Additional research 

has demonstrated the critical role that 

friction plays in the load path. This 

project will identify, test,

and recommend methods to provide 

and maintain plate-to-tie friction in 

elastic fastening systems installed on 

wood ties.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Spike Failure Mitigation

FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Cameron Stewart • (202) 306-5326 • cameron.stuart@dot.gov
o Funding: $125,000

o Project Duration: May 2021 – November 2023

COST & SCHEDULE

o University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

o Kansas State University

o University of South Carolina

o voestalpine Railway Systems Nortrak

o Vossloh AG

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Collected key research findings from recent concrete tie 

research into a single, easy to access report for use by 

students and industry personnel

o Synopsis of concrete tie design and manufacturing 

research results from recent (post-2010) FRA research

o Quick reference document containing lessons learned 

and best practices for design and manufacturing of 

concrete ties

o Improved industry access to recent science

o Encourages improvement in safety and state of good 

repair in railroads

RAILROAD IMPACT

This project collects and summarizes industry research on 

concrete tie design and performance over the past decade 

into a single report. This report will serve as an educational 

tool for future academics, students, practitioners, and 

regulators.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Advancing Concrete Crosstie Design

FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Cameron Stewart • (202) 306-5326 • cameron.stuart@dot.gov
o Funding: $599,782

o Project Duration: September 2021 – March 2026

COST & SCHEDULE

o University of South Carolina

o CFD Research Corp.

o CSX

o Florida East Coast Railway

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Low cost, low power, machine vision/AI -based 

optical track feature detection and inspection 

technology

o Highly accessible and precise track inspection 

technology

o Encourages wide-spread adoption 

of automated technologies for 

augmenting human track inspection

o Improves rail safety through improved inspection 

methods

RAILROAD IMPACT

Machine vision and artificial intelligence 

technologies are maturing rapidly in many 

industries. This project conducts research to adapt 

these technologies for use as an efficient, effective 

method to inspect track conditions. The project 

goal is to develop and test a modular, fielddeployable system combining edge computing 

with advanced artificial intelligence processing to 

detect and classify track features from a moving 

platform in near real-time.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Autonomous Power-efficient Track Inspection System (APTIS)

FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Cameron Stuart• (202) 306-5326 • cameron.stuart@dot.gov
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Cameron Stewart • (202) 306-5326 • cameron.stuart@dot.gov

o Funding: $129,467 (Phase 1)

o Project Duration: August 2023 – August 2025

COST & SCHEDULE

o Kansas State University

o Amtrak

o Florida East Coast Railway

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Assessment of reserve capacity and failure modes of 

long service ties and new post-tensioned ties

o Increased knowledge of the remaining service life of 

older ties and the unique failure modes of post-tensioned 

tie designs

o Improved engineering and inspection methods that 

support rail safety and an improved state of good repair

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Establish a systematic evaluation process to determine if 

pre-tensioned concrete ties are close to reaching a failure 

limit state or still have a significant remaining service life.

o Focus on evaluating post-tensioned concrete ties to 

determine their likely failure modes and associate 

inspection requirements.

o Evaluate the true health of ties that have been in service 

for over 45 years and still appear to be in good condition.

o Document the failure modes of post-tensioned 

concrete ties.

o Determine the ability of post-tensioned concrete ties 

to withstand occasional water submersion.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Determining the Health of Prestressed Concrete Ties
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Cameron Stewart • (202) 306-5326 • cameron.stuart@dot.gov

o Funding: $438,311 (Phases 1 and 2)

o Project Duration: September 2022 – September 2025

COST & SCHEDULE

o Oklahoma State University

o HNTB Corp.

o ENSCO, Inc.

o Amtrak

o U.S. Army COE ERDC

PROJECT PARTNERS

o The objective of this research is to explore the utility of 

fiber optic sensing technologies towards continuous 

monitoring of the track structure.

o Advances industry knowledge of the capabilities of 

new technology for track monitoring

o Encourages use of advanced technologies for long 

term, automated monitoring of track conditions

o Research findings will advance utilization of existing 

fiber-optic cable network for railroad track condition 

monitoring (distributed sensing).

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Optical fiber technologies are finding new applications 

in many industries for presence detection and 

load measurements. This project researches optical 

fiber sensors for continuous, automated monitoring of 

track, especially track transitions. This technology 

development effort focuses on measuring the load 

distribution characteristics and load-deflection behavior 

of track.

o Three different optical fiber sensor technologies will 

be implemented (FBG, LPG, and IF-P).

o Field testing at will be conducted at the FRA 

Transportation Technology Center.

o Data will include wheel counts, wheel load magnitudes, 

tie reaction forces, rail temperatures, rail deflections.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Intelligent Track Transitions Using Optical Fiber Sensors
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Cameron Stewart • (202) 306-5326 • cameron.stuart@dot.gov

o Funding: $149,069

o Project Duration: August 2023 – August 2025

COST & SCHEDULE

o RJ Peterman and Associates

o voestalpine Railway Systems Nortrak

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Comparison of performance between Type 3 and Type 

1L cements for concrete railroad ties

o Data documenting the bond performance of new, Type 

1L cement, and mitigation measures to ensure concrete 

tie performance standards

o Advances state of knowledge with respect to 

potentially deleterious effects of Type 1L cement on 

concrete tie performance

RAILROAD IMPACT

o This research aims to determine the modifications 

that need to be made during concrete railroad tie 

production when using Type IL cement to ensure safe tie 

designs.

o The increased focus on sustainability and its 

cost effectiveness are why Type 1L has grown in popularity 

and is approved for use by many states.

o Laboratory tests will be conducted to evaluate changes in 

bond performance, splitting potential, moment 

capacity, and failure modes when using Type 1L cement for 

tie production.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Impact of Type 1L Cement on Concrete Tie Properties
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Cameron Stewart • (202) 306-5326 • cameron.stuart@dot.gov

o Funding: $199,933

o Project Duration: August 2023 – August 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o ENSCO, Inc.

o AP Sensing Americas

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Assessment of TTC fiber optics facilities for research

o Quantitative assessment of presence and condition of 

fiber optic cables in track sections of TTC

o Information to assess the suitability of TTC facilities 

to support fiber optic- based research in the track system

RAILROAD IMPACT

o The objective of this project is to assess how the 

facilities and systems at the FRA Transportation Technology 

Center (TTC) can support the development of fiber optics 

systems for rail safety applications.

o Locate, identify, and assess fiber optics 

technology resources that currently exist within the track 

systems at TTC.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Fiber Optics Technology for Transportation Safety: TTC Assessment
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Alexandra D’Andrea • (202) 578-6218 • alexandra.dandrea@dot.gov

o Funding, FY23: Phase I – $691,889 (Funded $600,000)

o Funding, FY24: Phase II – $975,083 (Option)

o Project Duration: July 2023 – June 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o ENSCO, Inc.

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Improve the understanding and modeling of the dynamic 

interaction between the train and the railroad track.

o Provide validated models of different equipment or 

components being used in railroad operations.

o Enable simulations to establish geometry standards, 

assess vehicle responses to different situations, perform 

derailment investigations or evaluate performance-based 

track geometry standards.

o Mitigate potential for derailment risk or other vehicle 

dynamic issues that compromise railroad safety.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Develop a general procedure for gathering parameters 

for the vehicles and trucks to create validated simulation 

models.

o Perform tests and evaluation to measure parameters 

needed for modeling the selected railroad vehicles.

o The first vehicle to be modeled and evaluated under this 

effort is a tank car.

o Utilize Rail Dynamic Lab (RDL) and different tracks at TTC 

to perform characterization tests and develop tank car 

vehicle model in VAMPIRE.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

VTI Testing, Modeling, and Analyses: Development of Model Parameters
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Alexandra D’Andrea • (202) 578-6218 • alexandra.dandrea@dot.gov

PROJECT PARTNERS COST & SCHEDULE

RAILROAD IMPACT

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Ground Hazard Database and Warning System

o Create an advanced ground hazard database.

o Populate the database using trackbed surveys, 

remote sensing data, and various imagery, e.g., 

LiDAR, thermal, optical, moisture, etc.

o Real-time hazard warning system for settlement

o Final deliverables: user-friendly ground hazard 

database and real-time Change Detection System 

for ground hazards with traffic light alert levels to 

categorize changes on revenue service corridors

o Easier, quicker, and more reliable means for 

assessing ground hazards, such as slides or 

washouts, instead of human inspection to 

remote areas 

o Increased safety, reliability, and revenue 

due to less disruption of service 

o New ground hazard database to allow realtime monitoring

o Funding, FY21: $485,336

o Project Duration: September 2021 – September 2024

o University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign

o Sixense, Inc.

o BNSF
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Alexandra D’Andrea • (202) 578-6218 • alexandra.dandrea@dot.gov

o Funding, FY22–23: $385,047

o Funding, FY24: $153,405 – option

o Project Duration: September 2022 – September 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o University of Houston

o Orgo-Thermit, Inc.

o Union Pacific Railroad

o A & K Railroad Materials, Inc.

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Extend rail life and improve track safety 

through significant enhancement of thermite weld 

strength and fatigue life.

o Decrease track delays and labor costs with new 

methods to cast thermite welds.

o Develop an FRA/AREMA suitable device for easy 

in-track implementation.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Extend rail life and reduce weld failures 

through improvements of thermite welds with 

higher strength and fatigue performance.

o Minimize thermite weld porosity and refine grains 

by mechanical vibration during weld casting.

o Develop a prototype instrumented thermite 

weld treatment device for in-track use.

o Perform full-scale AREMA bend weld test and 

tensile test.

o Determine tensile, fatigue, fracture toughness, 

and wear properties under laboratory conditions.

o Test in-track at Union Pacific.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

An In-Track Apparatus to Improve Thermite Weld and Rail Integrity
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Alexandra D’Andrea • (202) 578-6218 • alexandra.dandrea@dot.gov

o Funding, FY22–23: $384,816

o Project Duration: September 2022 – September 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o University of Tennessee, Knoxville Nuclear and Radiological 

Engineering Department

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Create a path for radiographic inspection of rail 

welds.

o Reduce rail weld failures and 

improve infrastructure by performing 

robust radiographic non-destructive testing on 

rail welds.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Detect and locate both voids and solid impurity 

defect nucleation sites within rail welds.

o Apply cutting-edge x-ray source and 

detector technologies.

o Research high resolution, high dynamic 

range, and dual energy X-ray inspection 

capabilities.

o Create a database of rail weld images for datadriven regulatory guidance of weld inspection.

o Create a reference design for a radiographic rail 

weld inspection system.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Radiographic Inspection of Rail Welds
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Alexandra D’Andrea • (202) 578-6218 • alexandra.dandrea@dot.gov

COST & SCHEDULE

o University of South Carolina

o CSX

o BNSF 

PROJECT PARTNERS

RAILROAD 

IMPACT

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Satellite Radar Imagery for Ground Hazard Risk Monitoring in Railway Track 

and Slopes

o Funding, FY21: $310, 819

o Project Duration: June 2021 – June 2024

o Develop, qualify and implement an intelligent 

monitoring system that uses satellite radar images 

and AI to detect precursors to events that trigger 

ground hazards in the railway ROW by quantifying 

and monitoring soil moisture content changes and 

slow rate ground surface mobilization.

o Phase 1: System validation and qualification

o Phase 2: Automation and Implementation

o Improve rail safety through the timely automated 

detection of failure conditions.

o Facilitate the mitigation of the ground hazard risk.

o Network-wide real-time monitoring and detection

o On-demand real-time monitoring of high-risk areas

o Accident investigation to identify possible 

contributing track condition changes

o Ability to integrate data with information acquired 

by other track sensing technologies
o Funding, FY22–23: $373,186

o Project Duration: September 2022 – September 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Virginia Tech

o Norfolk Southern Railway

PROJECT PARTNERS

RAILROAD IMPACT

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Non-contact Detection and Evaluation of Rail Gage-face Lubricant Using 

Optical Sensing Methods

o Design and develop non-contact sensing 

devices that use laser-induced fluorescence 

to identify the state of gage-face lubrication.

o Develop an easily-deployable onboard 

optical system for use in revenue service.

o Determine the efficacy of the system 

through extensive testing, first in the lab and 

then in the field.

o Provide recommendations on whether the 

sensing devices can effectively be deployed 

in revenue service for gage-face lubrication 

detection.

o Provide a reliable solution for effectively 

detecting the presence and adequacy of 

gage-face lubricants.

o Advance maintenance of way practices and 

improve rail operation safety and efficiency.

o Provide cost saving by reducing wheel/rail 

wear and reducing derailments in curves.

FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Alexandra D'Andrea • (202) 578-6218 • alexandra.dandrea@dot.gov
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Alexandra D'Andrea • (202) 578-6218 • alexandra.dandrea@dot.gov

COST & SCHEDULE

o Virginia Tech

o Standard Steel, LLC

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Understanding the complex mechanics and dynamics that 

occur at the wheel-rail interface is critical for improving 

railway operational safety and efficiency.

o Scientifically evaluate additive agents that affect contact 

forces, traction, and wheel-rail wear, but cannot be 

evaluated accurately in the field due to the naturally-varied 

conditions.

o Provide a better understanding of wheel-rail flange contact 

that can significantly increase wheel-rail wear and affect 

railroad safety.

o Use the roller rig's test results to provide a guideline to 

industry practitioners for improving rail safety and cost 

efficiency.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Extend the studies performed by VT/FRA in Phase I and II to 

provide a better understanding of the fundamentals of 

wheel-rail contact mechanics and dynamics.

o Evaluate additive agents that influence the wheel-rail 

traction by either decreasing (e.g., leaf residue and flange 

grease) or increasing (e.g., aluminum and iron oxides) 

traction for better on-demand management of motive and 

braking power.

o Evaluate the effect of wheel flanging on wheel-rail contact 

profile and pressure distribution.

o Evaluate the effect of wheel flange contact on longitudinal 

and lateral traction under various two-point and conformal 

contact conditions.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Experimental Evaluation of Wheel/Rail Contact, Third Body Layer, and Surface 

Finish on Risk of Derailment (Phase III)

o Funding FY22–23: $499,518

o Project Duration: September 2022 – December 2024
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Alexandra D’Andrea • (202) 578-6218 • alexandra.dandrea@dot.gov

COST & SCHEDULE

o ENSCO, Inc.

o Sharma & Associates, Inc.

PROJECT PARTNERS o Provide a concept design for a rolling load 

machine to study the degradation of special 

trackwork in a controlled environment with 

a controlled load.

o Improve track component degradation 

research capabilities at TTC, including testing 

up to 10’ track sections, varying rail sizes, 

varying track and turnout components, and 

welds with adjustable loading.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Perform a literature review on best 

practices for rolling load machine design, 

both in the U.S. and abroad.

o Determine the advantages and 

disadvantages of the designs used and 

recommend the best solution for FRA.

o Provide a conceptual design for a rolling 

load machine to be installed at the 

Transportation Technology Center (TTC).

o Produce high-level drawings and a 3D CAD 

model to illustrate the conceptual design.

o Provide an engineering estimate for 

producing the final design.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Rolling Load Machine Research and Design

o Funding, FY22: $139,078

o Funding, FY24: $750,000 (option)

o Project Duration: October 2022 – October 2025
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Hugh B. Thompson, II • (202) 493-6383 • hugh.thompson@dot.gov

o Funding, FY20: $238,551

o Project Duration: September 2020 – December 2023

COST & SCHEDULE

o University of Delaware's Railroad Engineering and 

Safety Program

o Amtrak

PROJECT PARTNERS o Increased inspection car frequency and 

autonomous inspection vehicle data provide 

additional information about condition and adequacy 

of the track geometry.

o The ability to use this additional data to better 

understand degradation and defect occurrence is 

a valuable tool for railroads and FRA.

o Provide additional information on where high-risk 

track geometry defects could develop.

o Provide prioritized maintenance through new TQI.

o This work will result in the reduction of severe 

geometry defects and associated derailments.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Develop a 3D track geometry running surface growth 

model based on densely gathered inspection data.

o Develop an artificial intelligence (AI) model to 

determine growth rate probabilities and projected 

time to defect development.

o Develop an AI model to determine probability of 

defect/exception development.

o Provide for the identification of track locations 

with potential for track geometry defect 

development with a focus on safety-related defects 

that could result in geometry-related derailments.

o Develop analysis algorithm(s) to create multidimensional TQI with time/MGT component.

o Validate the algorithms.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Development of a Multi-Dimensional Track Quality Index (TQI) and Defect 

Risk Model in Support of Autonomous Track Geometry Inspection
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Hugh B. Thompson II • (202) 493-6383 • hugh.thompson@dot.gov

o Funding: $385,000

o Project Duration: August 2021 – August 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o University of South Carolina

o CSX

o TTCI

o BNSF

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Use a practical, numerical predictive model 

to assist field track maintenance decision 

making.

o Provide guidelines for selecting the best 

maintenance method according to specific 

track conditions.

o Provide reference information to help to 

make cost-effective maintenance 

schedules.

o Assist condition-based track maintenance 

and improve track safety and operation 

efficiency.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Quantitatively study the ballast drainage 

characteristics under different fouling 

levels and fouling materials.

o Establish accurate correlations between 

ballast fouling conditions, drainage 

characteristics, and track performance.

o Examine the effectiveness of popular track 

maintenance methods, such as shoulder 

cleaning, track lifting, and undercutting.

o Develop a practical predictive model to 

assist in field track maintenance decision 

making.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Quantitative Assessment of the Influence of Drainage on Track Support 

Early field data to guide lab test and 

numerical model development

Module I: Laboratory Tank Test--Drainage Path Visualization Module III: Triaxial Test 

--Track Performance

Module II: CFD-DEM Simulation Model-- Parametric Study

Deep Neural Network

Module IV: Data Analytics--Develop Predictive Model

Acceptable

Aluminum Channel Timber base Acrylic G

Calibration & Validation 

Module I and II reveal links between fouling conditions and drainage characteristics

Examine ballast performance under 

different fouling and drainage Conditions, 

such as: Modulus, settlement, etc.

Module V: Field Testing

--Calibration and Validation

Representative materials with critical fouling

conditions identified from Module I and II

Poor

Excellent Good

Establish reliable correlations between fouling conditions and track 

performance based on results from Module I-III, assist field practices

Validate the developed

predictive model

Early field data Final field test

o Loram

o RTS Rail Transport Service GmbH

o HNTB Corp.
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Hugh B. Thompson II • (202) 493-6383 • hugh.thompson@dot.gov

o Funding: $300,000

o Project Duration: July 2021 – June 2023 

COST & SCHEDULE

o ENSCO, Inc.

o BNSF

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Produce a smartphone-based, AI-powered handheld 

tool that can quickly, accurately, and reliably analyze 

and grade railway ballast aggregate in the field and is 

a powerful tool to increase overall safety.

o Improve the speed, accuracy and consistency of 

ballast assessment while eliminating the need for 

sieving and other processing.

o Provide a calibration and ground-truthing 

complement to GPR measurements.

o This work may influence industry best practices by 

changing the method for determining fouling and 

helping set thresholds, which would inform decisions 

on operations and the fouled ballast waiver.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Research and develop a low-cost, portable 

technology to characterize ballast fouling.

o The technology uses a smartphone app and 

subsurface imaging probe; ballast penetration is 

achieved with battery-powered rotary hammer.

o A machine learning model determines the aggregate 

particle size distribution and discriminates large 

particles, fines, and voids.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

AI Measurements for Railroad Ballast (AIM Rail)
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Hugh B. Thompson, II • (202) 493-6383 • hugh.thompson@dot.gov

o Funding, FY22: $104,576 

 Estimated spent to date: $80,850

o Funding, FY23: $100,280

o Project Duration: September 2022 – September 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o BNSF

PROJECT PARTNER

o Improves understanding of the role of pore water 

pressure and suction in laboratory and field conditions

o Improves understanding of ballast strength degradation 

with increased fouling and moisture

o Improves understanding of overall ballast behavior (i.e., 

strength and deformation) under train-induced loads

o Increases safety and efficiency for rail industry

o Improves nondestructive detection of fouled ballast 

using traditional and novel technologies

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Trapped and retained moisture can have varying effects 

on ballast strength and track deformation.

o This project will develop a system of sensors capable of 

measuring localized pore water pressure and matric 

suction to better describe the overall behavior of 

fouled ballast. To accomplish this, the project will:

 Develop a laboratory pore pressure and matric 

suction sensor system capable of localized 

measurements within the specimen;

 Modify the laboratory system for field 

implementation;

 Develop a particle-based wireless sensor system 

capable of localized measurements of strain, particle 

motion, pore pressure, suction, temperature, 

barometric pressure, and humidity. 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Development and Assessment of a Pore Water Pressure and Matric Suction 

Sensor: Laboratory Strength Testing and Field Substructure Monitoring
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Hugh B. Thompson, II • (202) 493-6383 • hugh.thompson@dot.gov

o Funding, FY22: $156,686 

 Estimated spent to date: $123,308

o Funding, FY23: $142,888

o Project Duration: September 2022 – September 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o BNSF

o Texas State University

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Improves understanding of unsaturated and 

electromagnetic characteristics of fouled ballast, 

including the role of different fouling materials, 

water content, density, and shear strength

o Improves understanding of the cyclic response and 

the role of pore water pressure in the laboratory 

and field

o Increases safety and efficiency for the rail industry

o Improves nondestructive detection of fouled ballast 

using technology used by the rail industry

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Cyclic loading, wetting, and drying impact 

unsaturated, fouled ballast behavior in the field, 

yet quantification of the strength/deformation/ 

electromagnetic response is limited. This work will:

 Measure inter-particle friction and examine 

surface properties.

 Measure cyclic mechanical response of 

unsaturated fouled ballast.

 Measure hysteretic suction coupled with 

complex dielectric permittivity.

 Generate a phenomenological model that 

couples the mechanical and electromagnetic 

mechanisms with the overall response. 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

A Mechanistic-Phenomenological Investigation of Fouled Ballast to Support 

In-situ Identification of Fouling
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Hugh B. Thompson II • (202) 493-6383 • hugh.thompson@dot.gov

o Funding: $150,000

o Project Duration: September 2021 — January 2023

COST & SCHEDULE

o Harsco Rail/Protran Technology

o University of Delaware

o Genesee & Wyoming, Inc.

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Ability to quantify risk related to soft locations in 

track

o Increased safety and improved maintenance 

philosophies with significant economic impact

o Using risk evaluations to target maintenance at 

locations with more urgent vertical rail deflection 

profiles

o Availability of a more robust and useful inspection 

system

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Expand and add functionality to the DOTX-218 

MRail system.

o System software upgrades to include near realtime exceedance output.

o Investigations into alternate hardware solutions 

with potential implementations

o Refinements to mud spot/soft track risk model 

using continuously collected data and feedback

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Vertical Rail Deflection Measurement System Soft Spot Risk Model 

Applications and General System Development

Site 7 Site 5 Site 6 Site 2
o Establish a geospatial database and decision support 

system for railway ground hazard locations and failures.

o Develop and monitor high ground hazard segments of the 

rail corridor by integrating real-time environmental data, 

satellite, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and railcarmounted remote sensing technologies with traditional 

condition monitoring data.

o Use automated change detection and a smartphonebased data entry portal as a tool for incident reporting 

using field photographs to validate remote sensing-based 

ground hazards, the condition of the rail infrastructure, 

and the right-of-way (RoW) in high ground hazard zones.

o Ground truth the automated change detection and 

develop a decision support system (DSS) based on the 

triggering levels of ground hazard obtained from historic 

data.

FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Hugh Thompson • (202) 493-6383 • hugh.Thompson@dot.gov

o Funding: $606,922 (+$88,000 cost share)

o Project Duration: October 2021 – 2024

o Milestone 7: Mobile app for field data input ($28,000)

o Milestone 8: Refined DSS ($29,000)

o Milestone 9: Available ground hazard analysis system ($96,000)

COST & SCHEDULE

o Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc.

o BNSF

o Michigan DOT

o Wisconsin & Southern Railroad

RAILROAD IMPACT PROJECT PARTNERS

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

An Integrated and Automated Decision Support System for Ground Hazard Risk Mitigation 

for Railways Using Remote Sensing and Traditional Condition Monitoring Data

o Geospatial database and DSS for integrating ground 

hazard information with traditional condition monitoring 

data

o Proactively locate, monitor, and mitigate ground hazard 

risks along the RoW.

o Enhance the safety and reliability along corridors prone to 

ground hazard risks.

o Reduce geohazard-based operational disruptions and 

safety risks through predictive evaluation and monitoring.

Decision support system 

currently under development

o Michigan Technological 

University's Research Institute

o University of Mississippi
Rail Safety Improvement through Enhanced Understanding Of Ballast and

Subgrade Interactions

FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Hugh B. Thompson II • (202) 493-6383 • hugh.thompson@dot.gov

o Funding: $349,538

o Project Duration: April 2021 – April 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Pennsylvania State University

o Norfolk Southern Railway

o Plasser American Corp.

PROJECT PARTNERS o Optimize tamping parameters for existing ballast

conditions.

o Lessen damage to the ballast particles, resulting in 

slower ballast degradation.

o Better compacted ballast during tamping and better 

ballast stability after tamping, making longer ballast 

service life and service interval

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Investigate the impact of tamping on the improvement 

of track stability by employing SmartRocks, together 

with Plasser American’s latest Smart Tamping Tool.

o Quantify the track stability at ballast particle level by 

analyzing particle movement and residual stress during 

and after tamping.

o Identify the effectiveness of tamping parameter in 

various site conditions (e.g., clean ballast condition and 

fouled ballast condition).

o The results of this research are expected to greatly 

improve rail safety by optimizing tamping strategies 

based on existing ballast conditions

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Hugh B. Thompson II • (202) 493-6383 • hugh.Thompson@dot.gov

o Funding, FY23: $121,347

o Project Duration: May 2020 – July 2023

COST & SCHEDULE

o Southern Methodist University

o SENSR Structural Monitoring Solutions

o Long Island Railroad

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Effective bridge strike detection and post-strike 

evaluations are critical to maximizing safe service of 

rail infrastructure.

o Light vehicle-bridge strikes often cause no structural 

damage, but still require bridge closure and 

inspection.

o A system that automatically assesses strike severity 

and provides actionable condition information 

promotes safe service operation on and around a 

bridge and increases the efficiency with which bridge 

managers make decisions.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Develop a system that detects rail bridge strikes, 

assesses their severity, and communicates information 

to bridge managers.

o Train machine learning algorithms to interrogate 

heterogenous data streams (e.g., time histories, 

images/video) collected from proven instrumentation 

systems.

o Augment real-world datasets with finite element 

simulation data to increase the system's ability to 

localize strikes and estimate strike severity.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Rail Bridge Strike Characterization and Evaluation Using Artificial Neural 

Networks
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Hugh B. Thompson II • (202) 493-6383 • hugh.thompson@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24: $249,992

o Project Duration: July 2022 – June 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Rhomberg Sersa USA, Inc.

o Zetica Rail

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Broaden the application of GPR to characterize 

trackbed conditions associated with track geometry 

defects to contribute to quicker root cause assessment.

o Automatically monitor problem areas to assist with 

tracking trackbed condition change.

o Provide practical uses of technology to improve

railroad safety, inspection,and maintenance practices.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Provide ongoing support and further improvement of the 

autonomous GPR system deployed on DOTX 220.

o Undertake a proof-of-concept study on implementing a 

method of identifying and reporting changes in trackbed 

condition at previously identified exception locations or 

at pre-determined waypoint triggers.

o Conduct further work on the refinement of the automatic 

layer picking algorithm demonstrated during the 2020-

2022 contract.

o Undertake ongoing enhancements to the RASC Manager 

client portal, including improvements to the events map 

introduced in Period 1 of the 2022–2023 contract.

o Provide detailed trackbed inspection reports (TBIRs) for 

requested locations of interest.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Ongoing Support, Improvements, and Development for the GPR 

System Deployed on DOTX 220
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Hugh B. Thompson II • (202) 493-6383 • hugh.thompson@dot.gov

o Funding, FY25: $329,604

o Project Duration: August 2023 – August 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o ENSCO, Inc.

o Harsco Rail

o Zetica Rail

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Provide research platforms to develop, improve and 

demonstrate track inspection technologies.

o Allow for the expansion of current track inspection 

capabilities throughout the railroad industry.

o Improve railroad safety and maintenance practices.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o FRA owns several inspection vehicles used for rail 

safety assurance and improvement under the 

Automated Track Inspection Program (ATIP). The 

Office of Research, Development, and Technology 

(RDT) has several systems installed on the inspection 

fleet vehicles used for R&D efforts.

o Efforts under this task focus on supporting the 

operations, maintenance, repairs, and upgrades to the 

RDT systems installed on the DOTX 218/DOTX 220 

consist, including Vertical Rail Deflection 

Measurement System (VRDMS) and GPR.

o Provide engineering support for FRA RDT test efforts 

and new technologies with the FRA inspection fleet.

o Support the installation of FRA’s new upgraded 

VRDMS.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Support for Testing with FRA's Inspection Fleet
o Broaden the application of innovative technologies to 

detect degraded track conditions.

o Improve the understanding of track behavior through 

characterization of various track components and 

parameters.

o Provide practical uses of technology to improve railroad 

safety and maintenance practices.

o Provide support for the introduction of new track 

inspection approaches and the advancement of existing 

track inspection technologies, with a focus on data 

interpretation and analysis.

o Support assessment of FRA’s Vertical Rail Deflection 

Measurement System (VRDMS).

o Develop alternative approaches to directly measure 

absolute vertical defection under load.

o Provide engineering and data analysis support for the 

Gage Restraint Measurement System (GRMS), ground 

penetrating radar (GPR), VRDMS and similar track 

evaluation technologies.

o Investigate alternative methods to assess the tie support 

conditions using fiber optics and fiber Bragg grating 

(FBG) sensors or other means to provide an indication of 

non-uniform support conditions over longer segments of 

track.

o Support field activities for FRA track research. 

FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Hugh B. Thompson II • (202) 493-6383 • hugh.thompson@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24–25: $249,969

o Project Duration: September 2023 – September 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o ENSCO, Inc.

o Oklahoma State University

RAILROAD IMPACT PROJECT PARTNERS

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Innovative Track Inspection Technologies
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Hugh B. Thompson II • (202) 493-6383 • hugh.thompson@dot.gov

o Funding, FY 2023: $172,777

o Project Duration: August 2023 – August 2026

COST & SCHEDULE

o Jackson State University

o USACE Engineering Research and Development Center

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Improve the site investigation technique for identifying large-scale 

moisture variability and pore water pressure within the 

subgrade soil.

o Possible identification of ballast pocket location and size

o Investigate a large area of the railroad embankment to identify the 

potential hotspots for future washout or slope failure.

o Increase track safety, improve drainage, and reduce settlement and 

derailment.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o The project aims to improve subsurface 

investigation techniques by developing models 

that use electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) to determine 

the large-scale soil moisture content, pore water 

pressure, and matric suction of the railroad subgrade.

o The model will be developed based on lab testing and 

field evaluation with different moisture content and 

pore water pressure variation.

o The study will develop an SOP and application that use 

ERI to non-invasively investigate water behavior in 

track for railroad track maintenance professionals.

o The developed SOP will be useful for targeted 

track maintenance, which reduces track downtime 

and maintenance costs by remediating the problem 

at the source.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Detection of Large-scale Soil Moisture Content, Pore Water Pressure, and Matric 

Suction Using Electrical Resistivity Imaging Technique
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Hugh B. Thompson II • (202) 493-6383 • hugh.thompson@dot.gov

o Funding, FY23: $147,163

o Project Duration: September 2022 – September 2025

COST & SCHEDULE

o University of North Dakota (lead)

o North Dakota State University

o Red River Valley and Western Railroad

PROJECT PARTNERS o Immediate Increased safety:

 Noncontact sensing is safer for inspectors.

 Increase the ability to quantify the ballast health, 

which will lead to increased safety of 

railroad operators and passengers.

o Increased efficiency and sustainability

 Reduce the required resources.

 Prolong the life of ballast (potentially).

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Noncontact evaluation of railroad ballast to detect and 

measure moisture content, fouling contamination, and 

both aspects simultaneously.

o Hypothesis: The presence of water and contamination 

in a granular medium (i.e., ballast) changes its light 

reflectance.

o Hyperspectral sensors are used to prove the concept 

and to measure light reflectance in the relevant 

environment.

o Develop and commercialize noncontact platforms to 

detect and measure moisture content and fouling in 

ballast.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Railroad Substructure Moisture Measurement and Monitoring 

Using Hyperspectral Imaging
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Hugh B. Thompson II • (202) 493-6383 • hugh.thompson@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24: $164,000

o Project Duration: September 2023 – August 2025

COST & SCHEDULE

o University of Delaware

o Amtrak

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Ability to monitor roadbed conditions in real-time

o Digital image and videos can be archived for performance 

history to inform digital databases for “digital twins."

o Advanced imaging can be used to make data-driven decisions 

for track safety, repair, and maintenance.

o Discuss the impact of the research on rail safety, efficiency, 

sustainability, etc.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Unsatisfactory tie conditions can cause track locations to 

become weak. Methods are needed to detect weak locations, 

and this equipment should be affordable, time-saving, and 

accurate.

o Noncontact, vision-based measurement technologies are used 

for rapid deployment for real-time monitoring and 

assessment of roadbeds conditions, vertical track deflections, 

and rail components.

o Objective: Develop a framework that links target detectors 

with digital image measurement technologies for roadbed 

condition monitoring and assessment.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Advanced Imaging for Roadbed Condition Monitoring and Assessment

Source: http://imetrum.com

Source: https://www.up.com/media/media_kit/track-inspection/index.htm
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Hugh B. Thompson II • (202) 493-6383 • hugh.thompson@dot.gov

o Funding: $398,694

o Project Duration: Sept. 2020 – June 2023

COST & 

SCHEDULE

o Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc. 

o BNSF

o Canadian National Railway

o Amtrak

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Real-time (or near real-time) detection and/or prediction of track-related 

issues using innovative Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies (user-independent)

o Automated, consistent, and objective imaging-based evaluation of ballast condition

o Inspection results can be paired with GPR and track settlement data to 

establish correlations and provide ground truth.

o Effective ballast management strategies can be developed based on results.

o Rail network safety and reliability will be improved.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Develop and demonstrate an implementation of a computer 

vision-based ballast inspection system mounted on an 

automated rail vehicle.

o Propose a portable and efficient method for acquiring 

continuous longitudinal scans and depth profiles for ballast 

shoulder and crib sections.

o Provide a rapid and automated inspection approach, capable 

of quantifying ballast condition along the track without sampling.

o Calculate percent degraded segments (PDS) from ballast field

images and link these values to Selig’s Fouling Index (FI).

o Determine particle size distribution (PSD) from ballast field 

images.

o Develop I-BALLAST software to perform data pre-processing, 

image segmentation, and visualization.

o Years 1 & 2: Design and test mobile ballast scanning vehicle 

(BSV).

o Year 3: Final development and validation of the BSV on railroad 

partner tracks.

o Deliverables: (1) Final Report; (2) analysis algorithm; (3) BSV with 

all accessories

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Automated Machine Vision-Based Ballast Scanning System
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Hugh B. Thompson II • (202) 493-6383 • hugh.thompson@dot.gov

o Funding, FY22–24: $315,623

o Project Duration: July 2022 – July 2024

COST & SCHEDULE o UMass-Amherst

o Loram Technologies, Inc. HNTB Corp

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Improve the track performance as geometry defects are 

predicted and maintained before they surpass certain 

thresholds.

o Valuable information regarding effect of drainage quality 

on track degradation rate will be provided, which helps 

in making key decisions regarding maintaining or 

improving the drainage to decrease track degradation 

rate.

o The carbon footprint associated with track maintenance 

operations will be reduced, as maintenance is only 

conducted on sections that have high-risk derailment 

and require maintenance operation.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o The effect of drainage quality, ballast fouling index, 

previous geometry data, and MGT on track degradation 

rate will be investigated using large datasets.

o Four machine learning-based methods, namely, 

Random Forest (RF), XGBoost, Artificial Neural Network 

(ANN), and Support Vector Machine (SVM) will be 

employed to predict the mileage of geometry defects.

o A test dataset from track will be used to check the 

accuracy of proposed models.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Machine Learning-based Analysis of the Need for Railway Track Maintenance
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Jay Baillargeon • (719) 584-7155 • jay.baillargeon@dot.gov

o Funding: $354,531

o Project Duration: September 2022 – March 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o ENSCO, Inc.

o Canadian Pacific Railway

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Effectively minimize the occurrence of service 

failures on the nation’s rail network.

o Improve continuously welded rail management 

practices and enable more effective maintenance 

and capital planning.

o Provide a valuable tool to aid in future rail 

integrity rulemaking processes.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Develop an artificial intelligence-based predictive 

model of rail failures based on internal defect 

growth to enhance proactive maintenance 

strategies.

o Apply fracture mechanics modeling to determine 

regressor strengths. 

o Integrate both physical contributors and external 

factors to forecast time to rail failure for a known 

defect size.

o Develop a plan for implementing the resulting 

predictive model as an additional component 

within the FRA’s CWR-Risk software application.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Physics-based Predictive Modeling of Rail Failures Due to Internal Defects
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Jay Baillargeon • (719) 584-7155 • jay.baillargeon@dot.gov

o Funding: $475,003

o Project Duration: September 2022 – September 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Thornton Tomasetti

o Sperry Rail Service

o David Jeong, Ph.D. (Independent Consultant)

o University of Utah

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Detect transverse defects in real time and 

characterize at track inspection speeds.

o Reduce human intervention and, in turn, 

improve overall efficiency and accuracy of 

transverse defect detection and characterization.

o Identify and prioritize repair of safety-critical 

defects to prevent rail-related failures and, in 

turn, derailments on the nation’s railways.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Develop a framework for real-time rail internal 

defect characterization and prediction of the 

remaining useful life of the rail. This entails:

 Machine learning-based algorithms to 

automatically process ultrasonic A-scan data 

from inspection vehicles

 A physics-based (i.e., fracture mechanics) 

analysis for the remaining useful life of the 

rail based on the current state of the 

internal defect

o Build upon previous FRA-funded efforts in rail 

internal defect modeling and simulation.

o Focus on transverse rail defects, which account 

for a large percentage of defects found in 

revenue service.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Real-time Defect Characterization and Physics-based Remaining Life Prediction
Deep Learning for Large-scale Rail Defect Inspection

o Funding: $458,824

o Project Duration: September 2021 – September 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o SUNY at Stony Brook

o KLD Labs, Inc.

o CSX

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Reduce surface-generated rail failures, thereby 

increasing overall safety for both passenger and 

freight systems.

o Support unbiased and more comprehensive rail 

maintenance planning programs, leading to 

improved rail life and reduction in network 

disruptions due to maintenance.

o Reduce data annotation costs (up to 5 percent of 

manual annotation) for novel intelligence-based 

monitoring applications.

o Translate the framework for other railway 

component monitoring, both in track and on rolling 

stock.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Develop a fully automated framework for rail 

surface defect classification based on deep-learning 

techniques.

o Use existing rail imagery to build a generative 

model to synthesize realistic surface defects in the 

absence of sufficient training images.

o Evaluate the resultant framework in a large-scale 

field evaluation in conjunction with industry 

partners.

o Develop a proof-of-concept application for railroad 

truck-scanning defects to demonstrate generality 

of resultant methodology.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Jay Baillargeon • (719) 584-7155 • jay.baillargeon@dot.gov

GT: 7

Predict: 7

GT: 1

Predict: 7

Black stain 

mistaken as 

defect

*99% 

annotation 

cost 

reduction!

Original

Hard Neg.

Synthetic

Deep 

Neural 

Network

Hard Neg.

Predicted 

defect grade [0-7]

Synth

Synth Synth

Original
Implementation of Advanced Track Geometry Forecasting Models 

o Funding: $365,825

o Project Duration: July 2022 – July 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o ENSCO, Inc.

o Canadian Pacific Railway

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Provide the industry with tools for long-term insight 

into the future behavior of track geometry to 

facilitate effective preventive maintenance.

o Improve the data quality of track geometry 

measurements used for predictive analytics.

o Further advance the application of autonomous 

track geometry measurement systems through 

integration with advanced predictive analytics 

applications.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Implement advanced analytical approaches for 

forecasting foot-by-foot track geometry in a 

revenue service environment.

o Improve the effectiveness and applicability of the 

previously-developed track geometry filtering 

algorithms for use in real-time predictive analytics 

applications.

o Improve and adapt previously researched foot-byfoot track geometry forecasting methods for 

deployment in a real-world operational 

application.

o Deploy the advanced forecasting methods in an 

automated fashion with the operating railroad’s 

autonomous track geometry measurement fleet. 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Jay Baillargeon • (719) 584-7155 • jay.baillargeon@dot.gov
Field Testing Support at FRA’s Transportation Technology Center (TTC)

o Funding: $298,924

o Project Duration: October 2022 – September 2025

COST & SCHEDULE

o ENSCO, Inc.

o Northern Plains Railroad Services

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

o Provide support for controlled testing of new and emerging PROJECT PARTNERS

technologies at TTC, including opportunities for evaluation 

in a real-world environment.

o Develop critical prototype hardware/software for advanced 

rail inspection technology.

o Focus on developing and evaluating advanced inspection 

technologies under revenue service-like conditions.

o Support field testing efforts for FRA R&D tasks.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Provide multiple university- and third party-led research 

initiatives with on-site testing services and equipment at 

TTC to support technology evaluation in a real-world 

setting.

o Recent activities under this task include:

 Field evaluation of new ballast fouling measurement 

methods

 Field validation of machine-vision algorithms designed 

to detect defective or missing track fasteners.

 Support instrumented testing of rolling stock to 

investigate in-train forces of very long trains in 

revenue service.

 Upcoming testing activities include:

 In-track testing of a new and innovative system to 

detect air leaks in a passing train’s braking system

 Laboratory characterization of primary and secondary 

spring sets for vehicle-qualification modeling

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Jay Baillargeon • (719) 584-7155 • jay.baillargeon@dot.gov
Intelligent Risk Assessment and Prediction System (i-RAPS)

o Funding: $395,000

o Project Duration: June 2020 – December 2023

COST & SCHEDULE

o University of South Carolina

o CSX Transportation

o ENSCO, Inc.

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Revolutionize the inspection and risk assessment of 

North American railway track by proposing the “track 

genome” method.

o Quantify the track conditions with a single overall risk 

index to unify risk management and decision making. 

o Effectively utilize the vast amount of track inspection 

data and identify the sensitive and critical track 

components state changes.

o Quantify the deterioration rate and “limit state” of 

track components for different track sections to 

facilitate condition-based and “track-dependent” 

maintenance.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Develop an intelligent Risk Assessment and 

Prediction System (i-RAPS) framework that will 

integrate adaptive sampling and data-driven 

modeling for derailment risk prediction.

o Process large volumes of track inspection data to 

parameterize the condition of the track system.

o Develop and utilize finite element modeling for 

parametrized tracks to extract track signatures. 

o Simulate complex vehicle/track interactions using 

fast-coupling algorithms for different combinations 

of track signatures and rail vehicles.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Jay Baillargeon • (719) 584-7155 • jay.baillargeon@dot.gov
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Robert Wilson • (617) 999-0061 • robert.wilson@dot.gov

COST & SCHEDULE

o ENSCO, Inc.

o Kandrew, Inc.

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Increase track buckling safety through improved CWR 

management practices.

o Provide more accurate input and parameters for rail 

break theory implementations.

o Provide RNT testing capabilities to attract researchers, 

industry professionals, and universities nationwide.

o Support the development of measurement equipment 

for rail longitudinal force in a realistic environment.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Provide world-class track buckling research facilities to 

support FRA’s Office of Railroad Safety and industry 

researchers.

o Provide a well-diversified research portfolio to advance 

longitudinal rail force technologies and their management.

o Develop a conceptual plan for a realistic rail neutral 

temperature (RNT) test bed to facilitate all types of RNT 

testing at FRA’s Transportation Technology Center (TTC).

o Provide continuous in-situ RNT monitoring at selected 

locations at TTC.

o Support third-party RNT-related testing at TTC.

o Investigate rail break mechanics in sharp curves and the 

effect of curve movement on RNT.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Advancement of Continuous Welded Rail Management

o Funding: $353,705

o Project Duration: October 2022 – December 2024
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Robert Wilson • (617) 999-0061 • robert.wilson@dot.gov

COST & SCHEDULE

o ENSCO, Inc.

o Kandrew, Inc.

o Instrumentation Services, Inc.

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Develop a new technology to monitor critical locations for 

excessive rail force and improve safety by preventing track 

buckle derailments.

o Provides direct knowledge of RNT profiles, enabling 

maintainers to perform and document rail adjustments in all 

scenarios.

o Improves the accuracy of rail destressing and RNT 

management.

o Enhances quality control for panel installations, joint 

removals, and crossing renewals.

o Allows monitoring of RNT changes in curves.

o Supports research and advancement of rail break theory by 

enabling feasible field experiments in revenue service.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Develop a prototype low-cost rail stress and rail neutral 

temperature (RNT) management technology (RSMT) 

consisting of a disposable measurement coupon bonded to 

the rail and a hand-held data reader. 

o Design a low-power circuit board for sensor integration 

and communication.

o Perform testing in a laboratory setting.

o Develop improved bonding methods.

o Fabricate prototype and conduct long-term field testing 

under controlled conditions.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Development of Low-Cost Rail Stress and Rail Neutral Temperature 

Management Technology

o Funding: $386,467

o Project Duration: August 2022 – February 2025
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Robert Wilson • (617) 999-0061 • robert.wilson@dot.gov

COST & SCHEDULE

o ENSCO, Inc.

o Kandrew, Inc.

PROJECT PARTNERS o Improve safety through the prevention of track buckle 

derailments.

o Provide the industry and academia with a set of new 

and upgraded rail force management applications on a 

centralized platform that can assist with CWR 

management, guidance development, and future 

research.

o Establish better awareness of proper rail stress 

management methodologies and tools for field 

personnel.

o Create a platform to disseminate FRA research results 

in longitudinal rail stress and CWR management to 

industry, academia, and regulators.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Consolidate current understandings of track buckle 

prevention into accessible software.

o Host, maintain, and improve rail force management 

software packages (CWR SAFE, RNT Restore, Rail 

Temperature and Buckling Application) 

o Implement rail stress adjustment methodology for special 

cases into RNT Restore.

o Develop and implement a roadmap for rail force 

management software transfer to hosting by FRA.

o Convert CWR-SAFE core modules from FORTRAN to 

modern programming language.

o Support for rail force management software applications, 

including user documentation and training webinars.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Rail Force Management Technology Implementation and Transfer

o Funding: $819,967

o Project Duration: September 2020 – December 2024
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Robert Wilson • (617) 999-0061 • robert.wilson@dot.gov

COST & SCHEDULE

o ENSCO, Inc.

o Kandrew Inc.

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Improve safety by providing RRS with the required technical 

support.

o The task provides for quick response instrumentation, 

testing, and analysis support to resolve safety-related 

problems and emergencies, determine causal factors, and 

reduce future problems.

o Support data gathering for high speed/high cant deficiency 

qualification and revise safety standards reflecting sound 

science and engineering expertise.

o Facilitate ongoing technical evaluation required to 

demonstrate and deploy new technologies for improved 

safety and operational efficiency.

o Training material for CWR management developed under 

this task will serve as a resource for the rail industry. 

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Assist the FRA Office of Research, Development, and 

Technology in conducting tests, detailed analyses, and 

technical reviews on behalf of the Office of Railroad Safety 

(RRS) to ensure the safety of the U.S. railroad network.

o Efforts include analyses to ensure appropriate and 

justifiable regulations and support for improvements in 

railway infrastructure, passenger safety, and freight 

accident prevention.

o Provide support and training for safety-related issues, 

including continuous welded rail (CWR) maintenance 

practices.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Technical Support for FRA Office of Railroad Safety

o Funding: $299,946

o Project Duration: March 2023 – December 2024
o Funding, FY24 – Phase I: $249,960

 Phase I Duration: August 2023 – June 2024

o Funding, FY25 – Phase II: $249,998 (Optional

COST & SCHEDULE

o ENSCO, Inc.

o University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

o Kandrew, Inc.

o National Research Council Canada 

o Decrease the risk of track buckle derailments caused by PROJECT PARTNERS improper RNT adjustments where frozen ballast is 

present.

o Properly consider frozen ballast conditions to further 

develop countermeasures to prevent and mitigate the 

potential for derailments in cold-weather regions.

o Implement new remediation strategies and RNT 

adjustment recommendations that account for the 

effects of frozen ballast and that can be incorporated 

into existing RNT management plans.

o Improve understating of rail break mechanics in cold 

weather conditions.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Investigate rail neutral temperature (RNT) behavior in 

frozen ballast conditions.

o Broaden the applicability of current rail break 

mechanics by determining the values of longitudinal rail 

restrain in frozen ballast conditions.

o Conduct laboratory testing to determine parameters 

that quantify the capacity for frozen ballast.

o Update previously developed FRA 3D track model to 

account for frozen ballast conditions.

o Propose new recommended practices aimed at 

improving RNT management.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Investigation of the Effects of Frozen Ballast on Rail Neutral Temperature Loss 

and Remediation

FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Robert Wilson • (617) 999-0061 • robert.wilson@dot.gov
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Robert Wilson • (617) 999-0061 • robert.wilson@dot.gov

o Funding: $610,000 

o Project Duration: September 2020 – September 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o University of Illinois at 

Urbana-Champaign

o Amtrak

o BNSF

o Union Pacific Railroad

o Kandrew Consulting, Inc.

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Improve safety through the prevention of track buckle 

derailments.

o Improve rail integrity and maintenance guidance for 

unclipping rail during rail destressing.

o Improve understanding of long rail stress transfer and 

its influence on changes in rail neutral temperature 

(RNT) as a function of time/tonnage.

o Improved quantification of how rail gap size and 

influence zone are influenced by:

 Fastening system characteristics

 Rail tension/compression

 Ballast (track) longitudinal stiffness

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Provide a quantitative assessment of variables influencing 

axial stress influence zones and guide future rail stress 

adjustment practices.

o Laboratory Experimentation: Quantify and control 

fastener and ballast stiffness (to be conducted at 

University of Illinois.)

o Finite Element Modeling: Develop and advance model 

that is properly validated based on lab and field data 

collected in this project.

o Field Experimentation: Quantify the impact of various 

parameters on longitudinal resistance to augment 

existing research on partner railroads.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Parameters Influencing Track Longitudinal Stiffness and Its Implications for 

Rail Adjustment Procedures

Phase 1

Phases 2 & 3
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Robert Wilson • (617) 999-0061 • robert.wilson@dot.gov

o Funding to date: $209,377

o Project Duration: September 2021 – March 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign 

o University of Utah

o BNSF

o Utah Transit Authority

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Improve track safety and reliability by minimizing 

the risks of track buckling through technology that:

o Predicts in-place RNT with an accuracy of ±10°F

o Does not disrupt or modify track structure

o Does not require baseline reference data

o Is insensitive to support condition, temperature, 

and residual stress variations

o Is applicable to all rail and train traffic conditions

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Develop and evaluate a system to measure (nondestructively) rail neutral temperature (RNT) of 

in-place continuous welded rail (CWR) to an 

accuracy of ± 10°F. 

o Collect local rail vibration data from two different 

instrumented revenue-service rail test sites.

o Study fundamental relationships between local 

rail vibration data and RNT, rail temperature, 

longitudinal load, rail structure, and support 

conditions. 

o Develop data-driven and machine learning 

algorithms to determine RNT in situ without 

reference measurements, disruption to traffic, or 

modification to track structure.

o Perform technology evaluation with unfamiliar 

data.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Rail Neutral Temperature Estimation Using Local Rail Vibration Measurements 

and Machine Learning

SG

Vineyard (UT) site

Field data

collection

Machine

learning

Numerical

modelling

Localized vibration modes

Streator (IL) site Field collected data

Thermocouple Sensors

Instrumentation 

location
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Robert Wilson • (617) 999-0061 • robert.wilson@dot.gov

o Funding, FY21: $164,077 

o Funding, FY22: $166,170 

o Funding, FY23: $122,961

o Project Duration: September 2021 – September 2024

o University of South Carolina COST & SCHEDULE

o Correlated Solutions, Inc.

o CSX Transportation

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Improve safety through early detection of potential track buckling.

o Facilitate effective management of thermal stresses.

o In-situ, non-destructive, reference-free testing does not disrupt service.

o The simple, easy-to-use, accurate, and cost-effective technology can be 

deployed routinely or on demand.

o Data can be integrated with information acquired by other tracksensing technologies.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Continue the development, field 

deployment, optimization, testing, and 

qualification of the next-generation system 

for measuring RNT and rail longitudinal 

stress.

o The system hardware is a portable, noncontacting system based on stereo-vision 

and/or 3D laser scanner technology for fullfield deformation measurements of rail.

o The system software implements a novel 

reference-free algorithm for data processing 

a series of measured rail deformation 

measurements within a thermal cycle.

o The next-generation system will be 

deployed, tested, validated, and 

demonstrated in the field under various 

track and operating conditions and 

acquisition modes.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Non-contacting System for Longitudinal Rail Stress Measurements: Field 

Deployment and Validation
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Robert Wilson • (617) 999-0061 • robert.wilson@dot.gov

o Funding, Year 1: $195,496

o Funding, Year 2: $204,495

o Project Duration: August 2022 – December 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Virginia Tech

o Norfolk Southern Railway

PROJECT PARTNERS o Improve safety through the prevention of track buckle 

derailments.

o Provide improved systems for rail stability detection with 

significantly better timeliness than currently possible.

o Develop data analytics methods for semi/fully-automated 

processing of a large volume of data.

o Advance railroad operational safety and maintenance 

efficiency.

o Advance FRA and Class I railroads' abilities to perform 

autonomous track inspection to determine lateral track 

strength beyond available methods.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Develop a proxy measurement for track lateral strength.

o Evaluate the applicability of noncontact Doppler 

LiDAR sensors for the detection of lateral track and crosstie 

motions/ vibrations as they relate to rail movement and 

buckling under rolling wheel loads.

o Evaluate the applicability of noncontact sensors for in situ 

detection of lateral track strength.

o Determine the effectiveness of Doppler LiDAR systems or 

similar noncontact sensors (eddy current, etc.)

o Develop advanced data analytics methods that can provide 

efficient, accurate, and autonomous post-processing means 

for the large volume of data resulting from revenue service 

and test track testing.

o Provide recommendations for the use of noncontact 

sensors for detecting weak or “soft” track.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Advanced Non-contact Detection of Lateral Track Strength

Hyrail truck
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Megan Brice • (719) 671-7505 • megan.brice@dot.gov

o Funding, FY21: $179,613

o Funding, FY22: $173,834

o Funding, FY24: $146,553 (pending)

o Project Duration: September 2021 – September 2024

o Tuskegee University COST & SCHEDULE

o EWI

o Thornton Tomasetti

o Steel Dynamics, Inc.

o Nucor Corp.

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Improved understanding of how defects grow in welds 

to reduce broken weld derailments

o Increased accuracy of inspection interval and 

replacement schedule for welded joints in rail

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Investigate the integrity of welded joints, with a specific 

focus on thermite and flash-butt welding of rails.

o Provide a detailed characterization of the weld material, 

including material properties, microstructural analysis, and 

fracture toughness.

o Calibrate the parameters of the fatigue crack growth 

relationship and determine the fatigue life of rail welds.

o Conduct a fatigue behavior comparative study between 

thermite and flash-butt welded joints, in reference to the 

parent metal.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Fatigue Crack Growth Rate Characterization in Rail Welds

1.00E-06

1.00E-05

1.00E-04

100 1000

da/dN, mm/cycle

Delta K Applied, N/mm3/2

TW10-HAZ-1

TW10-HAZ-2

TW11-HAZ-1

TW11-HAZ-2

Thermite Weld HAZ Fatigue Crack Growth Rate
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Megan Brice • (719) 601-7964 • megan.brice@dot.gov

COST & SCHEDULE

o ENSCO, Inc.

o North American Class I and Shortline/Regional Railroads

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Improve the reliability of non-destructive evaluation 

techniques for complete rail-flaw detection and 

characterization.

o Provide the industry with a safe, controlled, and realistic 

environment for developing and evaluating new and 

innovative rail-flaw inspection technologies.

o Support ground-breaking research aimed at improving rail-flaw 

inspection.

o Advance rail integrity research and metallurgical testing 

capabilities at TTC.

o Reduced broken rail derailments through better rail 

performance, defect detection, and operating practices.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Evaluate, maintain, and support activities related to rail 

integrity efforts at FRA’s Transportation Technology Center 

(TTC).

o Collect and add naturally occurring rail flaws (unbroken) to 

FRA’s Rail Flaw Library and Rail Defect Testing Facility (RDTF) at 

TTC.

o Support lending of samples from Rail Flaw Library to requestors 

for the advancement of rail-flaw inspection technologies.

o Develop a new high-speed RDTF at TTC capable of supporting 

testing of new rail-flaw inspection technologies up to 90 mph.

o Build and maintain a world-class metallurgical laboratory at 

TTC.

o Support third-party rail integrity testing at TTC.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Advances in Rail Integrity Inspection

o Funding: $ 394,310

o Project Duration: October 2022 – October 2024
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Abe Meddah • (719) 828-1882 • abderrahmane.meddah@dot.gov

o Funding: $198,300

o Project Duration: August 2022 – March 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Vtech CMCC

o Vehicle Dynamics Group LLC

o SNC-Lavalin Group Inc.

o TTCI

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Demonstrate VTI with a detailed, 3D contact 

solution for special trackwork.

o Aid derailment investigations for varying 

configurations of special trackwork.

o Improve S&C design using detailed numerical 

simulation.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Simulate vehicle-track interaction (VTI) on rails 

with longitudinal profile variation: switches and 

crossings (S&C), turnouts, and guard rails.

o Develop smooth interpolation and 3D analysis of 

the contact location, including near-vertical 

contacts.

o Demonstrate the technique for the recent S&C 

benchmark problem.

o Make open-source plug-in accessible to 

stakeholders.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Detailed Wheel-Rail Contact Geometry for 3D Special Trackwork
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Abe Meddah • (719) 828-1882 • abderrahmane.meddah@dot.gov

o Funding: $199,100

o Project duration: August 2022 – July 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Vtech CMCC

o Vehicle Dynamics Group, LLC

o SNC-Lavalin Group, Inc.

o TTCI

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Investigate peak stresses associated with damaged 

wheels and rails.

o Enhance vehicle-track interaction (VTI) standard 

software codes such as NUCARS, VAMPIRE and 

SIMPACK.

o Mitigate safety concerns and understand economic 

consequences.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Simulate effects of wheel and rail defects: flats, outof-roundness, corrugation.

o Develop detailed 3D analysis of contact stresses, 

including transient rolling.

o Demonstrate cases with wheel flat and short-pitch 

corrugation.

o Open-source plug-in accessible to stakeholders

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Detailed Wheel-Rail Contact Geometry for 3D Profile Deviations

(Wikipedia)

Extreme 

Wheel Flat

(Magel, 2011)

Extreme 

Shelling
ROLLING STOCK

SECTION TWO
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Francisco González, III • (202) 493-6076 • francisco.gonzalez@dot.gov

o Funding, FY23: $250,000

o Project Duration: May 2020 – May 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Volpe National Transportation 

Systems Center

o Ensco, Inc.

o TTCI

o U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous 

Materials Safety Administration

o Tank Car Manufacturers 

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Develop methodsto evaluate and compare the

crashworthiness and structural integrity of different

tank car design features (e.g., different materials and 

material thicknesses).

o Evaluate crashworthiness performance of tank cars used

in the transportation of hazardous materials.

o Develop objective methods for demonstrating the 

validation of computational models.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Evaluate puncture resistance of tank cars with various 

specifications in standardized shell impact scenarios.

o Validate computational models so they can reliably be 

used to study service conditions with hazmat.

o Study effects of cryogenic temperature on puncture 

behavior of DOT 113 tank cars.

o Develop computational models of tank car designs under 

impact conditions, including cryogenic conditions.

o Compare test data with model results to validate models 

and improve modeling techniques.

o Analyze effectiveness of “breakaway” tank car stub sill 

attachment design practice.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Tank Car Impact and Puncture Analysis 
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Francisco González, III • (202) 493-6076 • francisco.gonzalez@dot.gov

o Funding, FY23: $200,000

o Project Duration: May 2020 – May 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

o ENSCO, Inc.

o TTCI

o Tank Car Manufacturers

o Sharma & Associates

o National Institute of Standards & Technology

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Understand the range of material behaviors in tank car 

fleet needed to determine baseline tank car fleet structural 

performance.

o Developing computational models of these materials 

supports parametric studies of material variations. 

o Previous research has focused on mechanical properties of 

carbon steels (e.g., TC128). 

o Cryogenic tank cars (DOT 113) use a carbon steel outer 

tank/stainless steel inner tank at cryogenic temperature.

o Understanding stainless steel behaviors under cryogenic 

operating conditions is necessary to determine baseline 

DOT 113 structural performance; examine alternative 

designs.

o Understanding the performance of unique TC128-B welds 

found on DOT-113 tank cars improves puncture models 

over a range of scenarios.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Conduct material testing to determine mechanical properties

and fracture behavior of tank car steels.

o Examine properties of and develop computation models 

for stainless steel(s) used in cryogenic DOT 113 tank cars. 

o Examine properties of and develop computational models 

for TC128-B tank car steel in different welded conditions.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Behavior of Tank Car Construction Materials
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Francisco González, III • (202) 493-6076 • francisco.gonzalez@dot.gov

o Funding, FY22: $750,000

o Project Duration: September 2022 – September 2023

COST & SCHEDULE

o Applied Research Associates, Inc.

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Reduce risk of building a fleet of LNG tank cars with 

insufficient puncture resistance requiring future rulemaking 

and obsolescence. 

o Reduce the number of HazMat releases.

o Prevent potential casualties from derailments.

o Reduce liability costs for railroads.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o A recent FRA ruling allows transport of LNG by rail, but the 

puncture resistance of the DOT-113C120W9 design has not 

been fully established.

o Apply existing modeling techniques for tank car puncture 

assessment under various impact conditions to the DOT113C120W9. Evaluate relative performance to other designs 

in a revision to report DOT/FRA/ORD-13/17. Complement 

the test program.

o Refine the constitutive model for cryogenic ASTM A240 304 

stainless steel and simulate the material testing:

 Generate LS-DYNA models for puncture analysis and 

incorporate cryogenic inner tank material constitutive 

model. 

 Perform a series of impact/puncture analyses for a 

variety of additional impact conditions and compare the 

performance to other tank car designs.

 Evaluate designs with increased inner and outer tank 

thicknesses to assess optimum design for increased 

puncture resistance.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Puncture Resistance Evaluation of the DOT-113C120W9 LNG Tank Car
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Francisco González, III • (202) 493-6076 • francisco.gonzalez@dot.gov

o Funding, FY23: $1,000,000

o Project Duration: July 2015 – September 

2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o ENSCO, Inc.

o U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

o Tank car manufacturers

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Develop performance-based testing requirements.

o Develop methods to evaluate the crashworthiness 

and structural integrity of different tank car designs.

o Evaluate crashworthiness performance of tank cars 

used in the transportation of hazardous materials. 

RAILROAD IMPACT

o This project is a continuation of FRA and industry tank 

car impact research programs:

 Develop and improve test methods.

 Provide data for improving modeling methods.

 Design and construct test fixtures. 

o Prepare and test various tank car designs:

 DOT 105 – April 27, 2016

 DOT 117 – September 28, 2016

 DOT 105 – July 26, 2017

 DOT 105 – August 1, 2018

 DOT 111 – October 30, 2018

 DOT 113C120W – November 19, 2019

 DOT 113 Surrogate – June 11, 2020

 DOT 113 Surrogate w/LN2 – 2021

 DOT 113C120W9 w/LN2 – 2022

o Analyze and provide the data for validation of finite 

element models.

o Report on test and model results

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Tank Car Impact Tests
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Francisco González, III • (202) 493-6076 • francisco.gonzalez@dot.gov

o Funding, FY23: $80,000

o Project Duration: July 2015 – September 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o ENSCO, Inc.

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

o Ambipar Group

o Tank car manufacturers

o Railroads

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Inventory damaged tanks involved in derailments.

o The project will provide an opportunity to 

observe and inspect tank cars with failures and 

learn how they failed and were punctured.

o Display tank cars used on FRA’s side impact tests.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Acquire, transport, and store failed or damaged 

railroad tank cars and components.

o This will enable FRA and stakeholder communities 

to better understand how failures occur and how 

best to prevent and manage the consequences of 

such failures through improved equipment designs 

and protection.

o Maintain an inventory of all documentation data 

and all specimens in a secure area. 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Acquisition, Transportation, and Storage of Failed or Damaged Rail Tank Cars 

and/or Components
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Francisco González, III • (202) 493-6076 • francisco.gonzalez@dot.gov

o Funding, FY23: $450,000

o Project Duration: September 2018 – September 2025

COST & SCHEDULE

o ENSCO, Inc.

o Union Tank Car Co.

o Amsted Rail Company, Inc.

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Create better understanding of the operational 

environment and root cause of fractures on tank cars.

o Develop speed and mass combination curves to mitigate 

tank car stub sill failures.

o Conduct over-the-road brake testing to target a variety of 

issues faced by the industry.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o FRA has shown that high-magnitude coupling forces that 

occur in yard operations have the potential to exceed yield 

limits of mild steel. 

o FRA, Union Tank Car, and Amsted Rail recently completed 

a comprehensive test program to characterize tank carload 

environments at Amsted Rail’s test facility in Camp Hill, PA. 

o This task is focused on comprehensive analysis of the 

collected impact test data to arrive at limiting conditions 

for coupling speed and impacting mass. 

o Additional testing will focus on brake system performance 

in revenue service operations.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Tank Car Research
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Francisco González, III • (202) 493-6076 • francisco.gonzalez@dot.gov

o Funding, FY22: $196,800

o Project Duration: April 2022 – September 2023

COST & SCHEDULE

o Engineering Systems, Inc.

PROJECT PARTNER

o Understand required cooling time during a 

derailment event.

o Consider the results regarding emergency response 

tactics.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Evaluate DOT 105, DOT 112, and DOT 117 

thermal protection performance during a fire 

produced by a derailment.

o Use Fire Dynamic Simulator as fire simulation and 

evaluate heat transfer to determine time to 

internal critical temperature.

o Phases:

 Research and data collection

 Fire and heat transfer simulation

 Effects on cooling water

o Evaluate a particular derailment case to 

understand cooling delay times.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Protecting Hazardous Material Tank Cars from Heat
Improving Thermal Protection of Cryogenic Tank Cars through Testing, Analysis, 

and Evaluation of Pressure Relief Valve System Performance

FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Francisco González, III • (202) 493-6076 • francisco.gonzalez@dot.gov

o Funding, FY22: $260,000

o Project Duration: September 2022– September 2023

COST & SCHEDULE

o Friedman Research Corp.

o Southwest Research Institute

o Taylor Wharton (Industry Partner)

o CIRCOR International, Inc.

o Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Quantify PRV performance under real-world conditions.

o Characterize the effect of reduced PRV performance on the 

likelihood of tank failure.

o Develop improved test/design criteria to mitigate foreseen 

performance deficiencies.

o Improve the safety of cryogenic tanks in derailment events.

o Improve state-of-the-art knowledge on the safety and 

performance of PRV systems for hazardous material 

transport by rail.

o Update emergency response protocols according to 

observed tank orientation and PRV function.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Characterize pressure relief valve (PRV) system performance 

in off-nominal (inverted, liquid flow, damaged pipes) 

conditions through physical testing.

o Apply PRV performance under atypical conditions to full tank 

finite element model and evaluate risk of tank failure due to 

reduce pressure relief.

o Characterize PRV performance and response to ignition of 

liquefied natural gas exhaust gas.

o Use M&S to apply exhaust gas jet conditions to neighboring 

tanks to evaluate their response.

o Identify and evaluate potential solutions to the problems 

observed.

o Suggest test and/or design criteria to mitigate foreseen 

deficiencies in PRV performance.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Francisco Gonzalez, III • (202) 493-6076 • francisco.gonzalez@dot.gov

o Funding, FY23: $ 200,000

o Project Duration: September 2020 – January 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o AAR

o Union Pacific Railroad

o BNSF

o Norfolk Southern Railway

o CSX

o Kansas City Southern 

Railway 

o Canadian National Railway

o Canadian Pacific Railway

o Rail labor unions

o Wabtec Corp.

o New York Air Brake Corp.

o Sharma & Associates, Inc.

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Improve and demonstrate operational safety by improving 

understanding of brake system performance.

o Potentially document safety benefits of using technologies 

such as distributed power.

o Simulation tools will have been validated under these newer 

operating regimes, allowing better customization of operating 

protocols.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Review and understand train performance and accepted practices 

for Very Long Train (VLT; 200+ cars) operations.

o Confirm the safe performance of the air brake system and 

resulting train dynamics for VLTs through testing and simulations.

o Collaborate with industry stakeholders, including the Association 

of American Railroads (AAR), air brake system vendors, and labor 

unions. 

o Phase III testing, with a 200-car stationary train in multiple 

conventional and distributed power (DP) configurations, was 

completed in 2022.

o Phase IV over-the-road testing, with 228 cars and up to 7 

locomotives in a front-mid-rear DP configuration, was completed 

in 2023, over a 1,300-mile trip.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Review of Very Long Train Operations
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Francisco González, III • (202) 493-6076 • francisco.gonzalez@dot.gov

o Funding: $395,000

o Project Duration: August 2023 – August 2025

COST & SCHEDULE

o Sharma & Associates, Inc. 

PROJECT PARTNER

o RAPiD is envisioned to improve the safety of 

freight train operations by creating a method by 

which air brake signal propagation speeds are 

increased.

o This should result in reduced stopping distances, 

improved slack action, and better train handling.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o The project team developed methods that can 

accelerate the propagation of the air brake signal 

along the length of the train, short of an ECP-style 

implementation on every car.

o The team has conceptualized, developed, and lab 

tested a system that uses rapid airbrake 

propagation devices (RAPiD) placed along a train 

to improve stopping distances when the brakes 

are activated by a locomotive engineer.

o Current efforts are focused on ruggedizing the 

prototypes, completing a field implementation, 

and testing the system in the field to measure its 

effectiveness.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Freight Train Rapid Airbrake Propagation Device (RAPiD)
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Francisco González, III • (202) 493-6076 • francisco.gonzalez@dot.gov

o Funding, FY20: $654,000

o Project Duration: September 2022 – March 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Sharma & Associates, Inc.

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

o ENSCO, Inc.

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Improve overall safety of tank car operations by

better understanding puncture performance, 

thereby mitigating the release of hazardous

material in tank car derailments.

o Develop performance information that can be 

used by the industry for standards development.

o Develop recommendationsfor future design

and testing of tank shells for industry use.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Develop methods that allow detailed observations 

of tank puncture performance, including puncture 

initiation and propagation, performance of welds, 

and cold weather performance, using repeatable 

test methods.

o A pendulum-based test setup was 

conceptualized and implemented with smallscale test specimens.

o Planned tests include sections of the outer 

shells of DOT-113 tanks (LNG) and consider:

 Parent material

 Double-sided seam welds

 Single-sided closure welds

o Calibrate analytical models to test results.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Pendulum-based Puncture Testing of Tank Shells
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

o CAMX Power, LLC

o CANARAIL Consultants, Inc.

o TTCI

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Locomotives, because of their longitudinal strength and

stiffness, are particularly susceptible to override when they

collide with another vehicle, and the consequences can be

catastrophic.

o Research has shown that conventional anti-climbing structures 

can deform on impact and form a ramp, increasing the

likelihood of override.

o Such behavior was exhibited in a 32-mph collision that occurred 

in Georgetown, KY, in March 2018 (see photo).

o Research has also shown that the addition of modeststructural 

features to the forward end of a locomotive can greatly reduce

the propensity for override.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Funding: $1,109,326

o Project Duration: August 2018 – August 2022

 FRA report on conventional coupling tests, Sept. 2019

 Presentation on V2V test #1 results, February 2019

 Joint Rail Conference paper on coupling tests evaluation, April 2019

 FRA report on F40 locomotive retrofit, Sept. 2019

 FRA report on the conventional and CEM coupling tests, Sept. 2019

 Joint Rail Conference paper on V2V test #1 results, April 2022

 V2V test #2, November 2021

 Full-scale train-to-train test, August 2022

COST & SCHEDULE

o Demonstrate effectiveness of crashworthy components in preventing 

override in collisions involving locomotives.

o Evaluate performance of combination of a push-back coupler and 

deformable anti-climber under full-scale dynamic impact 

scenarios.

o Design crashworthy components as a retrofit to existing locomotives.

o Perform individual component testing to demonstrate performance 

and develop technical information to inform finite element modeling.

o Perform routine coupling tests to develop range of expected impact 

forces and to demonstrate designed behavior.

o A full-scale vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) impact test was performed in 

January 2019 and a second test was performed in November 2021, to 

assess the performance of the retrofit components in a moderatespeed collision for a range of impacted equipment.

o A full-scale train-to-train test to assess the performance of the 

integrated system was performed in August 2022.

o Development of locomotive crashworthiness standards

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Locomotive Structural Crashworthiness
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

o Passenger equipment manufacturers, operators, suppliers, 

and consultants

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Working with seat and table manufacturers and the rail 

industry to define safety-equivalent options in APTA seat 

and table standards.

o Disseminate research findings to the rail industry on 

advanced ATDs to evaluate abdomen injuries specific to 

workstation tables impacts in passenger train accidents. 

o Working with the Rail Vehicles Access Advisory Committee to 

identify and evaluate crashworthiness protection strategies for 

passengers in wheeled mobility devices.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Funding, Occupant Protection: $360,000

o Funding, Standards Support and Equipment Evaluation: $75,000

o Project Duration: May 2020 – May 2024

 Volpe/Calpsan THOR-50M abdomen impact test report, 

Sept. 2020

 Volpe THOR-50M FE model validation paper, Jan. 2021

 Volpe finite element analyses to evaluate attachment 

strength requirements for wheelchair restraint devices in 

locomotive train test, May 2021

 Final APTA Workstation Table Standard, Rev. 2, Dec. 2021

 Final APTA Seat Standard, Rev. 3, March 2021

 MGA/Volpe table test report, May 2021

 Draft APTA Cab Seat Standard, Dec. 2021

 MGA/Volpe seat test report, June 2022

COST & SCHEDULE

o The Volpe Center is supporting FRA on research testing of 

passenger seats and workstation tables to evaluate compliance 

with revised American Public Transportation Association (APTA) 

seat and table safety standards.

o This includes support for occupant experiments using wheelchair/ 

anthropomorphic test device (ATD) containment devices.

o The APTA safety standards address crashworthiness of passenger 

seats, cab seats, and workstation tables in passenger railcars.

o Volpe research assists FRA in the evaluation of the 

crashworthiness of seats, tables, and interior fixtures for new 

equipment procurements (Siemens/PRIIA CALIDOT, 

Siemens/Brightline, Stadler/Caltrain, and Alstom/Amtrak). 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Interior Occupant Protection
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

o Owners/operators of equipment involved in investigated accidents

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Activities include documenting the damage to the equipment (both 

interior and exterior), reconstructing the sequence of events, and 

identifying causal mechanisms for injury and fatality.

o Findings serve to assess the current performance of rail equipment, 

interiors, emergency egress/access, fuel tank integrity, and other 

safety features.

o Produce technical presentation of the field investigation from the 

preliminary findings.

o Issue a report or paper describing the findings from the field 

investigations and the accident reconstruction.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Funding: $110,000

o Project Duration: May 2023 – May 2024

o Accident investigations have been performed for: Lake 

City, SC, in August 2000; Nodaway, IA, in March 2001; 

Crescent City, FL, in April 2002; Placentia, CA, in April 

2002; Kensington, MD, in July 2002; Flora, MS, in April 

2004; Glendale, CA, in January 2005; Chicago, IL, in 

September 2005; Chicago, IL, in November 2007; 

Chatsworth, CA, in 2008; Red Oak, IA, in April 2011; 

Lovelock, NV, in 2011; Goodwell, OK, in June 2012; 

Bridgeport, CT, in May 2013; Spuyten Duyvil, NY, in 

December 2013; Philadelphia, PA, in 2015; Hoboken, 

NJ, in September, 2016; Dupont, WA, in December 

2017; Cayce, SC, in February, 2018; Joplin, MT in 

September, 2021; Clarendon Hills, IL and Mendon, MO 

in 2022

COST & SCHEDULE

o Derive passenger equipment safety research program 

areas from information gleaned from real-world 

conditions.

o Identify deficiencies related to equipment 

performance and operating practices and inform 

changes to regulations and industry standards.

o Tune program direction based on the findings of the 

field investigations to ensure maximum application and 

effectiveness of research results.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Field Investigations
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

o Sharma & Associates, Inc. 

PROJECT PARTNERS

o There have been at least 25 fatalities attributed to glazing 

malfunction in the last 44 years.

o After the commuter train derailment in Spuyten Duyvil, NY, on 

December 1, 2013, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) 

issued a recommendation for more effective passenger 

containment by glazing systems in derailments. 

o NTSB reiterated its recommendation after the derailment in 

Philadelphia, PA, on May 12, 2015.

o Currently, no FRA regulations exist related to passenger 

containment by glazing systems.

o Outcomes of this research include strategies for improving the 

survivability of glazing in rollover accidents to improve 

occupant containment.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Funding: Phase I, $130,528; Phase II, $263,099; Phase III 

$191,875

o Project Duration: September 2022 – September 2024

 Present research findings to APTA, December 2021.

 Issue report describing Phase I project and results 

May 2022.

COST & SCHEDULE

o Develop engineering strategies for improved occupant 

containment by glazing systems, while meeting all other 

existing safety, service, and manufacturing requirements.

o The glazing system functions as windows and is expected 

to be impact resistant, provide emergency egress, 

provide emergency access, be fire resistant, and provide 

occupant containment.

o Develop detailed plans for drafting, analyzing, and testing 

engineering strategies for glazing systems. 

o Define all safety and operational requirements placed on 

glazing systems; assess the performance of current 

glazing systems in meeting those requirements; develop 

modifications for improving occupant containment; and 

conduct analysis and testing to compare the performance 

of conventional and modified glazing systems.

o Test plans have been developed to evaluate glazing 

retention system performance under prying, pressure, 

and simulated dragging conditions.

o Phase I testing completed March 2021.

o Phase II launched September 2022 to include testing of 

glazing systems designs not considered in Phase I.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Passenger Equipment Glazing Integrity
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

o Passenger equipment manufacturers, operators, suppliers, 

and consultants

PROJECT PARTNERS

o FRA support for rail equipment standards development 

since the advancement of Amtrak’s technical specification 

for the Acela in 1993, which evolved into FRA’s Tier II 

equipment standards, the first national standards requiring 

crash energy management.

o Publication of first rule addressing crashworthiness and 

other features of Tier III passenger equipment on 

November 21, 2018. 

o Additional standards supported include the Passenger 

Equipment Safety Standards, Locomotive Crashworthiness 

Standards, and Cab Car End Frame Standards.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Funding: $200,000

o Project Duration: May 2023 – May 2024

 Present briefings to the National Transportation 

Safety Board, American Public Transportation 

Association, and the Railroad Safety Advisory 

Committee (and its task forces), TBD.

 Review technical documentation submitted by 

railroads to demonstrate compliance with FRA 

regulations as requested, TBD.

COST & SCHEDULE

o Support development and revision of regulations and 

safety standards for: 

 High-speed passenger trains

 Conventionalspeed passenger trains

 High-speed passenger trains in mixed service

o Activities include:

 Definition of accidentscenarios of concern and

assessment of likelihood and lossfrom accidents

 Identification of technologiesfor improved occupied

volume protection, injury prevention, fuel

containment, and glazing impact resistance

 Application of information derived to support policy

decisions, regulations, and standards development,

and verification of required performance

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Regulatory Development, Waiver Support, and Technology Transfer
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o Sharma & Associates, Inc.

PROJECT PARTNER

o The application of the results derived from the SRM will enable 

FRA to focus R&D efforts (and limited available resources) on 

topics which cause the greatest amount of harm (fatalities, injuries, 

property damage) in the railroad industry.

o This should result in RD&T research products which are of the 

greatest benefit to the railroad industry in improving safety 

performance.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Funding: $75,356

o Project Duration: September 2018 – September 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o FRA’s Office of Research, Development, and Technology 

(RD&T) manages a large portfolio of research projects 

focused on improving railroad safety. Rational project 

selection and scoping strategies maximize the effectiveness 

of the RD&T program.

o RD&T has developed a means of assessing safety risk 

broadly across the railroad industry, reflected in its Safety 

Risk Model (SRM), similar to the U.K. Railway Safety 

Standards Board. 

o The SRM provides a means for quantitative risk-ranking to 

facilitate project selection. Knowledge of the 

characteristics of the distribution of risk will allow FRA to 

make strategic project investments for maximum safety 

benefit and allow for future assessments of risk reduction 

resulting from implementing the products of RD&T efforts. 

o Future updates to the model will include the means to 

assess risk based on regional population density (rural, 

urban, superurban) to derive “state level” safety risks for 

the purpose of guiding safety inspections.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Extended Development of FRA Safety Risk Model
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o Newport Sensors, Inc.

PROJECT PARTNER

o Successful development of this novel door safety technology 

will result in reduced passenger injuries caused by 

entrapment in passenger train doors or possible ejection 

should doors open unexpectedly.

o One railroad partner has been identified to provide support 

and assistance for field testing of the sensor prototype.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Funding: $300,000

o Project Duration: May 2022 – May 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o According to the FRA Final Rule on Passenger Train 

Exterior Side Door Safety, “passenger trains should 

have their exterior side doors closed when they are 

moving between stations.” However, many older 

(legacy) trains do not possess a door safety system to 

ensure compliance. 

o This leads to the risk of a passenger or an object 

becoming entangled in the door, preventing it from 

closing when the train departs a station. 

o Failure in the door control system could also cause the 

exterior side door to accidently open during train 

movement or not close when departing a station, 

leading to the risk of passenger ejection.

o Phase II of this project seeks to develop a cost-effective 

solution to this door safety problem associated with 

legacy trains.

o This project is being performed under the Small 

Business Innovation Research Program.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Passenger Train Exterior Side Door Safety – Phase II
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o ADA Technologies, Inc.

o Synetics Systems Engineering Corp.

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Current manually operated devices used to measure wheel 

profiles have limited functionality for taking these 

measurements and can be subject to operator error.

o Improved techniques for measuring railroad wheel geometry 

will contribute to railway safety by reducing the occurrence of 

derailments caused by wheel/rail interface geometry.

RAILROAD IMPACT o Funding: $400,000 (ADA); $400,000 (Synetics)

o Project Duration: September 2022 – September 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Federal regulations and industry standards set 

requirements on railroad wheel geometry to improve 

safety and avoid derailments. To ensure compliance, 

railroads periodically take measurements to determine 

whether wheels and wheelsets remain fit for service:

 Wheel diameter

 Wheel back-to-back spacing (the distance between 

the back-face of wheels on an axle)

 Wheel profile (the shape of the portion of the wheel 

that contacts the rail from back-face to field-side rim)

 Out of roundness (deviations from uniform wheel 

diameter)

 Length and width of wheel defects (e.g., flat spots)

o Other attributes are derived from these measurements, 

such as wheel flange angle (see APTA PR-M-S-015-06, 

Rev. 1, Wheel Flange Angle for Passenger Equipment.) 

o FRA seeks development of a portable wheel geometry 

measuring device that can be used in the shop and the 

field by a single operator. 

o This project is being performed under the Small Business 

Innovative Research Program.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Wheel Measuring Device – Phase II
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o Funding, FY23: $294,455

o Project Duration: September 2023 – September 2025

COST & SCHEDULE

o Sharma & Associates, Inc.

PROJECT PARTNER

o Improve understanding of the history and trends of 

accident/incident data and safety risk in the railroad 

system.

o Improve modeling of safety risk estimation and 

prediction in railroad operations.

o Reduced public risk through improved risk prediction 

research.

o Improve railroad operational safety against risks to the 

public, equipment, and property.

o Improve strategic decision-making in railroad operations.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Current safety risk analysis techniques in the railroad 

industry have been developed based on probabilistic 

risk analysis, such as fault and event tree analyses. 

o These approaches do not address the uncertainty 

involved in the data and produce another level of 

uncertainty in the risk results.

o An Improved Railroad Safety Risk Model (IRSRM) and 

Risk-Based Multi-Dimensional Decision-Making 

Model (RMDDMM) will be developed to consider 

uncertainty to meet the needs of the railroad 

industry.

o Fuzzy regression analysis will be used to evaluate the 

relationship between variables and will allow 

prediction of potential risk in the near future based 

on evaluating historical risk data as a risk range over 

an interval (with lower and upper bounds) from the 

fuzzy output. 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Quantifying Uncertainty to Enhance Railroad Safety Risk and Decision Models
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o Funding, Phase III: $574,127 

o Project Duration: September 2020 – December 2023

COST & SCHEDULE

o ENSCO, Inc.

o Engineering Systems, Inc.

o Association of American 

Railroads

o Wheel suppliers

o SimuTech Group

PROJECT PARTNER

o Increase understanding of current wheel failure 

mechanisms and facilitate mitigation.

o Reduce derailments causing severe equipment and 

track damage.

o Reduce public safety risks and costs associated with 

such incidents.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Collaborate with industry to reduce wheel failures, 

including vertical split rims and shattered rims.

o An industry-wide stakeholder working group 

(SWG) evaluated current failure 

modes/characteristics and future steps to 

minimize contributions to failures. 

o The SWG developed research strategies, including 

analysis of historical data, testing failed wheels, 

and modeling studies to mitigate failures, reduce 

risk, and improve safety. 

o Previous phases identified future research topics 

and conducted metallurgical testing of failed 

wheels.

o Phase III focuses on an FEA-based investigation of 

factors contributing to crack propagation within 

wheels.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Wheel Failure Research Program
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Tarek Omar, Ph.D. • (202) 493-6189 • tarek.omar@dot.gov

o Funding: $560,000

o Project Duration: September 23 – August 2026

COST & SCHEDULE

o University of Maryland Center for 

Technology and Systems Management 

PROJECT PARTNER

o Enhance topology for increased network robustness 

and resilience in cost-effective terms.

o Inform policy and decision-making practices.

o Increase economic efficiency.

o Enhance planning and design methods at the network 

level.

o Plan for and improve on capital spending.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Use the technology developed in Phase 1 to analyze the 

topology of Class I railroad networks. Assess the 

impacts of disruptions on the technology’s 

performance, including network connectedness 

efficiency and other network attributes using waybill 

information.

o Implement novel models developed in Phase 1 and 

develop a tool for assessing connectedness efficiency 

for intelligent rail network infrastructure using attribute 

weights from waybill information.

o Enable the use of connectedness efficiency as a 

performance measure in risk and asset management 

practices and for enhancing railroad resilience.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Quantifying the Resilience of Freight Railroad Networks (Phase 2)
Wireless Digital Train Line for Passenger Trains (Phase IV)

o The RF spectrum is nearly saturated, causing problems for 

many rail applications (e.g., PTC, WiDTL), especially in highdensity areas.

o Realize a full prototype of the transceiver design using a 

software radio platform, with cognitive radio capabilities and 

spectrum sensing and a component-driven modular design 

process.

o Initiate development of the universal radio platform – a single 

radio across applications, RF bands, environments, and form 

factors (handheld, WiDTL, wayside, etc.)

o Conduct extensive field test evaluations of the prototype to 

demonstrate the merits of 160 MHz as a viable band for 

modern rail applications. 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

RAILROAD IMPACT

y railroads in applications such as 

o Establishes path toward a Universal Radio Platform, integrating a 

modular design, cognitive radio capabilities, and wide-range 

frequency agility

o Transitions research into the 160MHz RF band from computer 

simulation to a full prototype platform

o Advances readiness for use by railroads in applications such as 

extending the 220MHz PTC into the 160MHz band to relief 

congestion in high-density areas

o WiDTL onboard signaling and long-range wayside 

communications

o All developed software radio code, design documents, and 

performance results are available to the rail industry for 

adoption into rail applications, further evaluation, or 

customization.

results are available to the rail industry for adoption into rail applications, further evaluation

PROJECT PARTNER

o University of Nebraska-Lincoln – Advanced 

Telecommunications Engineering Laboratory

COST & SCHEDULE

o Funding: $178,000

o Project Duration: January – December 2023
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Tarek Omar, Ph.D. • (202) 493-6189 • tarek.omar@dot.gov

o Funding: $500,00

o Project Duration: April 2022 – December 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Michigan Technological University

o Amsted Rail

o Safer coupler system that is less likely to fail due to fatigue or PROJECT PARTNERS

corrosion

o More reliable coupler system with consistent load capacity over 

its lifetime

o Will not change geometry of coupler 

o Will build on current weld repair procedures

o High-volume production strategy with limited cost implications

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Objective: Increase coupler safety and reliability by weldenhancing knuckles locally in high-stress areas through wire-arc 

additive manufacturing (WAAM). 

o Coupler knuckles fail in high-stress regions by corrosion fatigue 

accelerated by casting defects, surface decarburization during 

heat treatment, and their environment (e.g., salt). 

o WAAM is a weld repair process for high-stress regions that can 

improve fatigue strength and corrosion resistance by removing 

casting and heat treatment defects by:

 Process development with standard AWS wire grades

 High-cycle fatigue on weld material and weld-substrate in 

air and salt environments

 Prototype production knuckle and perform M-216 knuckle 

testing

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

WAAM for Weld-Enhanced Cast Steel Couplers

Knuckle FEA showing high stress in 

pulling lug (Chunduru, 2011) and 

knuckle failure in similar region
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Tarek Omar, Ph.D. • (202) 493-6189 • tarek.omar@dot.gov

o Funding: $435,548 

o Project Duration: June 2021 – May 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o University of North Carolina at Charlotte

PROJECT PARTNER o Increased worker safety: IWPT can minimize human contact 

with high voltage/amperage electricity. 

o Time savings: IWPT charging stations would simply require a 

locomotive to be parked at the designated location above the 

charging mat, thus lower plug-in operation.

o A technological step forward for the passenger rail industry: 

IWPT represents a progressive mentality toward new 

technologies.

o Safety inspection: Fire safety, arc fault, and damaged or 

deteriorating component information are provided by the 

intelligent detection algorithm and the automatic shutoff 

function.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o To improve the safety of the electric power charging 

system for rolling stock, this proposal suggests the use 

of IWPT technology for power charging. 

o IWPT technology completely removes humans from the 

hazardous environments of wired high-voltage power 

charging operations and improves the safety of the 

railroad environment from electric fire. 

o The integrated 1-2-Cut technology determines receiver 

and transmitter impedance, detects correlation to 

charging position, arc fault, and fire risk potentials and 

automatically cut off power to eliminate fire risk. 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Intelligent Wireless Power Transfer (IWPT) for Safe Electric Power Charging

IWPT system magnetic flux distribution 
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Tarek Omar, Ph.D. • (202) 493-6189 • tarek.omar@dot.gov

o Funding: $2.5M per year; $7.5M total 

o Project Duration: 36 months

COST & SCHEDULE

o National University Rail Center of Excellence (NURail CoE)

o Lead University: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Consortium of universities to advance rail research 

and innovation

o Increased university participation and partnership

o Expanded talent pool of rail professionals

o Increased technology transfer of prioritized research

o Establish and maintain a shared Center of Excellence 

to advance research and development that improves 

the safety, efficiency, and reliability of passenger and 

freight rail transportation. 

o Conduct advanced rail research to understand the 

needs and implications of emerging transportation 

technologies such as automation and unmanned 

aerial systems, transportation system use and 

operations, and infrastructure design.

o Research topics will include train control, human 

factors, rail infrastructure, shared corridors, grade 

crossings, inspection technology, remote sensing, rail 

systems maintenance, network resiliency, 

operational reliability, energy efficiency, and other 

advanced technology.

o Develop partnerships to expand rail training. 

o Develop rail-focused curricula and programs.

o Build STEM competencies of local and future rail 

workforce.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Rail Research and Development Center of Excellence (CoE) Program

RAILROAD IMPACT
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Tarek Omar, Ph.D. • (202) 493-6189 • tarek.omar@dot.gov

o Funding, FY22: $400,000

o Project Duration: July 2023 – December 2026

COST & SCHEDULE

o Transportation Research Board 

PROJECT PARTNER

o Capture the unexpected concepts that challenge conventional 

thinking. 

o Explore promising but unproven concepts with the potential 

to advance railroad safety and performance.

o Support university research centers and small companies to 

improve their railroad research capabilities and expertise.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o IDEA programs differ from traditional research 

programs in that they are initiated by researchers, 

inventors, universities, or companies (both within and 

outside the usual transportation research 

community) rather than by a request for proposals.

o Each year, three proposals are selected and funded 

for up to $100,000 each.

o The National Academy of Sciences carries out the Rail 

Safety IDEA program through the Transportation 

Research Board.

o Rail Safety IDEA 52, 53, and 54 will be funded in the 

FY23 program.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Rail Safety Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (IDEA) Program
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o Funding, FY22: $220,000

o Project Duration: September 2020 – March 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Sharma & Associates, Inc.

PROJECT PARTNER TEDS facilitates identification and quantification of 

safety risks in train operations regarding:

o Equipment

o Train makeup, including free slack between couplers

o Train handling

o Track conditions, including presence of lubricators

o Operating practices

o Environmental conditions

o Certain types of malfunctioning equipment, such as 

locomotive power drops, leaking air brakes, etc.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o TEDS is a computer program developed by FRA for 

conducting longitudinal train dynamics simulations. 

o It can assist in developing recommendations to 

improve train operating safety.

o TEDS can simulate train handling, train makeup, 

head-end and distributed power, electronically 

controlled pneumatic and automatic brake 

applications for speed control, stopping distances, 

and emergency stops.

o Validation details are published in FRA reports: 

DOT/FRA/ORD-15/01, DOT/FRA/ORD-20/24, and 

DOT/FRA/ORD-20/26.

o TEDS has been used successfully for several 

simulations to assist FRA’s Office of Railroad Safety 

in investigations and policy studies.

o It is available for public use under a service 

agreement with FRA and Sharma & Associates, Inc. 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Train Energy and Dynamics Simulator (TEDS)
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: David C. Brabb • (719) 500-9400 • david.brabb@dot.gov

o Funding, FY22: $149,000

o Project Duration: September 2018 – September 2021

COST & SCHEDULE

o Sharma & Associates, Inc.

PROJECT PARTNER

o Improve traffic congestion analysis.

o Objective evaluation of operating with new 

technologies

o Capabilities to analyze the network-related 

parameters of operating trains under PTC systems.

o Quantify network benefits due to new technologies.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Develop a methodology to quantify network-level 

benefits to train operations from implementing new 

technologies. 

o Use the network simulations software OpenTrack® 

for various network operational characteristics as 

follows:

 Different types of corridors: single-track, 

double-track, and multiple-track corridors

 Types of traffic: dedicated vs. shared-use 

corridors 

 New technology implementation

 4,900 miles of main tracks have been 

developed with 256 daily trains operating along 

different sections of the network, and a variety 

of signaling and braking characteristics.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Effects of Technology Implementations on Network Operations
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: David C. Brabb • (719) 500-9400 • david.brabb@dot.gov

o Funding: $449,324

o Project Duration: September 2018 – December 2023

COST & SCHEDULE

o Sharma & Associates, Inc. 

o MNR

o LIRR

o NYA 

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Improve the process for demonstrating and implementing 

new technology.

o Establish a standard process for wayside technology 

pilot demonstrations.

o Wayside technology systems will reduce the number of 

incidents and accidents through proactive maintenance, 

driven by monitored performance of rolling stock 

equipment and components.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Partner with Metro-North Railroad (MNR), Long Island Rail 

Road (LIRR) and New York Atlantic Railway (NYA) to assist 

with pilot demonstrations of new wayside technology 

systems to detect defects and precursors to safety-critical 

defects in rolling stock.

o Document new installation at MNR, LIRR, and NYA.

o Conduct detection threshold analysis to help railroads 

establish detection thresholds for inspection, alarm, and 

emergency level actions balanced against their shop 

capacity and commuter service demands for passenger 

coaches. 

o Identify best practices for implementation and revise the 

Wayside Implementation Guide. 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Wayside Advanced Technology Systems (WATS)
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: David C. Brabb • (719) 500-9400 • david.brabb@dot.gov

o Funding, FY19–23: $371,000

o Project Duration: September 2019 – June 2023

COST & SCHEDULE

o Sharma & Associates, Inc. 

PROJECT PARTNER

o Improve freight railroad operations safety and security. 

o A power, communications, and controls platform will 

make it easier for adoption of various safety and 

security monitoring device applications.

o Written and adopted standards and recommended 

practices, by AAR, will open the door for safety and 

security device implementation that will be allowed for 

interchange.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Develop and integrate a modern, powered 

communications and control ecosystem for freight 

vehicles: 

 Research available communication and control 

platforms that might be applicable for railroad use.

 Design and build a three-car test rack for studying 

the selected prototype ecosystem platform.

 Use the test rack for in-lab testing/development.

 Initiate the development and acceptance of AAR 

interchange specifications/standards for an 

electrical power supply system, an electronically 

driven hand brake, and the subject ecosystem 

platform. 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Advanced Technology Integration – Ecosystem Platform
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: David C. Brabb • (719) 500-9400 • david.brabb@dot.gov

o Funding, FY23–25: $741,369

o Project Duration: September 2023 – March 2025

COST & SCHEDULE

o ENSCO, Inc.

PROJECT PARTNER

o Restore and improve TTC’s transportation 

research and testing capabilities for the 

improvement of safety, security, and efficiency in 

transportation operations.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Restore non-functional RDL Mini-Shaker Unit 

(MSU), Simuloader Unit (SMU), Squeeze Test 

Fixture, and Vibration Test Unit (VTU) to 

functional capabilities: 

 MSU: Acquire air tables, servo valves, load 

bars, and various peripherals.

 SMU: Acquire hydraulic pumps, I-beams, 

bearings, and fixturing.

 Squeeze Test Fixture: Restore structural 

frame, upgrade control room.

 VTU: Repair instrumentation, acquire 

controller.

 These test systems were left in nonfunctional states by the previous FRA 

Transportation Technology Center (TTC) 

contractor.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Rail Dynamics Laboratory (RDL) Test System Restoration at TTC
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: David C. Brabb • (719) 500-9400 • david.brabb@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24: $450,000–$500,000

o Project Duration: October 2023 – September 2025

COST & SCHEDULE

o Phase I: ENSCO, Inc., shortline/Class I railroads with captive fleet 

(testing at TTC dependent on availability of a train, funding)

o Phase II: Class I railroads; interest and agreement in principle

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Greatly reduces labor and cost associated with finding air 

leaks

o Increases safety through increased air brake reliability and 

reduces the time employees spend on, under, or between 

rolling stock when finding leaks

o Potential for large reductions in criteria and GHG 

emissions and fuel consumption industry-wide

o Large reductions in AESS restart events, prolonging 

component life and further reducing criteria and GHG 

emissions and fuel consumption

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Field development of a wayside autonomous air leak 

detection system

 Continuation of work completed for TRB IDEA 

program (SAFETY 48)

o Design and fabricate system hardware for wayside 

application.

o Refine detection and identification capabilities through 

data collection, software modification, and machine 

learning.

o Conduct a feasibility study to identify the capabilities and 

limitations of acoustic sensors in real world rail 

environment.

o Determine track speed limits of detection system.

o Two Phases:

 Phase I: Shorter duration, more hands on

 Phase II: Longer duration, larger population

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Autonomous Detection of Train Air Leaks
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: David C. Brabb • (719) 500-9400 • david.brabb@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24: $132,000

o Project Duration: August 2023 ̶September 2025

COST & SCHEDULE

o ENSCO, Inc.

PROJECT PARTNER

o Facilitate low-cost instrumentation of 

unpowered rail vehicles.

o Enable a wide range of safety, security, and 

measurement systems to be deployed on 

revenue service vehicles.

o Reduce the cost of evaluating new technologies 

and encourage adoption of existing 

communications and measurement systems.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Develop a solar-charged electrical power 

system for freight car applications.

o Recent innovations in flexible solar panels 

allow for faster installation on the exterior of 

railcars, including tank cars.

o The system will be compact, allowing for 

greater flexibility in installation location.

o The prefabricated, modular design will 

expedite installation and minimize cost.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Electrical Power System for Individual Freight Car Application
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o Funding, FY20 – FY23: $865,000

o Project Duration: May 2020 – Present

COST & SCHEDULE

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

o Provide science-based data in support of decisions for PROJECT PARTNER

use of alternative fuels by U.S. railroads.

o Improve state-of-the-art knowledge on safety and 

efficiency of alternative fuels, such as hydrogen and 

fuel cell systems, for rail applications.

o Collaborate with the railroad industry in the 

development of specifications for the next generation 

of alternative propulsion tenders and railcars.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Update crashworthiness standards to apply to new 

alternative propulsion rail equipment, e.g., hydrogen 

fuel cells, battery, liquified natural gas (LNG), etc.

o Identify and evaluate critical impact scenarios, based 

on accident history, using a combination of testing and 

computer simulations. 

o Conduct tests to evaluate safety performance issues of 

new alternative propulsion rail equipment, i.e. 

structural crashworthiness, component and fitting 

structural integrity, fire, etc.

o Evaluate the merit of using hydrogen fuel cells in a 

railroad application.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Alternative Propulsion Research – Safety Analyses
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o Funding, FY23: $99,846

o Project Duration: March 2023 – March 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o ENSCO, Inc. 

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

o Ambipar Emergency Response

PROJECT PARTNERS o Generate information and roadmap to define safety 

requirements for future hydrogen and BESS systems.

o Lay the foundation for safe rail operations with 

hydrogen and BESS for propulsion. 

o Enable the expansion of hydrogen and BESS use in rail 

transport in the U.S. This expansion will increase the 

efficiency and sustainability of rail transport by 

reducing the use of fossil fuels.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Assemble a team of subject matter experts to 

develop a feasible and safe testing and simulation 

research program to evaluate the performance of 

Hydrogen and Battery Energy Storage Systems 

(BESS) under derailment and crash conditions.

o Determine the safety needs for hydrogen and BESS 

use in the railroad industry and develop testing 

requirements and assess capabilities at the 

Transportation Technology Center.

o Develop test and implementation plans for both 

hydrogen and BESS testing for future FRA research.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Safety Testing of Advanced Clean Energy Technology for Rail
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o Funding, FY 2023: $625,000

o Project Duration: September 2020 – September 2026

COST & SCHEDULE

o Sandia National Laboratory

PROJECT PARTNER o Alternative fuels such as hydrogen provide clean and 

efficient propulsion for rail transportation

o In rail, hydrogen will likely be stored either as a gas or 

liquid. Research is needed to identify potential safety 

issues regarding the use of such fuel, and to develop 

safety recommendations. 

o The project will review relevant domestic and global 

standards, lessons learned, and best practices for using 

hydrogen fuel and requirements for its use in the 

railroad environment.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Hydrogen is a more efficient and 

environmentally friendly fuel, but there are 

many unknown risks surrounding the use of this 

technology in the rail environment.

o Sandia will use cutting-edge technology, such 

as computer simulations, risk assessments, 

literature searches, small scale laboratory 

testing, etc. to assess the risks of hydrogen fuel.

o The research will examine crashworthiness, fire 

safety, human interaction, and materials 

compatibility with hydrogen.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Hydrogen Safety Research for Rail Applications
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o Funding, FY23: $300,000

o Project Duration: September 2022 – September 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Wabtec Corp.

o U.S. Department of Energy

o Oak Ridge National Laboratory

o Demonstrate at least 70% reduction in CO2 PROJECT PARTNERS

emissions.

o Path to safely introduce hydrogen into rail 

industry

o Fuel flexible concept to enable phased 

introduction of hydrogen infrastructure

o Retrofittable technology to accelerate adoption 

to new and existing fleet

RAILROAD IMPACT

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Hydrogen Dual Fuel Engine Development for Greenhouse Gas 

Emissions Reduction

o Direct-injected hydrogen dual-fuel concept

o Single-cylinder engine testing to demonstrate 

70% hydrogen substitution

o Knock boundaries identified at high substitution 

rates.

o Identify safety risks, so they can be addressed.

o Determine design requirements for the safe 

introduction of hydrogen. 0

20

40

60

80

100

120

0 30 50 70

CO2 Emissions [% baseline]

H2 Substitution Rate [%]

Gas Fuel Diesel
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o Funding: $500,000

o Project Duration: September 2022 – August 2025

o Argonne National Laboratory COST & SCHEDULE

o U.S. DOE Vehicle Technologies Office

o Progress Rail 

o Convergent Science

o Chevron REG

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Highlight flexibility of operation with unconventional fuel 

sources

o Adoption of carbon neutral fuel concept

o Reduced reliance and stress on oil-based supply chain

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Perform scoping exercises with combustion simulation and spray 

visualization for different types of biofuels and renewable diesel 

fuel.

o Develop engine hardware and calibrate to operate with select 

biodiesel fuels.

o Demonstrate engine operation and responses with select 

alternative fuels.

o Showcase combustion engine ability to operate with reduced 

carbon footprint and efficient resource utilization.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Biofuels for Advanced Locomotive Engines
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o Funding, FY23: $200,000

o Project Duration: September 2023 – August 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o University of Texas at Austin

o Tier 5 Locomotive LLC

o Jim Blaze, Railroad Economist

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Holistic understanding of primary technical and 

economic barriers to railway electrification

o Comprehensive evaluation of new approaches to 

operations and implementation that improve benefits 

and reduce costs, timelines, and risk

will also guide future research and development.

o Novel Monte Carlo framework for analyzing updated 

electrification benefits/costs will yield a return on 

investment distribution to quantify risk.

o More informed technology decisions and greater 

certainty in feasibility of new options to electrify.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Develop an updated costs-benefit framework for 

modern, innovative approaches to railway 

electrification.

o Review previous electrification studies to identify 

critical technical and economic barriers.

o Scan alternative technologies and operation and 

implementation approaches to identify solutions.

o Develop an updated cost-benefit framework that 

considers a carbon-focused decision environment 

plus uncertainty and risk in return on investment.

o Conduct a case study to show benefit and cost 

sensitivities.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Cost and Benefit Risk Framework for Modern Railway Electrification Options 
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

COST & SCHEDULE

o ThermaDynamics Rail LLC

o Siemens Corp.

o In-service testing railroad

PROJECT PARTNERS o Retrofitting locomotives with L-WHRS results in reduced fuel 

consumption and pollutant emissions by tapping otherwise 

wasted locomotive thermal energy and converting it to 

electricity distributed to supply hotel loads.

o L-WHRS represents a “free,” independent source of pollutantfree electric power that can augment locomotive electric 

supply availability.

o Non-invasive retrofitting of current fleet provides low-cost 

opportunity to lower carbon emissions from ageing fleets.

o Available power can eliminate the need to idle the locomotive 

engine or require a shore power connection for maintaining a 

climate-controlled cab.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Validate technical, safety and reliability performance of L-WHRS.

o Quantify the ability of L-WHRS to generate pollution-free electric 

power from locomotive exhaust gases under different operating 

conditions.

o Universalize the L-WHRS components for Wabtec locomotives 

and identify the Wabtec L-WHRS components that can support 

components retrofitting of EMD type locomotives.

o Verify the feasibility of advanced manufacturing approaches for 

design optimization of heat exchanger and turbo-generator 

components to lower production, operational, and maintenance 

costs.

o Optimize L-WHRS control interfaces with Siemens state-of-theart controller.

o Quantify the energy savings and emissions reductions.

o Deliver the optimized L-WHRS design for Wabtec installations. 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Locomotive-Waste Heat Recovery System (L-WHRS) Development

L-WHRS

o Phase I Funding: $500,000

o Project Duration: September 2023 – December 2025
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o Funding, FY21–24: $766,432

o Project Duration: September 2022 – December 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association

o Michigan Technological University

o Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad

o Lake State Railway Company

o Indiana Northeastern Railroad Company

o Escanaba & Lake Superior Railroad 

PROJECT PARTNERS

o A greater understanding of the efficacy of the alternative 

technologies will encourage short line railroads to employ 

these alternative methods, thereby improving locomotive 

fuel economy and reducing locomotive emissions. 

o Provide project results for discussions with the U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency SmartWay program for 

potential integration into the Rail Carrier Tool Kit.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o The project will develop an inventory of the shortline 

locomotive fleet, and a methodology to evaluate shortline 

railroad emissions.

o Phase 1: Field test non-traditional fuel technologies, 

including additives and injectors.

o Phase 2: Conduct follow-up testing of the same technologies 

in a controlled environment to enhance the certainty of the 

results. 

o Develop and implement field and shop testing protocols to 

measure the exhaust emission profiles of common dieselelectric switcher and line-haul locomotives.

o CO2, NOX, and PM10/2.5 will be compared against exhaust 

emissions profiles of locomotives not employing the 

technologies using the testing protocols developed in this 

project.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Evaluation of Non-Traditional Methods of Reducing Locomotive Emissions 

for Shortline Railroads
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o Funding: $800,000

o Project Duration: August 2020 – Present

COST & SCHEDULE

o Argonne National Laboratory

o Improve the state-of-the-art knowledge on emissions and PROJECT PARTNER

efficiency of conventional and alternative fuels and 

powertrains such as hydrogen fuel cells, battery electric 

locomotives, and hybrid powertrains.

o Provide public tool tailored to rail applications for 

assessment of emissions and engine efficiency based on 

fuel type and powertrain selection.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Evaluate emissions and energy utilization of alternative 

fuels in freight and passenger equipment.

o Update and maintenance of rail module in Greenhouse 

Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in 

Technologies (GREET) model.

o Review and update the energy intensity of diesel 

locomotives using publicly available data to develop the 

baseline energy use in GREET.

o Calculation of the well-to-pump fuel production and 

transportation energy use (by primary resource type, e.g., 

petroleum and hydrogen, etc.) and emissions (by 

category, e.g., greenhouse gases and air pollutants). 

o Evaluate carbon intensity of alternative fuels and 

locomotive powertrain technologies (e.g., hybrid, fuel 

cell, and batter powertrain technologies).

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Alternative Fuels Research – Efficiency and Emissions
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o Funding: $611,964

o Project Duration: August 2022 – July 2025

COST & SCHEDULE

o Michigan Tech University

o University of Texas at Austin

o Quandel Consultants

o AAR and AREMA Committees

o Expands benefit-cost analysis to include construction and PROJECT PARTNERS maintenance phases through the LCA

o Provides framework for systematic and integrated 

application of LCA in railway environment 

o Enhances capabilities to compare the environmental 

impact of railroad vs. other modes of transport

o Brings together railroad stakeholders to direct the 

process and contribute data for the LCA analysis

o Develops first generation of inventory data and 

preliminary tools for conducting the LCA

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Railroad corridor LCA framework of passenger and 

freight railway corridors

o Includes cradle to grave analysis, concentrating on track 

maintenance activities

o Develop protocols for data collection, impact allocation, 

and assessment of total CO2 emissions impact.

o Create preliminary rail corridor LCA tools and guidance 

documents.

o Apply the methodology for selected passenger and 

freight rail corridor case studies.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Rail Corridor Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Framework, Factors and Models 

to Support Project Evaluation and Multi-Modal Comparisons
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 253-6539 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o Funding: $440,000

o Project Duration: May 2022 – May 2025

COST & SCHEDULE

o Michigan Technological University

o Argonne National Laboratory

o Canadian National Railroad

o CSX Transportation

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Develop an integrated, Python-based Jupyter 

Notebook for the railroad company to use in 

short-term and long-term risk-based decisionmaking.

o High-fidelity evaluation of storm impacts on 

coastal railroad with consideration of 

uncertainties

o More reliable coastal railroad system in 

upcoming storm hazards

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Probabilistic storm simulations were developed 

based on synthetic hurricane data to estimate 

annual surge and wave values (accomplished in 

Year 1).

o Identify vulnerable segments of railway system 

(rail tracks and bridges) subjected to storm 

hazards (planned for Year 2).

o Provide short-term retrofit solutions to 

mitigate vulnerabilities in the coastal rail 

system (planned for Year 2).

o Integrate wind speed and sea level projections 

to estimate future inundated rail tracks, water 

levels, and wave heights. 

o Provide long-term retrofit solutions to mitigate 

the vulnerabilities in the coastal rail system 

subjected to climate change and sea level rise 

(planned for Year 3).

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

A Risk-Informed, Decision-Making Framework for a Coastal Railroad System 

Subjected to Storm Hazards and Sea Level Rise
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o Funding: $430,000

o Project Duration: May 2020 – May 2023

COST & SCHEDULE

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

PROJECT PARTNER

o The development of performance-based scenarios

is intended to be used to evaluate the puncture

resistance of modern fuel tank designs, such as

those on DMU locomotives.

o Evaluate the structural performance of passenger

fuel tank designs in accident conditions.

o Support the FRA Office of Railroad Safety in 

accident investigations and regulatory 

development efforts.

o Collaborate with the American Public 

Transportation Association’s PRESS C&S Fuel Tank 

Working Group to support standard development 

and revision.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Identify dynamic impact loading of fuel tanks from 

accident investigations.

o Develop passenger fuel tank computer models.

o Evaluate conventional and alternative fuel tank 

designs (i.e., diesel multiple unit [DMU]) under 

blunt impact and raking loads.

o Conduct parametric studies.

o Present to industry stakeholders.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Passenger Fuel Tank Structural Integrity Research
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o Funding: $410,000

o Project Duration: September 2019 – August 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

PROJECT PARTNER

o Increase knowledge to better quantify rapid and 

easy egress from passenger railcars.

o Support the advancement of fire safety policies and 

standards for passenger railcars.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Evaluate alternative fire performance criteria for 

passenger railcars and floor fire test alternatives.

o Use egress model software to analyze the 

alignment of egress modeling when coupled with 

fire prediction models.

o Participate in meetings of the National Fire 

Protection Association’s 130 Committee to 

develop and maintain industry standards for fire 

safety in passenger railcars.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Fire Safety and Emergency Egress Research
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o Funding: $55,000

o Project Duration: October 2023 – August 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

PROJECT PARTNER

o Increase knowledge on the expected longevity of material 

fire performance.

o Gain understanding on the difference in fire test results 

from the actual materials present in the passenger railcars 

and the original material composition.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Investigate potential decay in the fire performance of 

passenger railcar materials over time.

o Assess the performance of older, in-use materials and 

identify possible methods to ensure materials have not 

degraded in performance.

o The first funding increment includes identifying materials 

sourcing and documenting preliminary test specifications.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Material Fire Performance Longevity
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o Funding FY23: $205,217

o Project Duration: June 2023 – December 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Jensen Hughes

PROJECT PARTNER

o The scaling laws validated in this research reduce the size 

of the experiment while preserving the key physics 

behind it, providing a means to cost-effective testing 

without compromising the safety of rail vehicles.

o The validated model can be used to evaluate “what-if” 

scenarios involving geometric and combustible material 

variations, increasing the overall understanding of fire 

hazards.

o Research will significantly improve safety, as the design 

engineers will have the right tools to quantify the hazard 

and design mitigation measures.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Analyze the scaled railcar heat release rate (HRR) test 

data to assess the validation of scaling laws for rail car 

type geometries.

o Validate the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS), a 

computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, using the 

experimental data created during scaled rail car testing.

o Predict the HRR for a full railcar using the validated FDS 

model.

o Publish a technical report documenting the findings of 

this research.

o Disseminate research findings to industry stakeholders, 

design engineers, and the National Fire Protection 

Association. 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Scaling Model Validation for Rail Car Geometries
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o Funding FY23: 193,430

o Project Duration: June 2023 – December 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Jensen Hughes

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Research findings will highlight the safety concerns of 

having a partial wall buildup along the floor. 

o The temperature-based approach proposed in this 

research will reduce the test-to-test variability and 

provide feasibility for using a smaller furnace to evaluate 

the floors.

o The validated model can be used to evaluate “what-if” 

scenarios and explore other testing alternatives.

o Research will significantly improve safety as it will 

highlight the shortcomings of existing qualification testing 

methodology and provide guidance to improve the test 

method, increasing the overall safety of railcar floors.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Perform large-scale floor fire tests and computer 

modeling using designs from industry to develop the 

boundary conditions for NFPA 130 fire testing that 

represent the end-use conditions.

o Validate thermal and structural finite element models 

using large-scale test data.

o Explore the alternative testing option based on a 

temperature-based failure threshold.

o Publish a technical report documenting the findings of 

this research.

o Disseminate research findings to industry stakeholders, 

design engineers, and the National Fire Protection 

Association.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Floor Fire Resistance Qualification Testing
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o Funding FY23: 105,593

o Project Duration: June 2023 – December 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Jensen Hughes

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Research findings will highlight what data is 

available to validate egress models for railspecific applications.

o Research will identify features that are required 

for egress through rail cars in an egress model.

o Assessing the impact of the operational 

environment, such as tunnels, on egress to a safe 

location will provide a methodology to quantify 

the hazard and design mitigation measures.

o Probabilistic framework will help understand 

model input parameter sensitivities and provide 

guidance on designing future egress trials.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Construct a probabilistic framework to quantify 

egress time distribution.

o Assess the impact of the operating environment 

on egress out of the railcar to the point of safety.

o Assess the egress time involving a railcar with 

sleeping accommodation.

o Publish a technical report documenting the 

findings of this research.

o Disseminate research findings to industry 

stakeholders, design engineers, and the National 

Fire Protection Association.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Egress Modeling
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Melissa Shurland • (202) 493-1316 • melissa.shurland@dot.gov

o Funding, FY23: $200,000

o Project Duration: May 2023 – Oct 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center 

o Oregon State University

o Q’STRAINT, Inc.

PROJECT PARTNERS

RAILROAD IMPACT

o The objective of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of 

strategies to protect train passengers seated in wheeled

mobility devices (WhMDs) and nearby passengers during train 

accidents.

o Three strategies (two rear-facing and one forward-facing) 

were successfully tested in the 2022 locomotive train-to-train 

impact test.

o Sled tests are planned to evaluate autonomous WhMD 

protection system(s) for forward-facing occupants, using the 

8g crash pulse specified in 49 CFR 238.233 and APTA PR-CS-S016 for passenger seats.

o The anticipated outcome is a demonstration of the safety 

benefits of autonomous WhMD securement during an 8g 

simulated train accident.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Collision Safety and Wheeled Mobility Devices (WhMDs)

o Previous research demonstrated improved safety when 

WhMDs and occupants were compartmentalized (rearfacing) and restrained (rear- and forward-facing) but using 

the forward-facing restraint system required assistance. 

o Feedback from the user community made it clear that 

strategies that could be used independently would be 

more readily adopted.

o The goal of the planned work is to demonstrate the need 

for, and ease of use of, a forward-facing occupant 

protection strategy.
TRAIN CONTROL &

COMMUNICATION

SECTION THREE
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Jared Withers • (202) 450-0808 • jared.withers@dot.gov

o Funding: $5,023,697

o Project Duration: August 2023 – February 2025

COST & SCHEDULE

o ENSCO, Inc.

PROJECT PARTNER

o Enhance testing capabilities of TTC.

o Provide safety to operations and testing on the RTT 

and TTT tracks at TTC.

o Provide a modern platform to support testing of 

new signaling and PTC equipment.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Survey and inventory existing signaling and Positive 

Train Control (PTC) systems on the Railroad Test 

Track (RTT) and Transit Test Track (TTT) at the 

Transportation Technology Center (TTC).

o Develop signaling and PTC systems upgraded 

designs to accurately represent rail revenue service 

environments.

o Implement the upgraded designs and recommission 

the signaling and PTC systems at the TTC.

o Develop a configuration management plan for the 

systems to support operation and testing.

o Develop a long-term maintenance plan of the 

infrastructure.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

TTC Signaling and PTC Systems Rehabilitation and Configuration Management
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Jared Withers • (202) 450-0808 • jared.withers@dot.gov

o Funding: $1,587,684

o Project Duration: August 2023 – August 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o ENSCO, Inc.

o Improve safety to railway and road operations during PROJECT PARTNER

testing on the railroad tracks that cross Post 85 and 

Post 100 at TTC.

o Provide a modern platform to support testing of new 

grade crossing protection systems.

o Enhance grade crossing capabilities to support 

potential testing of the other transportation modes 

involved in the grade crossing safety.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Survey and inventory existing active grade crossing 

protection systems at Post 100 and Post 85 of the 

Transportation Technology Center (TTC).

o Develop active grade crossing protection systems 

designs to accurately represent the current state of 

the technology.

o Implement the designs and recommission the active 

grade crossing protection systems at Post 100 and 

Post 85 of TTC.

o Develop a configuration management plan for the 

systems to support operation and testing.

o Develop a long-term maintenance plan of the 

infrastructure.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

TTC Grade Crossing Protection System Upgrade
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Jared Withers • (202) 450-0808 • jared.withers@dot.gov

o Funding: $1,258,514

o Project Duration: August 2023 – August 2025

COST & SCHEDULE

o ENSCO, Inc.

o Michigan Technological University

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Propose and analyze a solution to expand the 

RCVW architecture to support passive grade 

crossings which enhances the applicability of the 

architecture.

o The proposed solution and feasibility assessment 

will provide guidance on future research needs 

and/or prototypes that improve safety of 

connected vehicles at grade crossings.

o Improve grade crossing safety.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Evaluate the performance and analyze the 

feasibility of C-V2X (Cellular–Vehicle-to-Everything) 

communication to provide real-time train status 

(i.e., position, speed, and heading information) and 

predicted train approaching and departure 

information to connected vehicles at grade 

crossings via field testing.

o Design, build, and test C-V2X 4G/5G-based rail 

crossing violation warning (RCVW) architecture to 

support passive grade crossing warning.

o Evaluate a cloud-based solution for predicted 

signal, phase, and timing (SPAT) for grade crossings.

o Develop train-specific messaging requirements and 

advocate for their inclusion in SAE/IEEE 

communication standards.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

C-V2X Train Arrival and Departure Information at Grade Crossings – Assessment
o Funding: $225,000

o Project Duration: July 2021 – March 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

PROJECT PARTNER o Provides FRA’s partners with information on cutting 

edge technologies and/or strategies for grade crossing 

safety.

o Foster an exchange of information on grade crossing 

safety countermeasures between all stakeholders.

o Facilitate the implementation and evaluation of 

innovative safety technologies.

o Facilitate the development of site-specific strategies for 

grade crossings, thereby improving rail safety.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Support the development of a highway-rail grade 

crossing safety measures toolkit, like the rail ROW 

trespass mitigation measures toolkit currently under 

development by FRA. 

o This toolkit will contain guides, noteworthy practices, 

and research results on implementing a wide range of 

grade crossing safety treatments.

o Such a resource has been developed in Europe and is 

widely used (SAFER-LC Toolbox [https://safer-lc.eu/]). 

o FRA has developed a toolkit for rail trespass and suicide 

treatments (https://trespasstoolkit.fra.dot.gov/) and 

has identified the need for a similar resource repository 

for grade crossing safety countermeasures for US 

stakeholders.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Grade Crossing Toolkit

FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Francesco Bedini Jacobini • (202) 493-0800 • Francesco.Bedini@dot.gov
o Funding: $314,945

o Project Duration: July 2021 – July 2026

COST & SCHEDULE

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

PROJECT PARTNER o Provide for information exchange with State DOTs 

and railroads on cutting edge technologies and/or 

strategies for grade crossing safety and trespass 

prevention.

o Provide quick response.

o Provide support on studies requiring immediate 

action not covered in any existing task.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Provide program management, quick response, conduct special 

studies not covered in any existing task, and support other 

requests requiring immediate attention.

o Participate in professional activities within the scope of research 

topic which are not specifically funded under another task (e.g., 

TRB AHB60 Committee, AREMA, ITE, technical papers).

o Exchange information on cutting edge technologies and/or 

strategies for grade crossing safety and trespass prevention.

o Provide reports to define and track key activities on a periodic 

basis in support of the research program.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Grade Crossing and Trespass Research Program Support

FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Francesco Bedini Jacobini • (202) 493-0800 • Francesco.Bedini@dot.gov
o Funding: $100,000

o Project Duration: March 2023 – September 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

o MassDOT

o Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority 

o Metra (anticipated)

o Identify and evaluate potential location and PROJECT PARTNERS

enhancements of current ENS signs to increase 

visibility/conspicuity to the public.

o Potentially provide incident-preventing warnings to the 

operating railroad ahead of a potential crash at a crossing 

due to a stalled or stuck vehicle.

o Provide supported analysis for potential legislative 

processes.

o Provide partnerships with State DOTs and railroads.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Evaluate the effectiveness of adding a “NOTICE” sign 

(MUTCD W16-18P) to the existing ENS sign at highway-rail 

grade crossings. 

o Adding the NOTICE sign may increase ENS sign visibility to 

the public. To this end, Volpe is supporting FRA in partnering 

with a transit agency to evaluate the impact of adding these 

signs on ENS sign visibility. 

o The Massachusetts Department of Transportation 

(MassDOT), in collaboration with FRA’s Office of Railroad 

Safety, have submitted a request for experimentation to the 

FHWA for this signage combination. 

o The following research activities are anticipated: site 

selection, baseline data collection, installation, post data 

collection, and analysis/reporting.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Enhanced Emergency Notification System (ENS) Signage Research

FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Francesco Bedini Jacobini • (202) 493-0800 • Francesco.Bedini@dot.gov
o Funding: $200,000

o Project Duration: February 2023 – December 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

o MassDOT

o MBTA

o Keolis America, Inc.

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Develop, implement, and evaluate techniques or 

technologies that reduce violations of grade crossing 

traffic control devices that may lead to incidents and 

casualties. (There were 2,197 incidents and 274 fatalities 

at crossings in 2022.)

o Facilitate the implementation and evaluation of 

innovative safety technologies.

o Provide FRA’s partners with information on cutting edge 

technologies and/or strategies for grade crossing safety.

o Strengthen partnerships with State DOTs and railroads.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Research the effectiveness of changing the flash rate of 

grade crossing flashers on driver compliance with grade 

crossing warning devices. 

o The Massachusetts Department of Transportation 

(MassDOT), in collaboration with FRA’s Office of 

Railroad Safety (RRS), have submitted a request for 

experimentation to the FHWA for this technology. 

o RRS requested support from FRA’s Office of Research, 

Development, and Technology with evaluation of the 

technology and effect on driver compliance at a grade 

crossing (Crossing ID 546729P) on the Massachusetts 

Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) system in Canton, 

MA. 

o Volpe researchers will collect data at the crossing 

before and after the installation of rapid flashing LED 

flashers and evaluate driver compliance.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Grade Crossing Lights Flash Rate Research

FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Francesco Bedini Jacobini • (202) 493-0800 • Francesco.Bedini@dot.gov
o Funding: $200,000

o Project Duration: March 2023 – March 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

PROJECT PARTNER

o Demonstrate and evaluate new technologies and 

strategies that increase pedestrian safety at grade 

crossings. (There were 163 pedestrian incidents at 

grade crossings in 2022 – about 7% of the total crossing 

incidents.)

o Strengthen partnerships with State DOTs and railroads.

o Facilitate implementation and evaluation of innovative 

safety technologies.

o Provide information exchange with rail safety partners 

on cutting edge technologies and/or strategies.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Review, select, and evaluate emerging technologies 

and their applications for detecting and warning 

pedestrians violating grade crossing protection 

devices. 

o New technologies or approaches to mitigate this 

problem, such as pedestrian warning boxes currently 

operational in Belgium, will be investigated for 

possible demonstration at high-risk locations. 

o Further development and evaluation of Artificial 

Intelligence (AI) tools for pedestrian trespass 

detection will also be investigated.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Innovative Pedestrian Treatments

FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Francesco Bedini Jacobini • (202) 493-0800 • Francesco.Bedini@dot.gov
o Funding: $250,000

o Project Duration: March 2023 – March 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Provide updated safety measure effectiveness 

ratings. Current effectiveness ratings were 

developed 15+ years ago and need updating. 

o Provide supported analysis for potential legislative 

processes.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Study the effectiveness of Supplementary Safety 

Measures (SSMs) and Alternative Safety Measures 

(ASMs) when implemented in quiet zones by 

collecting incident data at grade crossing before 

and after the installation of SSMs and ASMs. 

o Localities desiring to establish a quiet zone are 

first required to mitigate the increased risk at 

grade crossings caused by the absence of a horn, 

typically with SSMSs, such as gates with 

channelization or medians, four-quadrant gates, 

one-way streets with gates, or crossing closures. 

o SSMs are engineering improvements which, when 

installed at highway-rail grade crossings within a 

quiet zone, reduce the risk of a collision at the 

crossing.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

SSM/ASM Effectiveness in Quiet Zones 

FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Francesco Bedini Jacobini • (202) 493-0800 • Francesco.Bedini@dot.gov
o Funding: $50,000

o Project Duration: March 2023 – March 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

o State DOTs

o Railroads

o Academia

o Industry

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Provide partnerships with State DOTs, railroads, and 

other stakeholders.

o Provide for information exchange with rail safety 

partners on cutting edge technologies and/or 

strategies.

o Reduce the number of grade crossing and rail right-ofway trespass incidents.

o Increase public safety.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Support planning and running the grade crossing safety 

and railroad trespass prevention workshops in FY23–24. 

o Coordinate, facilitate, and document the workshops. 

o The workshops focus on raising awareness of the 

dangers and effects of grade crossing and trespass 

incidents, to seek out low-cost solutions, and to discuss 

practical ideas for technological improvements for 

vehicular and pedestrian safety at highway-rail grade 

crossings.

o These summits are one of the action items listed in 

FRA’s National Strategy. 

o https://www.fra.dot.gov/conference/2022/GXTP/

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Grade Crossing Safety and Railroad Trespass Prevention Workshops Support

FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Francesco Bedini Jacobini • (202) 493-0800 • Francesco.Bedini@dot.gov
HUMAN FACTORS

SECTION FOUR
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Mike Jones • (202) 493-6106 • michael.e.jones@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24: $338,290

o Project Duration: June 2022 – June 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Virginia Tech Transportation Institute

o TrueSafety Evaluation, LLC

PROJECT PARTNERS

RAILROAD IMPACT

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Ensuring the Safe Operation of Automated or Partially 

Automated Locomotives: The Role of Driver-State Monitoring (DSM) Systems

o Use a locomotive simulator to set up and validate 

two automotive DSM systems.

o Determine roles and requirements for DSM 

systems by monitoring alertness and developing 

criteria for human intervention when 

automation fails.

o Successful completion of this project will offer an 

alternative to the current alerter-system found in 

locomotives to affect operator alertness.

o Help determine whether automobile driver 

state monitoring systems can be used effectively in 

locomotives.

o Help determine design requirements for vehicle 

operator alerter systems.
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Mike Jones • (202) 493-6106 • michael.e.jones@dot.gov

COST & SCHEDULE

PROJECT PARTNERS

RAILROAD IMPACT

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Assessments for Better Operator Artificial Intelligence-Centered Research 

and Development

o Develop a test and evaluation (T&E) framework for 

assessing human-autonomy/AI interactions in 

intelligent rail software applications.

o Determine requirements for a T&E software 

architecture for assessing human-autonomy/AI 

performance issues when introducing new AI in 

rail operations.

o Demonstrate and evaluate human-AI T&E 

capability.

o T&E requirements for intelligent 

rail applications in actual, 

simulated, or real-world settings

o Provides methodology and 

scientifically principled basis to 

anticipate human role changes 

with the introduction of intelligent 

rail systems

o Helps develop safer rail systems 

that use AI by addressing potential 

human-AI interaction operational 

risks

o Charles River Analytics, Inc.

o SA Technologies

o Roth Cognitive Engineering

o Wabtec Corp.

o Funding: FY24

o Phase I: $424,977

 POP 1–12 months

o Phase II: $199,961 

 POP 13–24 months
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Shala Blue • (202) 819-2825 • shala.blue@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24: $329,600

o Project Duration: January 2024 – March 2025

COST & SCHEDULE

o TRAINFO Corp.

o KEA Technologies

o City of Houston

o Florida DOT

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Address public and railroad demand to reduce the 

exposure of vehicles interacting with the railroad 

network.

o Evaluate new approaches to providing active 

crossing warnings to motorists.

o Identify considerations for autonomous vehicles to 

avoid interactions with active crossings.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Conduct literature review to identify development 

and testing considerations for AI systems for 

human interaction through vehicle infotainment 

systems.

o Develop infotainment systems using Apple CarPlay 

and Android Auto to reduce the exposure of 

vehicle interactions with active crossings.

o Conduct lab and field tests to evaluate systems’ 

ability to reduce the exposure of vehicles with 

active grade crossings, while evolving the best 

practices in human factors research to provide 

guidance for AI systems that interact with people 

to provide traveler routing information.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Developing and Evaluating the Human Factors 

in an AI-Powered Rail Crossing Infotainment System
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Michael Jones • (202) 493-6106 • michael.e.jones@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24: $326,237

o Project Duration: 24 months

COST & SCHEDULE

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Provide lightweight evaluation methods and tools 

to enable a human-centered design focus for 

rail vendors, developers, and other stakeholders of 

systems employing artificial intelligence.

RAILROAD IMPACT

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Lightweight Evaluation, Training, and User Collaboration for Human-AI Work 

Systems in Rail Operations

o Provide recommendations and guidelines for 

improving human use of intelligent systems in rail 

operations.

o Make recommendations on using existing humancentered approaches and assessing and improving 

intelligent systems/AI.

o Provide lightweight evaluation methods and support 

both early human-centered development and later 

assessments of effectiveness.

o Provide user training and support with 

complementary approaches (e.g., tutorials, user 

guides, and collaborative explanations).

o Human subjects/user studies to help tailor, adapt, 

and validate these systems for FRA contexts.

o Michigan Tech Rail Transportation Program

o Michigan Tech Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Mike Jones • (202) 493-6106 • michael.e.jones@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24: $360,000

o Project Duration: October 2023 – October 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Monterey Technologies, Inc.

PROJECT PARTNER o Improve safety by reducing risk behaviors.

o Knowledge base for social and community factors for 

stakeholders to access for functional requirements

o Behavioral understanding of trespass social factors and 

community-based factor to improve future designs

o Robust statistical models to focus useful data across 

industry and to drive FRA strategic goals

o System models for stakeholder alignment, qualitative 

values and behavioral designs

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Improve understanding of human risk behavior 

with focus on contributing social factors.

o Identify human error and risk as cause for potential 

improvement.

o Improve rail safety when rail crossing system 

function is inconsistent with user interaction.

o Apply proven UCD process to demonstrate 

modeling of risk behaviors.

o Define information and functionality for the 

railroad systems to mitigate trespass behavior.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

User Centered Design (UCD) for User Research

UCD-Rail
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Shala Blue • (202) 819-2825 • shala.blue@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24: $585,736

o Project Duration: September 2022 – September 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o TiER1 Performance Solutions

o Locomotive Engineers

o Rail Subject Matter Experts

PROJECT PARTNERS

o CRM leverages concepts and approaches that are 

well-established and validated through extensive 

application in civilian and military aviation and 

other safety-critical industries.

o Prototyped and evaluated CRM learning 

experience, with high operational relevance and 

utility, could substantially improve team 

communication and coordination practices of rail 

operators thereby enhancing operator ability to 

anticipate, reduce, and/or recover from errors.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Develop and evaluate a CRM learning experience 

with high operational relevance and utility to 

improve rail operator team interactions and 

detection of potential errors.

o Design an integration strategy to 

facilitate adoption.

o CRM is a human factors training process to help 

crews reduce and recover from errors resulting 

from poor team communication, leadership, and 

decision making.

o While CRM has been recommended for use in the 

rail industry, it has not been broadly integrated.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Designing Crew Resource Management (CRM) Training to Improve

Communication and Reduce Human Error Potential in the Locomotive Cab
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Jason Wornoff • (202) 744-6057 • jason.wornoff@dot.gov

o Funding: CRISI Grant

o Project Duration: July 2021 – July 2027

COST & SCHEDULE

o Iowa Northern Railway

o American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association

PROJECT PARTNERS

o This project will provide short line railroads 

(largely located in rural areas) with the 

opportunity to participate in a broad range of 

industry-specific technical training via an online 

training platform and/or in-person seminars.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o The Human Factors Division provides subject 

matter expertise to support a CRISI grant to IANR.

o Under the CRISI grant, IANR is developing inperson and simulator training curricula for 

shortline railroads.

o The Human Factors Division provides conceptual 

and practical guidance for grantees to develop: 

1. Virtual and in-person technical training 

courses related to safety regulations and 

practices and compliance with them;

2. A customized learning management system 

(LMS) to deliver the technical courses, track 

participation, and deliver assessments; and 

3. In-person locomotive simulator education 

and training.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

CRISI Grant: Iowa Northern Railway (IANR) Education and Training Program
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Jason Wornoff • (202) 744-6057 • jason.wornoff@dot.gov

o Funding: N/A

o Project Duration: FY09 – present 

COST & SCHEDULE o FRA Office of Railroad Safety

o Labor Unions

o Association of American Railroads

o American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association 

PROJECT PARTNERS

o With support from the Human Factors Division, the 

FAMES Committee issues findings and recommendations 

to reduce the risk of future occurrences and eliminate 

fatalities to roadway workers.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o FRA’s Human Factors Division assists the Fatality Analysis of 

Maintenance-of-Way Employees and Signalmen (FAMES) 

stakeholder committee by supporting the creation of 

committee charters, communication and outreach, and 

database maintenance and analysis.

o The FAMES Committee analyzes fatalities and other 

incidents, focusing on identifying risks, trends, and factors 

affecting roadway worker safety.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Fatality Analyses of Maintenance-of-Way Employees and Signalmen 

(FAMES) 
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Shala Blue • (202) 493-0168 • shala.blue@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24: $297,699

o Project Duration: 18 months

COST & SCHEDULE

o TiER1 Performance Solutions

PROJECT PARTNER

RAILROAD IMPACT

o The research team will conduct in-depth 

human factors analyses of the dispatcher role, 

including cognitive work and workflow, tools 

and technology used, and areas of inefficiency 

and error vulnerability.

o The analysis will identify requirements for AI 

tools to enhance efficiency and reduce human 

error potential in rail operations.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Human Factors Assessment of the Dispatcher Role to Develop 

Requirements for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use

o This work provides a research foundation for 

integrating AI to support dispatcher 

assessments, planning, and decision making.

o It also provides direction for dispatcher role 

design, work processes, and dispatcher 

training.
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Jason Wornoff • (202) 744-6057 • jason.wornoff@dot.gov

o Funding: N/A

o Project Duration: 1998 – present 

COST & SCHEDULE

o FRA Office of Railroad Safety 

o Labor Unions

o Association of American Railroads

o American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association 

PROJECT PARTNERS

o With support from the Human Factors Division, the 

SOFA Committee can issue findings and 

recommendations to reduce the risk of future 

occurrences and eliminate switching-related 

fatalities.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o FRA’s Human Factors Division provides ongoing 

support for the FRA SOFA stakeholder committee 

by supporting the creation of committee 

charters, communication and outreach, and 

database maintenance and analysis.

o The SOFA Committee analyzes fatalities and other 

incidents, focusing on identifying risks, trends, 

and factors affecting switching fatalities.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Switching Operations Fatalities Analysis (SOFA)
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Jason Wornoff • (202) 493-1316 • jason.wornoff@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24: $150,000

o Project Duration: May 2020 – May 2025

COST & SCHEDULE

o University of Maryland’s CATT Lab

o Volpe National Transportation 

Systems Center

o FRA Office of Railroad Safety

o Railroad Stakeholders:

 Labor Unions

 Association of American 

Railroads

 American Short Line and 

Regional Railroad Association

 American Public 

Transportation Association

 Class I Railroads

 Commuter Railroads 

 Shortline Railroads

 State DOTs

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Participation in RISE provides stakeholders with the 

ability to collaboratively address safety-critical topics. 

o RISE is an opportunity for railroad stakeholders to bring 

multiple sources of data and expertise to solve complex 

railroad issues. 

o By combining data across multiple sources, 

stakeholders can identify trends that are difficult to 

detect in the data from any single stakeholder. 

o Data aggregation makes it possible to identify emerging 

issues and propose solutions to those problems earlier.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o RISE is a data trust, a voluntary, non-regulatory, 

evidence-driven safety partnership between FRA and 

railroad industry stakeholders.

o Railroad stakeholders voluntarily share data and work 

collaboratively to address complex railroad safety 

challenges. 

o The goal of this public-private partnership is to use data 

for safety improvements that would be difficult for 

individual railroads to achieve on their own.

o University of Maryland’s Center for Advanced 

Transportation Technology Laboratory (CATT Lab) serves 

as the third-party vendor and manages the data. 

o CATT Lab and Volpe are developing the RISE program and 

testing the program’s feasibility.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Railroad Information Sharing Environment (RISE)
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Jason Wornoff • (202) 493-1316 • jason.wornoff@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24: $150,000

o Project Duration: February 2020 – May 2025

COST & SCHEDULE

o FRA Office of Railroad Safety

o NASA

o C3RS Participating Railroads

o Labor Unions

PROJECT PARTNERS o C3RS is an FRA-funded, voluntary, confidential reporting 

program that enables railroad carriers and their 

employees to report “close calls” with the goal of 

learning about safety risks and implementing corrective 

actions before incidents or accidents occur.

o Evaluation findings can be used to:

 Identify program process improvements.

 Support programmatic decision-making and 

accountability reporting to oversight 

organizations. 

RAILROAD IMPACT

o The Volpe Center is conducting a process and outcome 

evaluation of the C3RS program’s effectiveness. The 

evaluation will also assess the efficiency and 

sustainability of the program’s processes. 

o The evaluation will quantify program benefits and 

identify potential process improvements to support a 

sustainable, successful program. 

o The evaluation will employ a mixed-methods approach, 

including literature and document reviews, stakeholder 

interviews and focus groups, workshops, case studies, 

surveys, and analysis of quantitative data.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS) Evaluation 
o Funding: $248,450

o Project Duration: April 2022 - September 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o FRA Office of Railroad Safety

o Partner Railroads

RAILROAD IMPACT PROJECT PARTNERS

o Many railroaders are likely to experience a “critical 

incident” (per 49 CFR § 272.9) at least once during 

their job tenure. “Close calls” are even more 

prevalent.

o This work explores and documents the ways in which 

critical incidents and close calls experienced by 

railroaders are related to operator safety, fatigue, and 

well-being.

o Mixed-methods research efforts include a literature 

scan across domains regarding the nature of 

potentially traumatic events, stress responses, and 

promising mitigations; and a qualitative and 

quantitative review, inventory, and categorization of 

41 FRA-approved Critical Incident Stress Plans (CISP) 

from passenger and freight railroads.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Operator Safety and Well-Being Related to Critical Incidents and Close Calls

o Providing science-based information that helps 

railroads improve their CISPs, and/or critical incident 

stress program content, processes, and 

implementation will allow railroads to make positive 

changes in their CISPs and employee programs.

o The health and wellbeing of employees affected by 

critical incidents is expected to improve through 

industry adopting better CISPs and critical incident 

stress programs.

FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Shala Blue • (202) 819-2825 • shala.blue@dot.gov
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Jason Wornoff • (202) 744-6057 • jason.wornoff@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24: $2,425,000 

o Project Duration: Ongoing

COST & SCHEDULE

o Short Line Safety Institute

o ASLRRA

PROJECT PARTNERS

RAILROAD IMPACT

o FRA’s Human Factors Division provides program monitoring and 

support for SLSI.

o Officially established as a non-profit organization in 2016, SLSI

conducts voluntary, non-punitive, confidential Safety Culture 

Assessments (SCAs) for shortline and regional railroads across 

the U.S.

o SCAs provide a diagnostic appraisal of a railroad’s safety culture 

at a given point in time, with documented Opportunities for 

Improvement across the USDOT Safety Council’s Ten Core 

Elements of a Strong Safety Culture (adapted for a railroad 

setting). 

o SLSI funding is an earmark grant provided annually by Congress.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI): Annual Grant Program Oversight

o SLSI enhances the safety culture and safety performance of 

railroads through meaningful and productive partnerships. 

o Impacts include:

 Conducting safety culture assessments and providing 

recommendations on how to improve safety culture

 Serving as a research center that compiles and 

disseminates information on safety needs and trends

 Communicating research findings to stakeholders about 

safety culture improvement efforts
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Jason Wornoff • (202) 493-1316 • jason.wornoff@dot.gov

o Total Funding: $200,000

o Project Duration: May 2020 – May 2025

COST & SCHEDULE

o SLSI

o NASA

o FRA Office of Railroad Safety

o Very Small Shortline Railroads 

o This pilot project allows very small railroads to PROJECT PARTNERS participate in C3RS, benefiting from program 

benefits without compromising employee 

confidentiality. 

o Employees may be more likely to share safety 

sensitive information in the C3RS program than 

outside the program, which enables the railroad to 

learn from close calls that otherwise would be 

undisclosed. 

o Close call reporting helps railroads learn about 

safety issues before they result in harm or unsafe 

conditions.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o C3RS is a voluntary, confidential reporting system 

for learning about events or conditions that affect 

railroad safety. 

o FRA’s Human Factors Division is sponsoring a pilot 

project that allows small railroads to participate in 

C3RS. 

o Some railroads are too small to have their own 

peer review teams. In this pilot project, SLSI 

assessors serve as the peer review team for very 

small railroads. 

 SLSI receives reports from NASA and 

identifies corrective actions that may prevent 

re-occurrence of the close call. 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI): Demonstration of C3RS with SLSI
o Funding, FY24: $150,000

o Project Duration: May 2020 - September 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Short Line Safety Institute

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

RAILROAD IMPACT PROJECT PARTNERS

o The Volpe Center conducts a program evaluation of 

the effectiveness and fidelity of SLSI’s program and 

outreach activities.

 SLSI activities include Safety Culture Assessments 

(SCAs) and Leadership Development Trainings 

(LDTs).

o This evaluation:

 Identifies strengths and opportunities for 

improvement in SLSI processes (e.g., developing 

SCA reports)

 Provides tools (e.g., fidelity assessment tool)

 Helps ensure effective and consistent delivery of 

SLSI services to short line and regional railroads

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI): Program Evaluation 

FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Jason Wornoff • (202) 493-1316 • jason.wornoff@dot.gov

o SLSI provides free training and SCAs to interested 

railroads. The evaluation of SLSI’s safety outreach 

activities provides them with opportunities to 

improve the effectiveness and fidelity of their 

processes, tools, and SCA and training delivery.

o Providing objective, third-party, evaluative feedback 

allows SLSI to grow and improve its offerings to the 

industry, which is intended to strengthen safety 

culture and improve safety outcomes.
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Jason Wornoff • (202) 493-1316 • jason.wornoff@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24: $69,000

o Project Duration: September 2023 – September 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o FRA Office of Railroad Safety

o Association of American Railroads

o American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association

o American Public Transportation Association

o Class I Railroads

o NASA

o Labor Unions: 

 BLET

 SMART

 ATDA

 BRS

 BMWE

PROJECT PARTNERS

o RSAC provides railroad stakeholders with different 

interests an opportunity to address complex safety 

issues.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o RSAC is a forum to for railroad stakeholders and the 

public to discuss railroad safety issues.

o FRA’s Human Factors Division and the Volpe Center 

are assisting FRA’s Office of Railroad Safety with the 

following RSAC working groups: 

 C3RS 

 Hours of Service 

 Critical Incident Stress Plans

o FRA Human Factors and Volpe’s participation in 

RSAC working groups provides subject matter 

expertise and contributes institutional knowledge to 

these discussions. 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC) Support
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Donald Tweedie III • (703) 398-8409 • donald.tweedie@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24: $200,000

o Project Duration: October 2023 – September 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Transportation Technology Center

o ENSCO, Inc.

o FRA Office of Railroad Safety 

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Aid industry in identifying data-based safety cases to 

enhance virtual and simulator-based refresher 

trainings.

o Provide FRA literature that aids in decision-making for 

waivers.

o Enhance training for already skilled employees and 

provide guidance for simulator training developers.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o FRA currently issues waivers to industry on a caseby-case basis to permit virtual simulator brake 

refresher training to satisfy the hands-on training 

required by 49 CFR § 232.203(b)(8).

o FRA’s Human Factors Division will conduct a 

literature review to assess the impact of virtual 

and/or simulator-based refresher trainings on skill 

acquisition and training transfer.

o This project aims to identify a set of criteria for a 

data-based safety case that objectively 

demonstrates an equivalent (or improved) level of 

safety through use of the simulation during training.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Comparison of Class I Brake Test Procedures
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Mike Jones • (202) 493-6106 • michael.e.jones@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24: $471,246

o Project Duration: Sept. 2022 – February 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o TrueSafety Evaluation, LLC.

o Perigean Technologies, LLC.

PROJECT PARTNERS RAILROAD IMPACT

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Expertise Management (EM) for Safety Leadership Positions in U.S. Railroads

in the U.S. Railroad Industry

Risk of Expertise Loss

Capture Expertise

Transfer 

Expertise

o Develop a suite of EM tools that railroads can 

use to tailor organizational changes that will 

mitigate their knowledge loss and accelerate 

expertise achievement for new and existing 

personnel.

o Implement specific strategies deployed at 

railroad organizations to capture and mitigate 

the potential loss of expertise in key safety 

positions.

o Demonstrate and evaluate an EM Framework for 

safety critical leadership positions in the U.S. rail 

industry to help mitigate the loss of essential 

expertise and institutional knowledge from job 

transfers, retirements, and reductions in workforce. 

o Three elements of the EM Framework will be 

demonstrated: 

1. Knowledge identification

2. Knowledge capture 

3. Knowledge transfer 

o The project’s end deliverable is a good practices 

guide for railroads.
o Funding Total: $298,450

o Project Duration: May 2020 - September 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o FRA Office of Railroad Safety

o Care Systems, Inc.

PROJECT PARTNERS

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Provide railroad domain and work scheduling/ 

operator fatigue subject matter expertise.

o Work with FRA’s Office of Railroad Safety and 

industry stakeholders to better understand human 

factors issues around safety, safety programs, safety 

culture, industry regulations (i.e., Fatigue Risk 

Management Program rule, technology, and 

assessing related operator/railway worker needs, 

gaps, and sensitivities).

o Review and communicating research needs. 

o Facilitate discussions with other researchers.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Railway Worker and Operator Performance Program Development

o FRA is identifying research needs in railroad worker 

and operator performance. 

o Facilitating the relaunch of Railroaders’ Guide to 

Healthy Sleep will sooner connect the target audience 

to valuable and tailored educational information 

around obtaining sufficient and adequate sleep, as well 

as sleep disorders, health and well-being.

FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Shala Blue • (202) 819-2825 • shala.blue@dot.gov
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Jason Wornoff • (202) 493-1316 • jason.wornoff@dot.gov

o Funding, FY23: $50,000; FY24: $50,000

o Project Duration: January 2023 – September 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o FRA Office of Railroad Safety

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

PROJECT PARTNERS

o This will evaluate the impacts of current training 

programs and the extent to which those programs 

comply with 49 C.F.R. § 240 and 242.

o Findings will identify where training programs may 

need revision to improve effectiveness in the 

classroom and on the job.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) mandates that 

FRA audit Class I railroad training for train crews 

(locomotive engineers and conductors).

o The objective of this research is to develop tools for 

this effort according to the requirements in 49 CFR 

Part 240 and 242 for locomotive engineers and 

conductors.

o FRA is:

o Developing tools (e.g., surveys, checklists) for 

FRA auditors to use in evaluating training for 

new employees in the classroom and on the 

job

o Analyzing the responses FRA receives from 

FRA auditors

o Identifying good practices for evaluating 

training programs

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Tools Supporting BIL Crew Training Programs
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Shala Blue • (202) 493-0168 • shala.blue@dot.gov

o Funding Total: $250,000

o Project Duration: January 2024 – December 2025

COST & SCHEDULE

o Redstone Technologies LLC

o Departments of Transportation: NJDOT, LADOTD, FDOT

o Freight Railroads: C&D Railroad, Conrail, Norfolk Southern

o Passenger Rail: SunRail, Metra, Metro-North, NJ Transit

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Provide a repeatable framework for analyzing social and 

community factor data and trespassing data 

to develop better trespassing prevention strategies.

o Increase safety through targeted and informed 

trespassing prevention strategies.

o Specific case studies will provide actionable 

insights to railroads that have trespassing data in a 

database.

o The analysis could inform more effective 

trespassing mitigation education, enforcement, 

and engineering solutions.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Develop a methodological framework for understanding 

social and community factors contributing to pedestrian 

trespass behaviors and motorist incursions on railroad 

systems.

o Develop a repeatable process for collecting, 

analyzing, and understanding social and community 

factors from a railroad trespassing behavioral database.

o A case study application of this framework will 

be applied to several locations in the U.S.

o Interview DOTs, railroad police, Operation 

Lifesaver volunteers, and academics to understand the 

state of practice for using contextual information for 

trespassing mitigation.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Understanding Railroad Trespassing Social and Community Factors from 

Trespassing Behavioral Data at Grade Crossings and on Right-of-Way
o Funding Total: $500,000

o Project Duration: September 2021 ̶September 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

o Harvard Medical School

o FRA IT

o Labor Unions

PROJECT PARTNERS

RAILROAD IMPACT

o FRA is working with Harvard Medical School to update 

the content on the Railroaders’ Guide to Healthy Sleep 

(RGHS) website. 

o The RGHS website was developed in 2012 and 

refreshed in 2016.

o The RGHS website is a non-regulatory educational 

resource that provides scientifically valid information 

on sleep and sleep hygiene for railroad workers. 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Railroaders' Guide to Healthy Sleep: Website Update

o Facilitating the relaunch of RGHS means that valuable 

and tailored educational information around obtaining 

sufficient and adequate sleep, as well as sleep 

disorders, health and wellbeing reaches a railroader 

target audience sooner.

FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Shala Blue • (202) 819-2825 • shala.blue@dot.gov
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Mike Jones • (202) 493-6106 • michael.e.jones@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24: $550,000

o Project Duration: August 2022 – February 2025

COST & SCHEDULE

o Virginia Tech

o Michigan Tech

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Provide a data-based approach to designing invehicle audiovisual alerts for highway-rail grade 

crossings.

o Implementation of the standardized in-vehicle 

audiovisual grade crossing alerts will help FRA in its 

goal toward zero grade crossing accidents.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Using driving simulators, examine the effects of 

intelligent audio-visual grade crossing warnings on 

driver behavior at different highway-rail grade 

crossings.

o In-vehicle warnings will be created by integrating 

the Rail Crossing Violation Warning system with 

audiovisual warnings developed and tested at 

Virginia Tech and Michigan Tech.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Rail Crossing Violation Warning and In-Vehicle Auditory/Visual Alert 
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Shala Blue • (202) 493-0168 • shala.blue@dot.gov

o Project Duration: May 2021 – Sept 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o FRA Office of Railroad Safety

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

o Commuter Railroads

PROJECT PARTNERS

o SPUR is a forum for U.S. railroads to discuss successes 

and challenges and to encourage action. 

o This collaboration helps to reduce barriers to 

implementation and aid knowledge transfer.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Collaboration and communication are critical to 

ensuring that emerging and proven trespass and suicide 

prevention practices are identified and shared with 

stakeholders. 

o This project area aims to gather information from 

experts and disseminate best practices.

o Coordinate, host, and document quarterly meetings of 

the SPUR working group. 

o Maintain shared space for meeting notes and 

documents.

o Meeting topics include:

 Training employees to recognize warning signs of 

suicide and intervene

 Establishing effective partnerships with outside 

groups

 Public messaging and the 988 Suicide and Crisis 

Lifeline

 Mobile Crisis Units/Quality of Life Teams

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Suicide Prevention for U.S. Rail (SPUR)
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Shala Blue • (202) 493-0168 • shala.blue@dot.gov

o Funding, FY20–24: $790,000

o Project Duration: May 2020 – September 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o FRA Office of Railroad Safety

o FRA Office of Public Affairs

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

o Railroad Stakeholders

PROJECT PARTNERS

o This research seeks to identify emerging practices that 

lack empirical evidence and to identify railroad 

partners to help study these implementations.

o Provide subject matter expertise within FRA and 

across industry for suicide prevention and related 

concerns.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Trespass and suicide are the two leading causes of 

rail-related death in the U.S.

o FRA seeks to add to the body of evidence-based best 

practices and document how stakeholders can adopt 

these practices to meet their needs.

o Coordinate with railroad partners around the 

country to identify opportunities to evaluate novel 

countermeasure implementations.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Trespass and Suicide Prevention: Countermeasure Evaluation

Adobe Stock Images - Diane
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Shala Blue • (202) 493-0168 • shala.blue@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24: $150,000

o Project Duration: August 2023 – September 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

o FRA Office of Railroad Safety

o Palm Beach County, Florida

PROJECT PARTNERS RAILROAD IMPACT

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Trespass and Suicide Prevention Collaborative Support

o The Volpe Center will collaborate with railroad 

stakeholders and Palm Beach County, Florida, 

community members (e.g., railroads, law enforcement, 

social services, and local government) to develop a good 

practices guide that will help communities address rail 

trespass and suicide risks. 

o Efforts to better understand the root causes of 

trespassing, including acts of suicide, are critical and are 

largely intended to support the development of 

strategies to prevent future incidents or mitigate their 

consequences. 

o Community engagement is critical, though the specifics 

of who should be involved in this coordination and how 

these groups may complement one another remains 

unclear.

o U.S. communities will be able to use the 

comprehensive, community-based good practices 

guide to help understand railroad trespass and suicide 

incidents and reduce their occurrences. 
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Shala Blue • (202) 493-0168 • shala.blue@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24: $100,000

o Project Duration: May 2020 – September 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o FRA Office of Railroad Safety

o FRA Office of Public Affairs

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

o Railroad Stakeholders

PROJECT PARTNERS

o The TSP Toolkit is a resource for railroads and other 

stakeholders to identify strategies to prevent trespass 

and suicide. 

o The TSP Toolkit empowers railroads to make safety 

decisions based on their specific challenges.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Trespass and suicide on railroad property are the two 

leading causes of rail-related deaths in the U.S.

o In spring 2022, FRA launched the Trespass & Suicide 

Prevention (TSP) Toolkit, an interactive resource to 

identify effective railroad trespass prevention 

strategies and suicide prevention measures. 

o The TSP Toolkit is useful for individuals who work in 

railroad safety and for researchers, community 

members, suicide prevention groups, or other 

individuals or organizations with an interest in 

preventing trespassing and suicide.

o The TSP Toolkit was developed to help share railroad 

trespass and suicide prevention strategies. 

o The TSP Toolkit is a user-friendly repository of 

mitigation strategies and data to help railroad 

stakeholders identify effective solutions.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Trespass and Suicide Prevention: Trespass Prevention Toolkit
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Shala Blue • (202) 493-0168 • shala.blue@dot.gov

o Funding FY24: $264,000

o Project Duration: 18 months

COST & SCHEDULE

o Texas State University

o Texas A&M Transportation Institute

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Improve safety at highway-rail grade crossings.

o More timely identification of causation factors and datadriven decision making

o Identify locations of interests and apply treatments based 

on the interactive tool analysis.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Assess the state of the practice (literature review).

o Develop advanced AI tools for trespassing detection.

o Develop a trespass prevention interactive tool.

o Prototype tool development and validation at test sites.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Social and Community Factors Contributing to Pedestrian Trespass

Behaviors and Motorist Incursions on Railroad Systems
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Shala Blue • (202) 493-0168 • shala.blue@dot.gov

o Funding: $455,000

o Project Duration: 36 months

COST & SCHEDULE

o University of South Carolina

o TRAINFO Corp.

o Brightline

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Quantify the factors that influence trespassing 

decisions and their weights and sensitivities.

o Assist in classifying the risk level of different crossings.

o Better allocate recourses to monitor risky crossings.

o Optimize crossing configurations to reduce risk.

o Connect communities with railroads.

o Benefit all stakeholders in industry and railroad, and 

in local, State, and Federal governments.

o Identify and understand the geosocial factors that influence RAILROAD IMPACT

both pedestrian and motorist incursions on railroad tracks.

o Reconstruct Geographic Characteristics:

 Where does trespassing happen?

 What geographic factors contribute?

o Portray Social and Community Profile:

 Who is willing to trespassing?

 What social factors contribute?

o Decipher Correlations of Trespassing:

 How does each geosocial factor contribute?

 What is the sensitivity of each factor?

 What is the weight of each factor?

 How do trespassers make decisions to risk their lives?

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Discover Influential Geosocial Factors Aggravating Crossing Trespassing 

(DIGFACT)
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Shala Blue • (202) 493-0168 • shala.blue@dot.gov

o Funding, FY20–24: $545,000

o Project Duration: May 2020 – Sept 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o FRA Office of Railroad Safety 

o FRA Office of Public Affairs

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center 

o Railroad Partners

o Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Through an equity lens, this research seeks to 

understand where data gaps exist to better support 

railroads in understanding who their vulnerable 

population is, including their employees.

o Disseminate findings on suicide and trespass incidents 

and the data quality limitations as a resource for 

railroads and other stakeholders to identify strategies to

prevent railroad trespass and suicide. 

o Provide subject matter expertise within FRA and across 

industry for equity in trespass and suicide prevention 

and mitigation on the railroad.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o To effectively understand trespass, suicide, and grade 

crossing issues, it is critical to review and analyze data 

from past incidents. This includes two key 

aspects: identifying what post-incident information may 

be best used to develop effective mitigation strategies 

and improving the reliability and validity of the data 

being collected.

o This project involves the coordination and collection of 

data to identify who is at risk for rail trespass and 

suicide to assist stakeholders in mitigation efforts.

o Through an equity lens this project highlights the 

importance of data quality, its limitations, and gaps in 

data collection relating to railroad trespass and suicide.

o Maintain continuous contact with railroad carriers and 

develop new relationships with others to identify new 

data sources of railroad trespass and suicide incidents.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Trespass and Suicide Prevention: Data Quality

THE COMPLEXITIES OF RAIL SUICIDE DATA 
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Shala Blue • (202) 493-00168 • shala.blue@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24: $150,000

o Project Duration: October 2022 – April 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

o FRA Office of Railroad Safety

o Operation Lifesaver, Inc.

PROJECT PARTNERS

o OLI is a non-profit organization that partners with 

Federal, State, and local government agencies, 

railroads, and highway safety organizations to create 

public awareness campaigns to increase safety and 

save lives on or near railroad tracks. 

o Findings from this evaluation can be used to: 

 Support OLI and FRA grant agreements and 

increase the effectiveness of OLI’s operations.

 Support programmatic decision-making and 

accountability reporting.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o The Volpe Center is conducting a program evaluation 

to assess how the OLI program executes its mission, 

whether the tasks in the FRA grant agreement are 

being implemented as intended, and what 

improvements can be made to OLI’s operations. 

o The evaluation team will describe and document 

existing processes, activities, goals, and intended 

outcomes; document barriers and challenges 

encountered during implementation; identify 

program strengths; and provide recommendations for 

process improvements.

o The evaluation team will employ a mixed-methods 

approach to include document reviews (e.g., grant 

agreement and closeout documents, OLI annual 

reports), stakeholder interviews, and data analysis.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) Program Evaluation
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Michael Jones • (202) 493-6106 • michael.e.jones@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24: $164,410 

o Project Duration: 5 months

COST & SCHEDULE

o Atkins North America, Inc.

PROJECT PARTNER

This project guides industry for the safe integration of 

new in-cab technology into rail vehicle operations by:

o Introducing a standardized testing protocol to 

assess system-driven workload and its impact on 

engineer performance, especially in track 

monitoring

o Establishing workload thresholds to ensure new 

technologies enhance engineer performance and 

rail safety

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Develop recommendations on tolerable glance 

duration during rail vehicle operation to inform 

safety plans and research. The recommendations 

will focus on:

 Tolerable limits of train operator’s attention 

focused away from track monitoring

 Tolerable limits of the impact of new 

Intelligent Rail System technologies on glance 

duration

o Generate a track monitoring performance test 

protocol to assess the impact of new Intelligent Rail 

System technologies on glance duration and 

determine their acceptability.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Impact of System Driven Workload on Rail Vehicle Operator Glance Times
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Shala Blue • (202) 493-0168 • shala.blue@dot.gov

COST & SCHEDULE

PROJECT PARTNERS

RAILROAD IMPACT

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Trespass and Suicide Prevention: Global Railway Alliance for Suicide 

Prevention (GRASP)

o GRASP is an international working group of 

subject matter experts who specialize in suicide 

prevention on rail systems. 

o Since 2013, GRASP has met at least twice per 

year to share best practices and research.

o During GRASP meetings, participants learn 

about how different railroads around the world 

prevent railroad trespassing and suicide.

o Sharing railroad suicide information with 

international stakeholders allows the 

identification and implementation of effective 

strategies and countermeasures.

o Countries participating include the U.S., 

Canada, Australia, New Zealand, 

Japan, Norway, Sweden, Finland, the United 

Kingdom, France, and the Netherlands.

o FRA Office of Railroad Safety

o Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

o Railroad Stakeholders

o Funding, FY24 o International Stakeholders : $20,000

o Project Duration: May 2020 – September 2024
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Shala Blue • (202) 493-0168 • shala.blue@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24: $250,000

o Project Duration: May 2020 – September 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o ENSCO, Inc.

o Transportation Technology Center

o Railroad Stakeholders

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Identifying railroad hotspots using cellular 

geolocation data can help stakeholders target 

strategies at high-risk locations.

o Automated data collection of trespassers using 

cellular data can help to understand behaviors 

along railroad right-of-ways.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Reducing trespasser deaths and injuries on the 

U.S. rail network is a critical focus for FRA.

o The project aims to automate accurate 

predictions of trespasser hot spots using cellular 

technology.

o The project outcome will be to develop an 

advanced prototype system that uses 

geolocation to detect trespassing where 

connectivity will allow for device data to be 

analyzed.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Web-Based Human Presence Detection on Railroad Corridors
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

RAILROAD SYSTEMS ISSUES
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Hugh B. Thompson II • (202) 493-6383 • hugh.thompson@dot.gov

o Funding, FY23: $154,636

o Project Duration: June 1, 2022 – May 31, 2025

COST & SCHEDULE

o Southern Methodist University

o Texas State University

o BNSF

o Garland ISD

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Reconcile emerging industry needs with evolving 

training and education practices bridging high 

school and university programs.

o Streamline training programs to include essential 

skill sets for specific pathways to industry.

o Close gaps in equity and access for diverse 

students with trajectories toward engineering 

and vocational careers within the rail industry.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Discover evolving technical needs of the rail 

industry and establish effective training 

practices.

o Collect student data to determine technical 

proficiencies and identify barriers resulting from 

inequity or lack of resources.

o Expand on proven educational frameworks to 

reach a broader spectrum of future railroaders, 

including those from minority-serving 

institutions.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Enhancing Railroad Workforce Training through Equitable Smart Infrastructure 

Experiences
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Hugh B. Thompson II • (202) 493-6383 • hugh.thompson@dot.gov

o Funding, FY22: $475,375 ($176,011 obligated to date)

o Project Duration: September 2021 – August 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Stanford University

o Florida A&M University

o Michigan Tech

o University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign

o University of Nebraska

o University of Tennessee 

Knoxville

o Albuquerque Rocket Society

o Sandia Peak Tramway

o High Water Mark LLC

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Boosting students' enthusiasm in the field of railroads

o Nurturing a diverse talent pool for the rail industry

o Outreach 2022–2023: 200+ students (elementary – high 

school) participated in outreach activities, workshops, and field 

trips.

 Rail Runner, Tramway, workshops at UNM, open house, science 

fair, and more

o Year 1 Products: educational modules, website 

(https://www.smartrailroads.org/), YouTube videos, and a railroad 

drawing competition

RAILROAD IMPACT

o The railroad industry faces low diversity and needs skilled workers, 

driving efforts to attract and educate the next generation of talent.

o The Smart Railroads Project engages pre-K–12th grade students in the 

rail industry with technology-focused educational activities.

o The program facilitates hands-on learning with interactive technology 

(AR/VR, drones, 3D printers).

o The focus is to attract candidates in the southern U.S., who typically 

need more recruitment activities, with a preference for minorities 

(Native American, Hispanic, female, African American students).

o Project outcomes include increasing interests, training a skilled 

workforce, generating technological advancements, and collaboration 

with rail industries.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Railroader of the Mid-Century

o CN Railway

o New Mexico Rail Runner

o TTCI

o Sandia National Laboratories

o Air Force Research Laboratory

o NASA

o New Mexico Space Grant 

Consortium

o Explora!

o Los Alamos County
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Mike Jones • (202) 493-6106 • michael.e.jones@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24: $95,000

o Project Duration: Sept 2023 – August 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o University of Texas at Austin

o Michigan Technological University

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Document existing and new rail-focused K–12 

STEM distance learning activities.

o Improve the ability to supply educators and 

railway industry volunteers with materials for 

rail-focused STEM outreach via distance learning.

o Enhance the ability to reach diverse student 

groups across large geographic areas via 

synchronous and asynchronous online and 

desktop activities.

o Increase awareness of railway industry careers 

among K–12 students.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Develop new rail-themed K–12 STEM (science, 

technology, engineering, and mathematics) 

distance learning activities.

o Adapt in-person activities used by the project 

partners and other collaborating railway 

academic programs for remote use.

o Document existing online activities in a 

distance learning guidebook.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Guidebook for Railway-Themed K–12 STEM Distance Learning Activities
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Mike Jones • (202) 493-6106 • michael.e.jones@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24 – Year 1: $157,922

o Total cost of the 3-year project: $478,093

COST & SCHEDULE

o North Carolina Central University

o University of North Carolina at Charlotte (partner but not a 

subcontractor)

o North Carolina DOT

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Graduating students who have participated in the 

TRACK project will be better prepared to seek and 

obtain employment in the rail sector.

o These students will provide the rail industry with a 

more qualified pool of applicants interested in a 

railroad career.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o This project will introduce students to railroad 

careers and internship opportunities.

o Create opportunities that begin in the classroom 

and take students on transportation and rail-related 

field trips.

o This project will provide an opportunity for students 

to present research at the Transportation Research 

Board Annual Meeting.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Train Research and Contemporary Knowledge (TRACK) training
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Mike Jones • (202) 493-6106 • michael.e.jones@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24: $100,000

o Project Duration: September 2023 – August 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o University of Illinois Urban Transportation Center

o University of Illinois Rail Transportation and Engineering Center

o Amtrak

o Illinois DOT

o Identify holistic understanding of current knowledge PROJECT PARTNERS of equity in intercity passenger rail use according to 

racial, ethnic, spatial, and socio-economic divides.

o Develop a custom framework for evaluating equity 

in intercity passenger rail services informed from 

broader transportation equity best practices.

o Design roadmap for future research and data 

collection to address gaps in knowledge of 

service equity.

o Guide intercity passenger rail planning and 

operating decisions to serve diverse groups.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Evaluate existing research and data on equity in 

Amtrak and private intercity passenger rail utilization, 

station location, and access barriers along racial and 

socio-economic lines.

o Review other modal frameworks (e.g., transit) for 

defining and measuring transportation equity.

o Develop a core framework of data analysis and 

metrics to qualitatively and quantitatively highlight 

equity issues in intercity passenger rail.

o Identify knowledge/data gaps for future research.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Evaluating Current Knowledge of Equity in Passenger Rail Utilization
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Shala Blue • (202) 819-2825 • shala.blue@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24: $192,938

o Project Duration: September 2023 – June 2024 (Phase I)

COST & SCHEDULE

o KEA Technologies, Inc.

o HILE Group

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Provide ethnographic analysis to provide a baseline 

and context for efforts to improve the experience 

of women working in rail, recruit a larger cohort of 

women to the industry, and long-term retention.

o Develop examination previous culture change 

initiatives in other industries to leverage best 

practices and lessons learned.

o Build coalitions with stakeholders in effort to 

initiate improvements to workplace culture for 

women.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o The purpose of the project is to understand what 

barriers women face working in the rail industry 

and how that may affect attraction to and 

retention of jobs in rail.

o Research will identify recommendations to guide 

FRA in further methods of improving the 

experience of women in rail, recruit quality 

female talent, and retain and promote that talent 

through long careers in the industry.

o The project aims to offer actionable solutions to 

ensure the rail sector is an equitable and 

attractive place for women to work.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Workforce Recruitment: Attracting and Retaining Women in Rail
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Shala Blue • (202) 819-2825 • shala.blue@dot.gov

o Total Funding: $578,842 ($478K FRA/$109K SETWC)

o Project Duration: September 2022 – February 2028

COST & SCHEDULE

o University of Memphis Southeast 

Transportation Workforce Center (SETWC)

o Fairpointe Planning, LLC

o Tennessee State University

o Vanderbilt University

PROJECT PARTNERS

o Design and provide comprehensive, data-driven and 

implementable tools for the rail industry to 

positively impact gender diversity.

o The project has a large-scale impact (target 50 % rail 

company adoption) and is intended to positively 

impact gender diversity in rail industry

o The project’s products help FRA achieve goals for 

attracting and retaining women in rail.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o A robust and innovative rail workforce is necessary 

to develop solutions to complex challenges related 

to rail safety and efficiency.

o This project will comprehensively study inhibitors 

and accelerators for improving gender diversity in 

the rail industry.

o Mixed-methods methodology, including literature 

review, data gathering, surveys and interviews of 

multiple stakeholder groups, and qualitative and 

quantitative analyses will be used.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Women of Rail: The Path to Gender Diversity
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Shala Blue • (202) 819-2825 • shala.blue@dot.gov

o Total Funding: $499,935

o Project Duration: September 2022 – September 2026

COST & SCHEDULE

o Tennessee State University

o Tennessee DOT

o Oak Ridge National Laboratory

o The developed AI/ML applications and PROJECT PARTNERS

microsimulations will aid in estimates of queues, the 

time RHGCs will be blocked, traffic blocked crossing 

travel time. They will aid in traffic delay mitigation and 

use interactive dashboards with detection sensors.

o The program will produce a diverse and talented 

cohort of railroad transportation systems scholars.

o The program will aid in student skill acquisition, 

knowledge, and workforce development.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o This project aims to benefit primarily minority students 

with a safety operation-oriented workforce training to 

develop an educational and research program focused 

on the application of statistical modeling, 

microsimulation, and artificial intelligence (AI)/machine 

learning (ML) in evaluating and improving RailroadHighway Grade Crossing (RHGC).

o Identify key concepts related to AI/ML applications 

including automation, communication, prediction, 

pattern recognition, clustering, optimization, sensors, 

and signals.

o Evaluate and solve railroad safety and operational 

needs through simulation.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Preparing Minority Scholars for Railroad-Highway Safety Workforce

Adobe Stock Images - amorn
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Shala Blue • (202) 819-2825 • shala.blue@dot.gov

o Total Funding: $199,728

o Project Duration: 18 months

COST & SCHEDULE

o KEA Technologies

o HILE Group

o Develop a landscape analysis to provide a better PROJECT PARTNERS

picture of the current work ecosystem and barriers for 

underrepresented individuals in the rail industry as a 

baseline against which to measure other programs.

o Provide a better understanding of how employees at 

various levels are impacted by performance 

management systems and organizational culture.

o Documented case studies on diverse organizations 

enable the identification of best practices used in 

different industries on recruiting and retaining diverse 

talent and identify the role leadership plays in success.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o This project aims to understand how certain factors (e.g., 

performance management systems, organizational 

culture) contribute to workforce development issues.

o The findings of the research will:

 Expand on disparity research completed to date.

 Supplement existing impact studies with data and 

stories from lived experiences of 

underrepresented individuals working in rail.

 Collect best practices from the effective use of 

performance management systems as a tool for 

diversification.

 Learn from organizations who set gold standards for 

equitable and diverse recruitment, development, 

retention, and promotion.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

How Restructuring Performance Management Systems Can Increase 

Diversity in Rail

Adobe Stock Image - Chalermphon
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Jason Wornoff • (202) 744-6057 • jason.wornoff@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24 – Phase III: $297,526

o Project Duration: September 2020 – August 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Michigan Tech (Lead)

o University of Illinois

o Penn State Altoona 

o University of New Mexico 

o University of South Carolina 

o California State University, 

Fresno

o American Railway 

Engineering and 

Maintenance-of-Way 

Association

o National Railroad Contractors 

and Maintenance Association

PROJECT PARTNERS o Increase outreach of current high school outreach 

programs by factor of 10 – over 200 youths in year 3 

(total of over 400).

o Engage students from underserved communities 

with the vibrant and exciting careers available in rail.

o Create a new pipeline of talent prepared to enter rail 

industry careers.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o Create a nationwide network of hybrid, rail-focused 

summer programs for high school students.

 Expand from 20 to 80 students in the first year, 

to 120 students in the second year, and over 

200 in the third year. 

o Develop a standardized curriculum of online 

resources and hands-on activities to expand interest 

in rail industry careers.

o Emphasize the variety and breadth of opportunities 

in the industry and the high-tech nature of many 

positions.

o Engage several minority-serving institutions.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Expanding Summer Youth Programs in Rail through Virtual Learning and a 

National Campus Network
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Jason Wornoff • (202) 744-6057 • jason.wornoff@dot.gov

o Funding, FY24: $97,216.30

o Project Duration: Jan 2024 – Dec 2024

COST & SCHEDULE

o Colorado State University Pueblo

o Rail operators who face challenges in hiring 

PROJECT PARTNERS

o This tool will identify and retain women whose 

values match with the positive elements of a 

railroad career. 

o This tool will enable FRA and railroads to identify 

new hires and increase pools of diverse candidates 

for future leaders in the industry.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o The goal of this research is to increase employee 

retention in the rail industry. Increasing retention 

will strengthen the effectiveness of succession 

planning.

o A primary challenge is to identify “workarounds” 

that rail organizations can use to increase 

retention, given the unchangeable conditions of 

working in the industry. 

o This can be done through a JCQ which has been 

shown to reduce turnover in several industries.

o Colorado State University Pueblo will develop a JCQ 

that identifies the values that tenured railroad 

employees possess and match them to the general, 

non-railroad workforce.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Developing a Job Compatibility Questionnaire (JCQ) for the Rail Industry
FRA PROJECT MANAGER: Michael Jones • (202) 493-6106• michael.e.jones@dot.gov

o Funding: $203,798

o Project Duration: July 2021 – September 2023

COST & SCHEDULE

o California State University, Fresno

PROJECT PARTNER

o Measure the effectiveness of various outreach 

strategies, such as use of social media.

o Measure the absorption and retention of the 

positive railroading careers messaging directed 

towards students from local underrepresented 

communities’ schools.

o Determine, through in-person visits to selected 

schools, which aspects of railroading careers are 

considered the most positive by the students.

o Produce a toolbox of recommendations to be used 

by FRA for recruiting.

RAILROAD IMPACT

o This research examines employee recruitment 

and retention in the railroad industry. 

o The goal is to formulate a unified and sustainable 

approach to recruitment and retention.

o The project team will develop methods and 

techniques to promote partnerships and 

collaborations for recruitment and retention 

across the railroad industry and with schools and 

colleges for student outreach.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Railroading Education: On Track to a Great Career