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        Track
                Railroad Workplace Safety
                Automated Track Inspection Program (ATIP)
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                                Track & Railroad Workplace Safety Symposium
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                Track & Railroad Workplace Safety Symposium, April 5-7, 2022
    

    
    
    
      For the first time ever, the Federal Railroad Administration is hosting a collaborative safety event tailored to the industry's track maintenance and construction groups. For three full days, free of charge, join hundreds of industry experts gathering under one roof to share and grow together through breakout sessions on track safety and roadway workplace safety. FRA’s approximately 180 track inspectors and specialists look forward to meeting and learning with you.



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Monday, April 4th 3:00 - 7:00 PM
	Tuesday, April 5th 6:00 - 8:00 AMDaily Agendas

Tuesday, April 5
	Wednesday, April 6
	Thursday, April 7

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        Tuesday, April 5 Agenda Sessions


      **8:00am - 11:30am - General Session**
        Welcome Remarks**David Casaceli** – TTSD Track Specialist & Instructor*Federal Railroad Administration*Administrator's Notes**Amit Bose**- Administrator*Federal Railroad Administration*Wheel Rail Mechanics**Kevin Oldknow -**Associate Professor and Director*Simon Fraser University*NTSB Most Wanted: Railroad Worker Safety**Honorable Tom Chapman** – Board Member*National Transportation Safety Board*Morning BreakLearning From Failure: Derailments as a Key to Success**Gary Wolf** – President and CEO*Wolf Railway Consulting*Office of Safety Notes**Karl Alexy** - Associate Administrator & Chief Safety Officer*Federal Railroad Administration*Together - We Save Lives!**Troy Jackson** - Director*Transportation Safety Institute*Lunch
  


      **1:20pm - 3:00pm - Breakout #1**
        **Grand Ballroom A**
			**Short Line Track Safety Program**Best practices for shortline RRs to increase safety and track standards of their route by also growing traffic through economic development methods to generate revenue to return to the track.**Presentations**

			61 - CaterParrott Railnet SLTSP 3.2022
			**Chris Parrott -**Co-CEO*CaterParrott Railnet***Grand Ballroom B**
			**Fatigue: Overview, risk management, and mitigation**The Fatigue Risk Management Program (FRMP) will be an added requirement to Part 270 System Safety and Part 271 Risk Reduction regulations.  This session will provide an overview of fatigue, basics of fatigue risk identification, fatigue mitigation, and steps to create a successful FRMP plan.**Presentations**

			FRA_Fatigue_101_for_track_symposium
			**Amanda K. Emo, PhD**– Senior Engineering Psychologist*Federal Railroad Administration*Grand Ballroom C
			The Impact of Platform and Mounting LocationsTrack measurement systems are deployed on variety of platforms, from small UTVs to the largest locomotives. This session will discuss how to select the right platform and measurement locations to  detect geometry problems at yards, industrial tracks, sidings and mainlines.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Sabri Cakdi -**Director of Product Development*Holland LP*Grand Ballroom D
			Understanding RWP Internal Monitoring
			Requirements as addressed in Parts 214, 217, and 243.The regulatory requirements for monitoring roadway workers and the common sense benefits for 
			adopting a plan. Includes a discussion of the implementation of the procedures for a large 
			scale railroad construction project with railroad employees, contractors, and 
			language barriers.**Presentations**

			Roadway Worker Internal Monitoring Presentation For Track Symposium
			**Dillon Ondo**– Track Specialist*Federal Railroad Administration*

			**Wayne Blalock******– Director Construction Safety*Brightline*Grand Ballroom E
			Vision for the FRA’s Transportation Technology CenterThis presentation will describe the vision of the Federal Railroad Administration and Department of Transportation (USDOT) for the use and growth of the USDOT Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, CO. This session will describe how FRA  will guide the future of the site to achieve a mission dedicated to transportation safety, security and innovation for rail and all other modes of surface transportation.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Radim Bruzek**– Research Program Manager*ENSCO, Inc.*Grand Ballroom F
			Artificial Intelligence in Rail Flaw DetectionSperry Rail has introduced and integrated advanced data management tools driven by 
			Artificial Intelligence to drive improvement in rail inspection and maintenance 
			decision making.**Presentations**

			51 - Sperry Rail - Artificial Intelligence in Rail Flaw Detection
			**Jamie O'Rourke******– President*Sperry Rail, Inc.*
  


      **3:20pm - 5:00pm - Breakout #2**
        **Grand Ballroom A**
			**Worker Safety in Shared Multimodal Corridor**What happens when railroad corridors are shared with transit, roadways, pedestrian paths, or other railroads? Learn different methods of protecting workers of both the railroad and of other agencies sharing the corridor.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Timothy Lesniak**-****Director of Commuter Rail & Ferry Safety*MBTA***Grand Ballroom B**
			**PTC and the Roadway Worker, What you should know**Overview of current PTC systems, What they do, How you are protected, your responsibilities**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Larry Warren******-****PTC Specialist*Federal Railroad Administration***Grand Ballroom C**
			**Spike Failures in Elastic Fastening Systems:  An Assessment
			of Root Causes and Available Mitigation Measure**Spike failures in elastic fastener track systems create safety risks and maintenance chores for many railroads.  In this breakout you will learn the results of FRA's investigation into the root causes of these failures and practical ways to minimize the risk of spike failures in wood tie track.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Marcus Dersch -**Principal Research Engineer*University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign***Cameron Stuart -**General Engineer Track Research*Federal Railroad Administration***Grand Ballroom D**
			**Track Buckle Prevention and Rail Adjustment Software**This session will showcase consequences of not maintaining adequate RNT and demo free software for CWR management: Rail Temp Prediction and Buckling Prediction Software, CWR-Safe Software and RNT-Restore (rail destress) software. This is an interactive workshop. Participants will be able to access the software on their mobile phones and practice case studies in CWR force management that are of high value to them.**Presentations**

			35 Kerchof, Consequences of not maintaining adequate RNT - Brad Kerchof
			**Radim Bruzek -** Structures Engineer*ENSCO, Inc.***Brad Kerchof -**Director of Research and Tests*Norfolk Southern Railway***Grand Ballroom E**
			**Leveraging Digital Tools for Track
			Inspection and Defect Management**History of visual track inspections and their journey into the electronic age along with how to capitalize on this technology and it's relation to state of good repair for railroads. Discussion  of gains in efficiency, productivity and financial savings realized by best in class digital track inspection defect management.**Presentations**

			12 - RRS Compliance Software Brochure

			12 - Case Study Track Asset
			**Tim Elsberry -**Vice President of Business Development*Railroad Software***Grand Ballroom F**
			**Admitting Human Error in the Workplace - a Case Study in
			Maximizing Safe and Reliable Performance with Human Factor**Human error is a systemic product signaling leaders to investigate dark, murky, and often uncomfortable human factors. In this interactive session, participants will use a live response system to experience a developing investigation as facilitators of a real-world example. We will study an organization’s emergent behavior through the actions of two operators. In an attempt to be successful, the operators were shepherded by complex stimuli into making decisions that instead caused an incident.**Presentations**

			05 - Uncommanded Releases and Energy Isolation A Case Study

			05 - Vetergy HFACS Taxonomy

			05 - HumanFactorsAnalysisandClassificationSystems - David Wilbur
			**David Wilbur****-**CEO*Vetergy Group*
  
  Wednesday, April 6 Agenda Sessions


      **8:00am - 9:40am - Breakout #3**
        **Grand Ballroom A**
			**Track Support Condition Assessment**In this session fundamental track support failure mechanisms will be discussed under the topic of Track Support and Substructure followed by a presentation on Ballast Condition Assessment.  In these presentations, the audience will be included in a discussion of failure modes, risk factors, and inspection/mitigation strategies.  The session will conclude with a discussion of data available for substructure inspection and a ‘live’ demonstration of the ‘real-time’ portal for ballast condition data.**Presentations**

			07 - Track Support Condition Assessment
			**Hugh Thompson******-****General EngineerFederal Railroad Administration

			**Dr. Ted Sussmann******-****Civil Engineer*Volpe*

			**Dr. Asger Eriksen******-****CEO*Zetica***Grand Ballroom B**
			**Advances in Distributed Sensing for Rail Applications**An Introduction to the Fiber Optic Sensing Association (FOSA) and Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing (DFOS) concepts with relevance in rail applications, and a comprehensive description of what can be detected when applying relevant DFOS methods to rail.**Presentations**

			13 - FOSA DFOS Installation Considerations for Rail

			FOSA Rail Presentation - March 15 2022b
			**Michael Montgomery******-****Director, Applications Engineering*AP Sensing Americas, Fiber Optic Sensing Association***Grand Ballroom C**
			**Applying the Bowtie Approach to Railroad
			Risk Reduction Programs (RRP)**Risk Reduction Program (RRP) requirements emphasize hazard identification and analysis and assessment of associated risk. The Bowtie approach aids in visualizing the elements contributing to risk and the mitigations established to manage and reduce risk severity and likelihood to acceptable levels.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Gerald Kosbab, MBA******-****President*AeroDirections (TSI Instructor)***Grand Ballroom D**
			**The Future of Predicting and Characterizing Rail Integrity Defects**Learn about: 1) Data-driven models for broken rail predictions based on infrastructure, operations, inspection and weather data presented by Rutgers, (i.e., in what sections of track are defects likely to occur?), 2)  Defect Growth behavior in Modern  Rail Steels presented by Thornton Tomasetti and Lehigh, (i.e., how fast do defects grow in modern rail steels?)**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Herman Nied******-****Professor*Lehigh University*

			**Asim Zaman, PE******-****Project Engineer II*Rutgers University***Grand Ballroom E**
			**Utilizing MRail’s vertical track defection measurements to identify
			and quantify the risk of soft spots in track for maintenance prioritization**This session will discuss a risk method being developed that uses MRail vertical track deflection data and how output from the system and the risk model can be used to quantify the severity of, and hence prioritize maintenance for, locations in track.  This discussion will include a description of the MRail system, the system’s general use, details on the risk model being developed for quantifying soft spots in track, potential relationship to Track Geometry, and results of field cross-referencing of risk model data.**Presentations**

			58 - Protran_MRail - v2 - Chris Hartsough
			**Chris Hartsough******-****Track Engineering Team Lead*Harsco Rail*

			**Todd Dragland******-****VP Engineering Northern Region*Genesee & Wyoming, Inc.*

			**Tom Leiby******-****Director of Measurement Products*Harsco Rail***Grand Ballroom F**
			**Switch Points and Frogs: Design, Inspection,
			Maintenance & Derailment Prevention**​​​​​​Switch point-caused derailments have three things in common: a less-than perfect switch point, a worn wheel, and tracking position - the wheel flange is tight against the point. Learn what to look for when inspecting switch points.   A close look at RBM frogs – their design features, results from revenue service testing that compare these design features, the importance of wheel transition between frog point and wing, and maintenance advice.**Presentations**

			39A Kerchof, Switch point inspection _ wheel climb derailment prevention - Brad Kerchof

			39B Kerchof, Switch point inspection gauges - Brad Kerchof

			39C Kerchof, Frogs - Design Features, Revenue Service Test Results _ Maintenance Advice - Brad Kerchof
			**Brad Kerchof******-****Director Research & Tests (retired)*Norfolk Southern Railway***Regency Ballroom A**
			FRA Only Meeting: Districts 1 - 4All FRA and State government track safety inspectors in Districts 1 through 4 are required to attend this session.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Mike Pirato******-****Deputy Staff Director Track Division*Federal Railroad Administration*
  


      **10:00am - 11:40am - Breakout #4**
        **Grand Ballroom A**
			**Beautiful Country - Tough Railroading,
			Heavy Grade Maintenance Discussion**Union Pacific has leveraged the knowledge and experience of its people with data to take on heavy grade and heavy curve territories.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Mark Allen******-****Director of Track Maintenance*Union Pacific Railroad*

			**Michael Upton******-****Sr. Mgr. Track Maintenance*Union Pacific Railroad***Grand Ballroom B**
			**Beyond Part 243: How Do We Ensure our Employees
			and Supervisors Have the Skills to Work Safely**This breakout is a panel discussion on how railroads and contractors are responding to the implementation of their Part 243 plans. This discussion will encourage interactive conversation where participants can share their own experiences, successes, challenges, 
			and generate new ideas for the current state of training and beyond. The discussion will include questions such as:

			How do we know learning has occurred?
				How do employees demonstrate the application of skills?
				What is a manager’s role in the learning process?
				How do managers coach and support safe work practices?
				What are companies doing beyond training to the minimum standards?**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Alexander Franco, Jr******-****Director Training Services - Engineering*BNSF Railway*

			**Katie Inouye******-****CEO*Sparks Training Solutions*

			**Erika Bruhnke******-****VP Training Services*RailPros***Grand Ballroom C**
			**Utilizing Technology to Enhance Safety**Protran has developed various RWP systems to mitigate rail accidents, we will discuss the different use cases and implementation as well as demonstrate some of the systems. We will also discuss MOW collision avoidance systems in the field today as well as future development. And what types trespass prevention systems we have developed for different locations ie; grade crossings.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Jamie Maguire******-****Program Director*Protran Technology*

			**Clay Bunting******-****Director - Technology Implementation**Grand Ballroom D**
			**Automated Track Inspection Test Program Risk Analysis**Learn about UP, CSX, CN, NS, and BNSF's Automated Track Inspection Test Programs.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Daniel Baker******-****Track Specialist*Federal Railroad Administration*

			**Representatives from UP, CSX, CN, NS, and BNSF****Grand Ballroom E**
			**Bridging The Gap In RWP Comprehension:
			An Intricate Look Into Complex Protection Environment**As our industry continues to grow and change, we find a surge of new workers flooding our workforce, however, on question stands out... are we losing our comprehension of what RWP really means? Take a journey with me as we take an intricate look into complex protection environments.**Presentations**

			Complex Protection Environments.2022-03-26
			**Adam Shepherd******-****Senior Operations Manager*National Railroad Safety Services***Grand Ballroom F**
			**Wheel-Rail Friction Management: Effects on
			Vehicle-Track Interaction, Safety, and Asset Life**Wheel-Rail Friction Management can refer to gage face / wheel flange lubrication, and (or) top of rail / wheel tread friction control.   Learn the basic ways in which friction management influences vehicle-track interaction, including effects on safety and asset life.**Presentations**

			29 - KOldknow - Wheel-Rail Friction Management Track Safety Symposium 2022 Breakout Session
			**Kevin Oldknow******-****Associate Professor and Director*VTI Research Group | Simon Fraser University***Regency Ballroom A**
			**UAS (Drones): Practical Applications for Railroad Safety Assurance**Presentations from BNSF, Visiostack and Texas A&M University will describe the development of drone technology for the rail industry, highlighting current use cases, and forecasting the future for drone's to augment track inspection and improve safety on the railroad. Attendees will learn what it takes to utilize this technology on any railroad.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Nick Dryer -** Sr. Mgr. Technology Services*BNSF Railway*

			**Zachary Garner -**President*Visiostack, Inc.*

			**Surya S. C. Congress, PhD -**Associate Director*NSF Industry University Cooperative Research Center (IURC) Site at TAMU*

			**Cameron Stuart -** Program Manager*Federal Railroad Administration*
  


      **1:20pm - 3:00pm - Breakout #5**
        **Grand Ballroom A**
			**Correlating Geometry Car and Manual Track Inspection Data**We will explore the use of mobile applications to collect FRA 213 manual track inspection information including defects and deficiencies. The acquired data is compared side by side with geometry car data in an electronically generated track chart.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Greg Fogarty******-****CEO*TekTracking*

			**Matt Edmonds******-****VP Projects*TekTracking*

			**Ed Reardon******-****General Manager*Transdev/SFRTA***Grand Ballroom B**
			**Battery-Powered Tools: Safe, Innovative, the Future of Rail**Battery-powered tools are revolutionizing the rail industry. From safety and productivity to environmental responsibility, the features of these innovative tools have proven beneficial not only in the United States, but worldwide. Come see them in action!**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Van Fry******-****President*FTS Tools LLC*

			**Josiah Stiemann******-****Director of Operations*FTS Tools LLC***Grand Ballroom C**
			Short Line Compliance Oversite of ContractorsWith the inclusion of contractors in regulations, short lines have a greater task to review contractor qualifications and ensure contractors have the proper plans, training, and processes in place. Short lines can ultimately be held responsible for non-compliance of a contractor. Attend this session to understand which regulations cover contractors and how short lines are working with contractors to ensure compliance.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Jo Strang** - SVP, Safety, Regulatory, and Enforcement*ASLRRA*

			**JR Gelnar**- VP, Safety and Compliance*ASLRRA*

			**Lucas Brewer** - Railroad Specialist*Bergmann Associates***Grand Ballroom D**
			**Heavy Axle Load Test Results from FAST and Revenue Service**Recent findings concerning track and track components (rails, welds, STW, composite ties, ballast and GPR) from MxV Rail's (formerly TTCI) heavy axle load tests at FAST and in revenue service.**Presentations**

			47 - FRA Track Safety Symposium - Ballast BNSF and MxV

			47 - FRA Track Safety Symposium - EPC Ties_UP and MxV

			47 - FRA Track Safety Symposium - Rail and Weld MxV

			47 - FRA Track Safety Symposium - Special Track Work MxV
			**Dingqing Li******-****Executive Director*Mxv Rail (formerly TTCI)*

			**Duane Otter******-****Scientist*Mxv Rail (formerly TTCI)*

			**Ananyo Banerjee******-****Principal Investigator I*Mxv Rail (formerly TTCI)*

			**Yin Gao******-****Sr. Engineer II*Mxv Rail (formerly TTCI)***Grand Ballroom E**
			**Automated Track Change Detection:  Advanced
			Technology For a More Complete Track Safety**Track components and systems are constantly changing due to service loads, environmental factors, and maintenance activities. In this break out you will learn about a new technology that automatically detects track changes over time, providing valuable information for track inspection and capital planning activities. Presentations from Railmetrics and University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign will detail the technology development and demonstration of this new technology on Class 1 railways.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Riley Edwards, PhD, PE -** Sr. Lecturer & Sr. Research Scientis*University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign*

			**Richard Fox-Ivey -**Consultant*Pavemetrics***Grand Ballroom F**
			**NTSB Most Wanted List- Rail Worker Safety**Too many people working on or around railroad tracks, such as train crews, maintenance-of-way employees, and mechanical workers, are getting killed or injured in preventable tragedies involving train or equipment movement. NTSB added Rail Worker Safety to the 2021-2022 Most Wanted List to highlight this issue. In this session you will hear from Board Member Tom Chapman and NTSB investigators as they highlight safety recommendations aimed at curtailing these tragic events.**Presentations**

			01 - NTSB MWL Rail Worker Safety
			**Honorable Tom Chapman******-****Board Member*National Transportation Safety Board*

			**Joe Gordon******-****Rail Accident Investigator*National Transportation Safety Board*

			**Troy Lloyd******-****Rail Accident Investigator*National Transportation Safety Board*

			***Zach Zagata****- Rail Accident Investigator**National Transportation Safety Board***Regency Ballroom A**
			**Human Factors Analysis Classification System**Discovering Underlying Causes of Human Error in Your Organization**Presentations**

			25 - HF Fundamentals

			25 - HFACS DSmith
			**D Smith******-****Division Manager Aviation Safety*Transportation Safety Institute*
  


      **3:20pm - 5:00pm - Breakout #6**
        **Grand Ballroom A**
			**Safety Leadership**During the next decade, our transportation system faces some compelling trends: an aging population, migration to emerging economic regions, crumbling infrastructure, rapid technological changes, shifting energy production and an increase in safety incidents and injuries. Each of these transportation issues is embedded in a climate of economic, social, political, and environmental changes. The major challenge is: How do we continue to ensure a safe, efficient, accessible, and convenient transportation system that enhances the quality of life for all American people?  We overcome these challenges and issues with creating leaders at all levels of our organizations and across the whole transportation sector.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Troy Jackson******-****Director*Transportation Safety Institute***Grand Ballroom B**
			**Roadway Worker Protection & FAMES**Learn about current RWP Hot Topics:

			- Recent RWP fatalities and how to avoid these types of accidents on your railroad
			- Train Approach Waring (TAW) critical mistakes
			- The dangers of working around roadway maintenance machines (RMM)
			- How to properly submit RWP submissions and subsequent changes per 214.307
			- Who is actually responsible for RWP compliance (Railroad, employer, or employee)
			- The difference between an RWP Program vs. RWP Manual
			- The requirements of 214.320
			- The importance of job briefings
			- FAMES**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Lance Hawks******-****Part 214 Specialist*Federal Railroad Administration*

			**David Kannenberg******-****Railroad Administrator*Federal Railroad Administration***Grand Ballroom C**
			**CISP 101: An overview of critical incidents,
			their impact, and 272 regulatory requirements**FRA's Critical Incident Stress Plan program manager will walk attendees through the history of critical incidents, the physical and mental changes immediately following a critical incident, and long term implications of untreated trauma due to a critical incident.  The session will also discuss the purpose of the CISP/part 272 regulation, requirements, and  best practices for program implementation.**Presentations**

			FRA CISP 101 track symposium
			**Amanda K. Emo, PhD******-****Senior Engineering Psychologist*Federal Railroad Administration***Grand Ballroom D**
			**Current and Future Nondestructive Evaluation
			(NDE) Technologies for Rail Flaw Inspection**MxV Rail (formerly TTCI) has been involved in Rail Flaw Inspection work for many years. This involves basis research and development of innovative technologies as well as testing/validation of rail flaw inspection systems at TTC. During this breakout session, a demonstration on the UT rail flaw inspection using conventional UT, Phased Array UT, and FMC/TFM approach will be provided. The audience will get to see the latest and greatest on the Rail Flaw inspection.**Presentations**

			21 - Current & Future Technologies for Rail Flaw Inspection MxV
			**Anish Poudel, PhD******-****Principal Investigator II NDE*MxV Rail (formerly Transportation Technology Center, Inc.)*

			**Brian Lindeman******-****Sr. Engineer*MxV Rail (formerly Transportation Technology Center, Inc.)*

			**Survesh Shrestha******-****Sr. Engineer*MxV Rail (formerly Transportation Technology Center, Inc.)***Grand Ballroom E**
			**Adverse High Rail Profiles in Curves:
			Identification, Risks, a Solution and a Case Study**1) A rail’s profile, taken together with rail orientation and wheel profiles, determines the location of wheel contact. This contact has consequences for wheelset steering, wheel/rail forces and ultimately, rail stability.

			Learn the answers to these questions: How do we describe an adverse high rail profile? What are the risks associated with this profile? And how is an adverse profile created? Then see how one railroad - Norfolk Southern - developed a grinding strategy that attempts to mitigate the consequences of adverse high rail profiles.

			2) A case study of a rail rollover derailment caused by an adverse high rail profile.**Presentations**

			40A Kerchof, Adverse High Rail Profiles- Identification, Risks and a Solution - Brad Kerchof

			40B Kerchof, Case Study - A Rail Rollover Derailment - Brad Kerchof
			**Brad Kerchof******-****Director Research & Tests (retired)*Norfolk Southern Railway***Grand Ballroom F**
			**Rail damage mitigation and its impact
			on system safety and rail/wheel life.**This breakout session will discuss key factors that influence rail damage. Furthermore, the available tools in the infrastructure owner’s toolbox to counter these damage effects will be analyzed. These tools include rail grades, rail and wheel profiles, track geometry, friction management, maintenance technologies like milling and grinding but also required measurement technology.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Richard Stock******-****Global Head of Rail Solutions*Plasser American***Regency Ballroom A**
			FRA Only Meeting: Districts 5 - 8All FRA and State government track safety inspectors in Districts 5 through 8 are required to attend this session.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Mike Pirato******-****Deputy Staff Director Track Division*Federal Railroad Administration*
  
  Thursday, April 7 Agenda Sessions


      **8:00am - 9:40am - Breakout #7**
        **Grand Ballroom A**
			**Safety and Innovation Technology
			for Railway Switching Yards**The latest stand alone sensor technology to mitigate Derailments and Collisions for Locomotives**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Peter Bartek******-****Vice PresidentMarmon Rail & Crane (A Marmon/Berkshire Hathaway Company)**Grand Ballroom B**
			**Track Elasticity & Long-Term Effects
			of Reduced Track Tamping**One of the most important properties of the superstructure is elasticity, which is significantly influenced by the ballast and which is responsible for many damage patterns. In order to eliminate track geometry defects, the ballast must be tamped, whereby the technical and financial difference between spot tamping and line tamping will be discussed on the basis of European framework conditions.**Presentations**

			60 - Long Term Effects of Reduced Track Tamping Works

			60 - Sustainable Asset Management for Turnouts - Michael Fellinger
			**Michael Fellinger******-****Technical Manager*Global Rail Consulting*

			**Rudolf Schilder******-****Partner*Advanced Rail Track Solutions***Grand Ballroom C**
			**NDT Rail Neutral Temperature (RNT) Measurement
			Technology and the Impact of Longitudinal Track Resistance**The University of Illinois (Illinois) will provide background on longitudinal track resistance, the most critical parameter influencing rail gap size and influence zone and thus RNT restoration.  Illinois and the University of South Carolina (UofSC) will highlight two innovative non-destructive RNT measurement approaches currently being field tested.  The Illinois approach, working in collaboration with the University of Utah, uses simple and reference free rail vibration measurements to predict axial strain and RNT conditions, where data are collected from instrumented sections of revenue service rail line.  The UofSC also approach quantifies the longitudinal stress and captures the quality of the longitudinal restraint in a single, reference-free, non-contacting measurement.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Marcus Dersch, P.E.******-****Principal Research Engineer*University of Illinois*

			**Dimitris Rizos, PhD******-****Associate Professor*University of South Carolina*

			**John Popovics, PhD******-****Professor*University of Illinois***Grand Ballroom D**
			**Bridging The Gap In RWP Comprehension:
			The Why Behind The Rules & Best Practices**As our industry continues to grow and change, we find a surge of new workers flooding our workforce, however, one question stands out... are we losing our comprehension of what RWP really means? Take a journey with me as we strip down the rules and get back to the basics on WHY the rules are the way they are and the best practices to follow.**Presentations**

			Why & Best Practices.2022-03-26
			**Adam Shepherd******-****Senior Operations Manager*National Railroad Safety Services***Grand Ballroom E**
			**Protecting Railway Workers with
			Roadway Worker Protection Systems**Miller Ingenuity will present the importance of adopting secondary warning system technology to help eliminate human error factors that are not fully addressed in today’s track worker safety rules and procedures. Attendees will learn about the critical role these systems play in worker safety and efficiency through product data collection, demonstrations, and customer testimonials of Miller's ZoneGuard RWP system.**Presentations**

			-N/A
			**Christine Nester**-****Marketing Communication Specialist*Miller Ingenuity*

			**Kevin Smith** - SVP Global Sales & Marketing*Miller Ingenuity*

			**Adam Woyczik** - Technical Sales Manager*Miller Ingenuity*

			**Charles Perry -**Manager of Truck & Structures*San Diego MTS***Grand Ballroom F**
			**Track Inspections: Remedial Actions and
			How to Know Your Inspections are Adequate**When in the field performing track inspections, one of the most discussed topics is remedial actions. What does the regulation actually say about remedial actions, documenting such and bringing the track into compliance? Also learn some insight on how to know your track inspections are adequate.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Shane Stiffler**-****Track Specialist*Federal Railroad Administration***Regency Ballroom A**
			**Fatigue Risk Management - Sorted**Fatigue Risk Management may be harder and more complex at first but it can be broken down into four easily and understood and manageable parts.**Presentations**

			09 - Fatiguefit Rail
			**Michael Brazytis******-****VP US Operations*FatigueFit*
  


      **10:00am - 11:40am - Breakout #8**
        **Grand Ballroom A**
			**Part 243 Workshop – Update Post Implementation**FRA subject matter experts will discuss Part 243 topics related to; the upcoming NPRM, Web portal registration, training program submission, Web portal tutorials, model programs, approval letters and third-party vetting services, designating existing employees (qualification), and periodic oversight.  The workshop will also allow for sufficient time for Q&A from the audience.  Time permitting, FRA will demonstrate Web portal navigation.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Rob Castiglione******-****Staff Director Human Performance*Federal Railroad Administration*

			**Cory Johnson******-****Human Performance Specialist*Federal Railroad Administration***Grand Ballroom B**
			**Using TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis to
			Improve Performance and Prevent Accidents**Understanding the reasons people make mistakes and make poor decisions is the cornerstone to an unbiased, blame-free incident investigation.  Learn how an easy-to-use yet powerful root cause analysis system can help you implement more effective corrective actions and prevent future recurrence of similar accidents.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Ken Reed******-****Vice President*System improvement | TapRooT®***Grand Ballroom C**
			**Track Alignment / Alignment Rate of Change**During this breakout session attendees will enter a collaborative industry wide discussion/training workshop centered around track alignment. Additional guidance for tangent track, spirals, curves, & Rate of change in alignment over 31’ in Turnouts will be covered. Our main objective is to help educate the industry with a proactive/standardized approach to identify & eliminate derailment potential.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Mark Montoya**-****Manager 1 Track Compliance*Union Pacific Railroad***Grand Ballroom D**
			**FRA Data Science Applications for Agency Operation**The FRA develops and uses multiple data science models leveraging multiple data sources, GIS, and machine learning to optimize agency operations including inspection prioritization and resource management.  You will get a deeper look at the development of TOPS (Territory Optimization and Planning System) and the Rail Integrity Risk Model and perspective on how these applications inform inspection activities.**Presentations**

			27 - FRA 2022 TrackSymposium - DataScience
			**Andrew Straatveit******-****Data Scientist*Federal Railroad Administration*

			**Daniel Einbinder -**Research Engineer*Ensco, Inc.*

			**Raquel Wright***- GIS Specialist**Federal Railroad Administration***Grand Ballroom E**
			**Maintenance of Way and Bridges: Fall Protection for Track
			Maintenance, Basic Bridge Inspection, and Structrual Bridge Ties**Application of 49CFR214 Subpart B Bridge Worker Safety and 29CFR1926 Part M Fall Protection rules to maintenance of way activities on railroad bridges or other places of height along the right of way. 
			Discussion of ties on bridges with an emphasis on structural bridge ties.  What is a structural bridge tie, how are they different than other bridge ties, and how to inspect them.
			A quick session to help track department personnel understand when and how to look for structural problems in a bridge.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**William Riehl******-****Chief Engineer Structures*Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services, Inc.*

			**Steve Krause******-****Bridge Engineer*Federal Railroad Administration***Grand Ballroom F**
			**Potential Effects of Precision Scheduled
			Railroading (PSR) on Track Maintenance Policies**Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR), and its many permutations and combinations, has been embraced by most railroads in North America. This presentation will address potential ramifications of these changes in operating practices on existing track maintenance policies. Specifically, changes in train tonnages, train lengths, train speeds and switching practices demand that track maintenance polices be reviewed and modified to ensure that the track structure is maintained to a high degree of reliability.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Gary Wolf******-****CEO*Wolf Railway Consulting*
  


      **1:20pm - 3:00pm - Breakout #9**
        **Grand Ballroom A**
			**Improvements in Track-Caused Derailment Trends**The session will provide detailed snapshots of track-caused derailment trends in the last decade.  FRA and the industry will present statistics depicting track safety improvements,  or declining track-caused derailments.  Detailed categorization of the derailments and in-depth examination of root causes will identify areas for future improvements.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Yujiang Zhang, PhD, PE******-****Staff Director Track Division*Federal Railroad Administration*

			**Matt Hammond** - AVP/Chief Engineer North RegionBNSF**Grand Ballroom B**
			**How Interactive Simulations Teach Complex
			Procedures More Efficiently, Safer, and with Less Errors.**The trend towards a digital, controllable, and asynchronous training environment has continued to accelerate. Learn how Railroads are use 3D interactive simulations to enhance their training programs, and explore future applications of the technology.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Brian Keller**-****Training and Simulation Specialist*Heartwood***Grand Ballroom C**
			**Remote Sensing Technologies for Track Monitoring**This session introduces innovative remote sensing technologies and their implementation to track monitoring and condition assessment.  These technologies include satellites, 3D-Vision systems, and UAVs, among others, and are discussed in this session.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Dimitris Rizos, PhD******-****Associate Professor*University of South Carolina*

			**Yu Qian, PhD****, PhD**-****Assistant Professor*University of South Carolina***Grand Ballroom D**
			**Enhanced rail management through rail milling**A presentation outlining the story of how the UK Railroad undertook various maintenance enhancements to manage the safety risk of broken and defective rails over the last 20 years, The session covers critical safety failures, lessons learned, different strategies applied and technology research and development that worked to deliver good improvements. then only to realize looking forward things were not going to be sustainable and we needed more options for rail management and how this was delivered by rail milling, to enhance rail management, reduce costs and increase safety looking forward to the next 20 years.**Presentations**

			62 – Rail Milling 03182022 v2 – Adam Doy.pdf
			**Bob Hardwell******-****Rail Management Expert*Linsinger*

			**Adam Doy, CMILT******-****Associate Director Works Planning & Logistics*Network Rail Consulting*

			**Elvis Kozica******-****International Sales Manager*Linsinger***Grand Ballroom E**
			What to Expect During an NTSB InvestigationsDuring this session rail accident investigators from the NTSB will provide insight into an NTSB rail accident launch. The presentation will cover the following:

			The entire process, from when the NTSB receives the initial notification that an accident as occurred through the issuance of the final report and determination of the accident's probably cause.
				Describe the "systems" approach to railroad accident investigation and the NTSB expectations of party members.
				Explain that types of services and support THAT are available to family members of victims of railroad accidents.
				Describe the role of the NTSB Office of Public Affairs in the release of relevant and appropriate information to the public.
				Understand how NTSB and parties interact with the media at the accident site and during the on-going investigation.**Presentations**

			02 - NTSB On-Scene Overview- FRA Breakout-2022
			**Joe Gordon** - Rail Accident InvestigatorNational Transportation Safety Board

			**Troy Lloyd** - Rail Accident Investigator*National Transportation Safety Board*

			**Zach Zagata** - Rail Accident Investigator*National Transportation Safety Board***Grand Ballroom F**
			**From Surviving to Thriving as a Roadmaster.
			A Panel Discussion with Three Track Supervisors.**The Roadmaster or Track Supervisor is the front-line leader in maintenance of way organization charts. The position can be demanding and stressful, as the Roadmaster and his or her team are the boots on the ground decision makers every day when it comes to track safety. The position often sees frequent turnover. This panel discussion, moderated by Brad Kerchof, will seek to uncover what it takes to be a successful track supervisor over the long-term, and how roadmasters can be more effective safety leaders, in today's operating environments.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Brad Kerchof******-****Director Research & Tests (retired)*Norfolk Southern Railway*

			**Michael Upton******-****Sr. Mgr. Track Maintenance*Union Pacific Railroad*

			**Justin Crites******-****Assistant Roadmaster*Kansas City Southern*

			**Davin Helms******-****Roadmaster*Genesee & Wyoming*

**Regency Ballroom A**
			**Cybersecurity and Blockchain Technologies in Railway Track Engineering**1. Identification of cyber security challenges within the railway infrastructure; 2) How to develop Cyber-Resilience Railway Infrastructure;  3) Implementation of security measures; 4) Blockchain Technologies and Railway Track Maintenance**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Professor Nii Attoh-Okine, PhD., P.E., F .ASCE******-****Engineering Professor*University of Delaware*
  


      **3:20pm - 5:00pm - Breakout #10**
        **Grand Ballroom B**
			**Railroad Contractor’s Cultural Shift to Safety**As reliance on contractors becomes more prevalent in the railroad industry, there is much to be done in creating a safety culture that is equivalent to the railroads that the contractors provide services for. Take a "walk" with us as we share experiences of both railroad and contractor's points of view while we seek to bridge the gap in a truthful, constructive and impactful conversation to focus on railroad contractor safety.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Jeff Dudley******-****Director of Operations*Traxx Railroad Safety***Grand Ballroom C**
			**Fundamentals of Automated Rail Monitoring During Construction,
			Tunneling and as a Risk Mitigation Tool When a Failure Occurs.**Automated instrumentation is a valuable tool to detect and monitor deformation of tracks, tunnels, bridges and structures. Providing instant alarm notifications, via email & SMS, of excessive movements. This presentation will look into the advances in monitoring technology along with some project case study reviews.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Kenny Campbell******-****Director of Business Development*Geo-Instruments***Grand Ballroom D**
			**Artificial Intelligence for Track Inspection: A Research Perspective**The Federal Railroad Administration, in partnership with both industry and academia, has been at actively involved in artificial intelligence, or "AI", research since 2007. In this session, you will receive an in-depth look at cutting-edge research aimed at applying AI to aid track inspection and maintenance efforts.**Presentations**

			- NA
			**Jay Baillargeon, M.S.**-****General Engineer Track Research*Federal Railroad Administration*

			**Daniel Einbinder, M.S.******-****Research Engineer*ENSCO, Inc.*

			**Mihir Phadke, M.S., MBA******-****Sr. Product Manager*Wi-Tronix, LLC*

			**Yu Qian, Ph.D.******-****Assistant Professor*University of South Carolina***Grand Ballroom E**
			**FRA's Automated Track Inspection Program**For over four decades FRA has been conducting automated track inspections. Learn about FRA's Automated Track Inspection Program (ATIP) and its vision for the future.**Presentations**

			- N/A
			**Thomas Julik******-****ATIP Program Manager*Federal Railroad Administration***Grand Ballroom F**
			New Technologies in MOW Safety SystemsWe will explore the latest technologies and how they can be configured to deliver critical functional safety requirements including limits compliance, collision avoidance, obstacle detection, and track worker safety.**Presentations**

			-N/A
			**Robert Hanczor******-**CEO**Piper Networks

    
          Last updated: Monday, April 18, 2022 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

**Federal Railroad Administration**

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WASHINGTON, DC 20590

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