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eLibrary Search

The FRA eLibrary contains all the documents that are found throughout the FRA Public Website. Multiple pages on the website may link to the same eLibrary item based on its set of metatdata.

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To search an exact document title or key phrase, place quotations around the text. Example: "U.S. Government Grade Crossing Research & Stakeholder Engagement" Entering keywords without quotations will search the eLibrary for all occurrences of the keywords.

22 Aug 2024

Research Results

Expanding the Talent Pool: Tracks to the Future Program for High School Students

Author
Jason Wornoff; Pasi Lautala

Subject Research, Human Factors

Keywords: Railway engineering education; workforce development; K-12 education; remote learning

Report Number
RR 24-08
Office
RDI-24

22 Aug 2024

Technical Reports

An Analysis of Freight Railroad Voice Communications

Author
Stephanie Chase; Jordan Multer; Catherine McInnis

Subject Research, Human Factors

Keywords: radio communications; freight railroad; Class I railroad; baseline communication data

Abstract:

This report documents the results of a study of railroad voice communications from three large (Class I) freight railroad dispatch centers. The purpose of the research was to...

Report Number
DOT/FRA/ORD-24/28
Office
RDI-24

5 Aug 2024

Technical Reports

Expertise Management for Safety Leadership Positions in the U.S. Railroad Industry

Author
Michael Coplen, Brian Moon, Juna Z. Snow, Cara Menges

Subject Research, Human Factors

Keywords: Expertise management, knowledge capture, knowledge transfer, knowledge management, training, education, cognitive task analysis, expertise, leadership skills, decision games

Abstract:

The U.S. railroad industry is facing critical knowledge loss of invaluable safety leadership expertise due to employee separations and a retiring workforce. The Federal...

Report Number
: DOT/FRA/ORD-24/25
Office
RDI-24

5 Aug 2024

Reports

Relationship of Inspection Methods to Ballast Degradation Models: Phase II

Author
Stephen Wilk; Dingqing Li; Dante DeVencenty

Subject Tracks & Structures

Keywords: Ballast; settlement; mud pumping; fouling index; forecasting; track inspection; track modulus; track; Railway Track Lifecycle Model; RTLM

Abstract: 

This report is a follow on of the first phase of a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)-sponsored project to evaluate lateral ballast behavior and how mechanics-based track...

11 Jun 2024

Technical Reports

Performance-Based Specifications for Concrete Railroad Tie Freeze-Thaw Durability

Author
Federal Railroad Administration

Subject Tracks & Structures

Keywords: Concrete railroad ties, freeze-thaw durability, manufacturing process control

Abstract:

The University of Florida and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, in partnership with the Austrian firm voestalpine Railway Systems Nortrak, developed a performance...

Report Number
DOT/FRA/ORD-24/17
Office
RDI-21