Track and infrastructure failure is the second leading cause of train derailments in the U.S. Incorrect interaction between moving vehicles and the track is a common cause of derailments. Strategic priorities for this program are:

• Develop track inspection technologies that detect defects before they become failures in service
• Develop computer modeling capabilities to improve understanding of vehicle-track interaction, wheel and rail profiles and contact conditions
• Expand the use of autonomous recording methods to provide more frequent and cost-effective measurements of track condition
• Develop new methods for monitoring difficult to detect safety issues such as longitudinal rail force, ballast lateral restraint and ballast condition