An official website of the United States government
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
The ability to accurately predict and analyze passenger evacuations from rail cars is an important component of the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) mission to enable the safe, reliable, and efficient movement of people and goods throughout the United States. Multiple commercial...
Tank cars use pressure relief devices (PRDs) to protect the tank from overpressure situations, such as those resulting from derailment related fire exposure. However, these devices are not tested/certified under such high temperature conditions. The intent of this research program was to...
This research established a protocol for sample preparation and testing between a large suction water characteristic curve (SWCC) device and a large-scale direct shear (LSDS) device using clean ballast and fouling material collected from mainline track. This allowed for comparisons of strength...
This report summarizes the research and development of a variable directivity Acoustic Warning Device (AWD) used as a locomotive horn. A Global Positioning System (GPS) was developed to control an arrangement of directional loudspeakers. Loudspeakers are arranged on the locomotive so...
Phase 2 of the Rail Crossing Violation Warning (RCVW) application provides the means for equipped connected vehicles (CV) on approach to a highway-rail intersection (HRI) to be warned of an imminent violation of an HRI active warning/protective system through the interconnection of a CV Roadside...
The transportation sector is seeking to reduce its emissions in a cost-effective and safe manner in response to the climate crisis. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) conducted a workshop for domestic and international experts to discuss experiences and challenges regarding alternative...
This report describes a testing program examining the effects of different stages of tank car fabrication on the mechanical properties of TC-128B steel. This work focused on two procedures: cold-working associated with rolling a flat plate of steel into the cylindrical tank shell and post-weld...
This literature review covers over 70 documents related to standards, research, and use cases on the design of in-vehicle auditory alerts (IVAAs) for highway-rail grade crossings (HRGCs). Although standards exist for auditory warnings in vehicles and they have been used for years, there are only...
This research assists the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) in its desire to improve its understanding of railroader Information and Communications Technology (ICT) access, use, confidence, and preferences to create better safety-related programs and outreach campaigns for the industry. In...
This report includes the results of follow-on research related to high speed rail noise. The earlier study, entitled High Speed Rail Noise Standards and Regulations, surveyed noise standards and regulations currently in place within the US, EU, Japan, and China as well as methods employed to...