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The goal of this program is to develop an informational video for firefighters. The video covers pertinent and valuable information firefighters need to respond to a call involving the railroad quickly, efficiently, and safely.
In support of the Federal Railroad Administration’s Equipment Safety Research Program, the Volpe Center has been conducting research to improve occupant protection during accidents for rail car passengers. This report describes a project conducted to develop and test a prototype design for a...
In 2006, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) funded the development of the Passenger Rail Vehicle Emergency Evacuation Simulator, known as the “rollover rig.” This device was constructed to provide the railroad passenger community with the training tools to respond effectively during...
Currently, there is no standard for regulating the toxic gas emission in National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 130 or Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) § 238.103. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Fire Test Procedure (FTP) Annex 1: Part 2 toxicity standard with the 25...
FRA sponsors ongoing research on passenger rail equipment occupant protection at the Volpe Center. The Volpe Center contracted Calspan to conduct pendulum impact testing of the THOR-50M ATD. A series of 28 pendulum impact tests was performed on the lower chest and abdomen of the THOR-50M to...
Researchers studied the effectiveness of an integrated laser-triggered queue detection system/light-emitting-diode (LED)-enhanced “DO NOT STOP ON TRACKS” sign as compared to a baseline version with no lights. Testing was conducted at the Jay Street grade crossing on the Metro-North Railroad in...
Phase II of the Track Database Auditing System (TDAS) program sought to produce a system development and implementation plan with a more comprehensive outline of the project approach and goals, as well as further refine the Concept of Operations (ConOps) and system requirements developed in the...
The work conducted by TTCI took place under this Phase II research. The appendices includes the following: the System Development and Implementation Plan; the revised Concept of Operations (ConOps) document from Phase I; an updated System Requirements Specification document from Phase I; the...
The Federal Railroad Administration wants to better understand driver knowledge of and expectations for finding Emergency Notification System (ENS) signs at highway-rail grade crossings. A simulator study was designed where participants were exposed to ENS signs of different orientations (...
In February 2016, the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Office of Railroad Safety (RRS) and Office of Research, Development and Technology (RD&T) established a multi-phase research program to better understand vertical split rims and other wheel failure modes with a focus on failure...