FRA RD&T
TECH EVOLUTION
VEHICLE An overview of the Federal Railroad Administration Office of Research, Development and Technology.
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onsistent with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the primary strategic goal of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is safety. The FRA mission statement reflects this priority: promoting the safe, reliable, and efficient movement of people and goods by rail. Safety has been and remains the principle driver of FRA research and development, carried out by the Office of Research, Development and Technology (RD&T). RD&T safety improvements date back to the earliest days of the DOT. 28 Railway Age // June 2020
Highway-rail grade crossing fatalities have decreased by more than 66%, and track-related accidents have decreased by 21% since the 1970s. From 2009-2018, signal-related accidents decreased by 19%. And safety improvements have in turn furthered other DOT strategic goals: state of good repair, economic competitiveness and workforce development. Continued congressional funding for RD&T has made these safety accomplishments possible. FRA collaborative research with federal, state and local public partners, academia and private industry supports the
Department’s strategic safety objectives. Playing an integral role in advancing rail safety research are FRA’s test facilities— the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) in Pueblo, Colo., as well as the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) in Cambridge, Mass. TTC consists of facilities, equipment and nearly 50 miles of railroad test track, including a Positive Train Control (PTC) test bed and a tank car impact wall. The Volpe Center is home to the Cab Technology Integration Laboratory (CTIL), a high-fidelity, fullsized locomotive simulator configured with state-of-the-art tools for studying railwayage.com
Federal Railroad Administration
BY DR. MARYAM ALLAHYAR WYRICK, FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION
