Professional Documents
Culture Documents
North-America Strategic Vision
North-America Strategic Vision
introduction
In serving its members, UIC also defines the development strategy for its
members within the five regions. It is in this context that recent consolida-
tion work undertaken with all our members has led to the publication of seven
strategic visions: Vision 2050 for Europe completed with the Rail Technical
Strategy for Europe, a vision for Asia-Oceania, for the Middle-East, Africa,
South America and last but not least for North America.
North America, as is well known, has a long railway history and is a developing
economy with advanced infrastructure enabling it to meet the strong need for
mobility of goods and people. North America is also facing strong urbanisa-
tion needing new intra-city and inter-city transport plans. North America also
has needs, capacity and logistics competencies to structure logistics chains –
3
whether passenger or freight – in an increasingly widespread logic of door-to-
door customer service.
North America has long since illustrated its visions for a better future for society
with the available investment capacity to achieve them. This North American
Vision will obviously address, among others, the role of the American Associa-
tion of Railroads (AAR) and the very important development in the area of frei-
ght. The edition will also address projects linked to Amtrak; will talk about the
long-awaited high speed railway in North America, in the United States, with
the Californian corridor, and will also mention of course the role of research to
support a vision of the future with railways at the core of a global transport and
mobility scheme of a 21st century America.
Jean-Pierre Loubinoux,
UIC Director General
UIC MEMBERS IN NORTH AMERICA
6
Railway vision for North America l Challenges for the future
7
TRANSPORTATION KEY FIGURES
IN THE USA / CANADA
34 000 km of lines in the USA 20 000 employees
300 trains / day (AMTRAK) 31,6 million passengers in 2013 in the USA
World trade
USA: world’s largest
importer and exporter
of goods in 2012
(World Bank)
Rate of urbanisation
Over 82 % of people
live in cities in 2013
Railway vision for North America l Challenges for the future
j 135 billion Americans (44% of the population): FRA’s activities, and those of its rail industry
near a rail corridor ready to receive significant partners, have resulted in one of the safest de-
investment cades ever — the number of train accidents drop-
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CONTEXT
Promoting innovation
FRA’s budget invests in research, development, and
workforce to enable America’s global leadership in
rail safety, productivity, and technological innova-
tion. FRA’s vision is a domestic rail industry that
leads the world again – we want U.S. companies to
patent state-of-the-art rail technology, supply rail
operators throughout the world, and employ the
best engineers and railway workers. The United
States should export intellectual capital and rail 11
products, not import them. The budget makes in- tional market and connecting it at low cost to mar-
vestments in America’s workforce, manufacturing, kets in other countries and regions.”
and critical research and development activities.
Even in challenging fiscal situations, it is impera-
Ensuring transparency and accountability tive that the United States continue to invest in
Accomplishing the priorities described above can the infrastructure that will enable the country to
occur only if these programs are managed through maintain and strengthen its position as a global
a process that makes expected public benefits and economic leader in the 21st century and beyond.
service improvements transparent to the American The WEF currently ranks the U.S. 25th in quality of
people. The roles and responsibilities of the Fede- overall infrastructure, down from 7th in 1999 and
ral government, States, Amtrak, freight railroads, below nearly all western European nations as well
and other stakeholders must be clear and based as several Asian and Middle Eastern countries.
on sound public policy. The budget provides a
transparent structure that will ensure delivery of Maintaining economic competitiveness over the
public benefits and a high level of accountability long-term will require the U.S. to address a num-
for public resources. ber of interconnected transportation challenges:
Energy consumption — In 2010, the United States in some of these markets jumped 16 to 18 percent
used more than 13 million barrels of oil every day from 2010 to 2011, compared to the average na-
for transportation. U.S. citizens consume near- tionwide increase of 6 percent.
ly twice the oil per capita as citizens of OECD
member nations. Changing Demographics — Younger generations
of Americans are choosing to drive both less of-
Energy costs — The inflation-adjusted cost of oil ten and for fewer miles than previous generations.
increased 129 percent from 1990 to 2010. As a re- At the same time, a large number of Americans is
sult, Americans spent $630 million more per day entering their retirement years and are also choo-
on oil for transportation than they did 20 years sing to drive less often, particularly over longer
earlier—an average annual increase of nearly $750 distances. Only 15% of Americans older than 65
for every American. The Energy Information Admi- drive regularly, and that rate declines to just 6% for
nistration expects crude oil prices to rise an addi- those older than 75. The number of Americans in
tional 50 percent between 2011 and 2035. the 65-and-over age bracket is expected to double
by 2040, to 81 million people, or more than 20% of
Environmental protection — The 2013 Inventory the U.S. population in that year.
of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks found
that the U.S. emitted 7.6 percent more greenhouse
gases in 2010 than it did in 1990. In addition, 27.3 How Do You Know The Program
percent of all greenhouse gas emissions are now Works?
from the transportation sector. Americans are choosing rail in record numbers
Demand for passenger rail is surging across the
Congestion and Mobility United States. Ridership levels have set new records
3 Highway and aviation congestion continues to in ten of the past eleven years. In FY 2013, Amtrak
12 rise, with an estimated economic impact growing carried a record 31.6 million passengers and saw
from $24 billion in 1982 to $121 billion in 2011 in lost growth across the country, with state-supported
time, productivity, and fuel. In many places with corridors reaching record ridership and long dis-
the worst congestion, expanding airports and tance services having their highest ridership in 20
highways is difficult, as land is limited and environ- years. Twenty different routes set new ridership
mental/community impacts are significant. records, and overall ticket revenues set a new re-
cord at $2.1 billion. These ridership levels are being
3 In addition to increasing congestion, air travel is achieved even before many of the substantial ser-
becoming less accessible and convenient for many vice improvements funded in recent years begin
communities. Changes in airline economics have to come online. Once new trains are added and
led to small and mid-size cities losing 15 percent or trip times and delays reduced, the system will see
more of their nonstop domestic flights, and fares even higher levels of ridership.
3.364
pulation growth, rail provides very high
capacity within a relatively limited geo-
graphic “footprint.” Rail is among the
2.638 2.214
most energy-efficient ways to travel, and
also has lower pollution emission rates
than other modes. As highway and air-
port congestion increases, rail can pro-
personal automobile air intercity vide a more reliable and efficient travel
truck rail
Source : US Department of Energy, Transportation Energy Data options for many markets.
Book, Edition 32, July 2013.
Railway vision for North America l Challenges for the future
13
Vancouver, BC
Seattle boston-portland
eugene-portland
seattle-vancouver, BC
+121%
Portland
+66%
Eugene
chicago-milwaukee
Portland
+95%
Boston
Milwaukee
Detroit
Chicago
chicago-st. louis
Sacramento
OaKland
+116% chicago-detroit
San Jose
+51%
Fresno St Louis
Charlotte charlotte-raleigh
Los Angeles Oklahoma City
+69%
Capitol corridor (San Jose/OaKland - Sacramento - Auburn)
+127%
Pacific Surfliner (San Luis Obispo - Los Angeles - San Diego)
legend
14 +67%
fy2000 ridership 1 million riders
More goods are traveling by rail (TIGER) program has received more than 110 ap-
The intermodal market has been the fastest gro plications requesting over $4 billion for intercity
wing segment of the freight rail industry since passenger rail projects, and more than $5 billion in
1980. As of December 2013, intermodal freight is funding has been requested for freight rail-related
on pace to exceed the record volumes achieved projects.
in 2013. Furthermore, goods are traveling shorter
distances by rail on average, as new infrastructure Public support for rail
to support intermodal freight comes online. This is increasing
growth demonstrates the demand for intermodal Public opinion polls consistently reveal strong sup-
rail transportation as more shippers decide to take port for intercity passenger rail. A 2011 Harris Poll
advantage of the mode’s inherent economic ad- survey revealed that nearly two-thirds of Ameri-
vantages. cans (62 percent) support using Federal funds to
develop high-speed rail.
Communities across the Nation Recent surveys of residents in Kansas, Colorado,
are competing for rail investment Pennsylvania, Missouri and Illinois have consistent-
dollars ly found substantial popular support for maintai-
Every region in the U.S. has demonstrated demand ning and expanding intercity services. For exa-
for investments in passenger rail services. Between mple, nearly 3 in 4 residents in a Pennsylvania poll
August 2009 and April 2011, FRA evaluated nearly supported expanding train service to places like
500 applications submitted by 39 states, the Dis- Philadelphia, New York and Chicago. Similarly, 70
trict of Columbia, and Amtrak, requesting more percent of residents from eight congressional dis-
than $75 billion. Over five rounds, the Transporta- tricts in Colorado and Kansas supported federal
tion Investment Generating Economic Recovery funding for intercity rail.
Railway vision for North America l Challenges for the future
Rail has demonstrated public Finally, investing in rail produces tangible econo-
benefits, domestically and mic returns even beyond the improved transporta-
internationally tion network. For example, German towns connec- 15
ted to high-speed rail achieved 2.5 percent greater
j Strengthening passenger rail services can help economic growth than comparable, nearby towns
balance the Nation’s transportation network, as not connected to the rail system.
demonstrated on the Northeast Corridor (NEC).
Since the introduction of the Acela service 13
years ago, Amtrak has almost tripled its air/rail
market share on the NEC, carrying 75 percent Joseph C. Szabo,
of travelers between New York and Washington. Administrator
These changing travel patterns can free airport Federal Railroad
capacity for more cost-efficient long-distance Admnistration (FRA)
flights. Nominated March 20, 2009,
and confirmed by the United
j Rail is also proven to be highly fuel efficient. States Senate on April 29,
One intermodal train between Chicago and Los 2009, Joseph C. Szabo is the
Angeles can save 75,000 gallons of fuel by re- twelfth Administrator of the Federal Railroad
placing 300 trucks. Diverting just 10 percent of Administration (FRA) and the first to come
long-distance freight from truck to rail would from the ranks of rail workers. He leads a
save one billion gallons of fuel each year; the staff of over 900 professionals located in
resulting decrease in greenhouse gas emissions Washington DC and at field offices across
would be the equivalent of taking nearly 2 mil- the United States who develop and enforce
lion cars off the road for a year. safety regulations; manage financial assistan-
j Furthermore, freight rail systems consist prima- ce programs; and oversee research and tech-
rily of privately-owned infrastructure and are nology development programs. Their mission:
maintained out of railroad revenues. In contrast, To enable the safe, reliable, and efficient mo-
heavy intercity trucks pay only 80 percent of the vement of people and goods for a strong
costs they impose on Federal highways through America, now and in the future.
wear-and-tear.
FOCUSSES ON MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS
AND DEVELOPMENTS
j HIGH SPEED by J. Morales, Chsra
j PASSENGERS by J. Boardman, Amtrak
j FREIGHT by R. Vanderclute, AAR
j RESEARCH by S. Kalay, TTCI
16
At the end of every year, we are presented with an
opportunity both to reflect on the past and envi- Jeff Morales,
sion the future. In that spirit, we wanted to update Chief Executive Officer
you on the status of California’s high-speed rail California High-Speed
program and answer questions being raised about Rail Authority (CHSRA)
this transformative, but controversial, endeavor.
Jeff Morales is the Chief
In 2008, Californians took a bold step toward a
Executive Officer of the
better future by passing an initiative approving
California High Speed
bonds for construction of a high-speed rail sys-
Rail Authority and has a
tem. Proposition 1A did not call for more studies. distinguished record of experience mana-
It called for action. In 2011, Gov. Jerry Brown took ging large and complex transportation is-
that action by declaring his support for high- sues and projects. As the former Director
speed rail, but only after bringing in a new team of the California Department of Transpor-
to turn it around. In 2012, we issued a revised bu- tation, Morales managed a $10 billion pro-
siness plan, which formed the basis for legislative gram and more than 23,000 employees
appropriation later that year. Since then, we have working to build, maintain and operate the
moved forward aggressively and today are on the largest state transportation system in the
verge of breaking ground. U.S. His experience at the federal level in-
cludes serving as a member of President
Unfortunately, many suffer from a “Christmas mor- Elect Obama’s transition team focusing
ning” fantasy, in which high-speed rail suddenly on transportation, Vice President Al Gore’s
appears, tied up with a bow and ready to whisk National Performance Review, the White
passengers around the state. Reality is far diffe- House Commission on Aviation Safety and
rent. Advancing once-in-a-generation infrastruc- Security, the United States Department of
ture projects is always hard and contentious. Bay Transportation and as U.S. Senate staff.
Area Rapid Transit (BART) was called a boon-
San Jose.
FOCUSSES ON MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS AND DEVELOPMENTS
doggle. Over 2,300 lawsuits were filed to stop gnificant amount of private funding will emerge as
construction of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. De- construction advances.
cades later, does anyone regret those tough deci-
sions? Where would California be if leaders at the Why start in the Central Valley?
time hadn’t persevered? The reason for our planned route is clear: it’s the
Like these landmark efforts, there has been a law. Proposition 1A mandated that high-speed rail
great deal of misinformation about high-speed rail connect Fresno, Bakersfield, and Palmdale. Califor-
—much of it propagated by self-interested oppo- nia needs the Central Valley, the fastest-growing
nents determined to stop it. But the issues they yet poorest region in the state, to stimulate econo-
raise today were well known when voters appro- mic growth. Though some insist we should follow
ved Proposition 1A. Today, we’re in a better posi- Interstate 5, this would clearly violate Proposition
tion to answer them: 1A while dooming the Central Valley to long-term
stagnation. And despite overstated claims of agri-
Where will the funding come from? cultural ruin, high-speed rail’s impact on farmland
Proposition 1A approved $8 billion against a $45 will be minimal—about 4,500 acres affected, com-
billion program with no specified source of federal pared to over 100,000 acres lost to sprawl over
or private funds. The fact is that major infrastruc- the last decade.
ture projects are never fully funded on Day 1. At
the time Proposition 1A passed, no federal funding Aren’t there cheaper alternatives?
had been allocated. Today, we have $3.3 billion in No. To opponents of the project we ask: What is
federal funds committed and proposals are before your plan to overcome the congestion, pollution,
Congress for long-term funding. We are building and economic hardship that will accompany the
in phases, delivering usable segments only after doubling of our population over the coming de-
18 we have the money in-hand to do so. Meanwhile, cades? California already has the nation’s most
we’ve begun discussions with private investors crowded freeways and air corridors. Even if we
and are confident that, based upon international substantially expand I-5 and the San Francisco
experience and the strong response to date, a si- Airport—neither of which is realistic—it would cost
roughly three times more than high-speed rail.
california high-speed rail
stawide rail modernization Won’t ridership and revenue fall short?
In 2008, our ridership and revenue forecasts were
the subject of significant criticism. Today, those fo-
recasts have undergone revision. Recently, the Ge-
neral Accountability Office – Congress’ watchdog
agency – concluded that our cost estimates are,
“consistent with best practices,” and found our “ri-
dership and revenue forecasts to be reasonable.”
Cascades Chicago
Hub
Northeast
California Corridor Corridor
20
Northeast Corridor rope or Asia to operate in the U.S. with little or no
Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor (NEC) is the busiest modification. In a first for Amtrak, this acquisition
railroad in North America, with more than 2,200 is being undertaken in partnership with the Cali-
trains operating over some portion of the Was- fornia High-Speed Rail Authority. The goal of this
hington-Boston route each day. Approximately partnership is to see if there is a common platform
260 million intercity and commuter rail passengers that can meet Amtrak’s short-term needs for ope-
rely on the NEC each year. Amtrak has a strong ration on the existing NEC infrastructure, where
competitive position in the NEC, carrying three maximum speeds for the near term will be capped
times as many passengers between Washington at 160 miles-per-hour (mph), while also meeting
and New York City as all airlines combined and the the Authority’s long-term needs for equipment to
majority of trips in the market we share with the operate on purpose-built right-of-way at speeds
airlines for the New York City to Boston corridor. up to 220 mph. Such equipment would also help
meet Amtrak’s long-term needs described below.
The Northeast Corridor services already earn a fi-
nancial surplus from operations, what is sometimes Amtrak published in 2010 a Vision for High-Speed
called “above the rail.” Indeed, Amtrak’s premium Rail In the Northeast Corridor and updated it in
service on the NEC, Acela Express, is so popular 2012. This report envisions major capital improve-
that the service is now reaching the capacity of the ments to the NEC, including substantial portions
current equipment. In the short term, Amtrak will of new alignment and infrastructure that would
address these capacity issues by acquiring new, permit trip times between Washington and New
high-speed trainsets that will initially supplement York City and New York City and Boston, of ap-
and eventually replace the 1990s-era equipment proximately 1:30. Today, trip times for these seg-
presently used for this service. This procurement ments are 2:45 and 3:15, respectively.
will be the first major order for equipment under
the Federal Railroad Administration’s evolving Planning and environmental studies for this effort
passenger equipment standards that will permit are presently in progress. They are most advanced
equipment proven in commercial service in Eu- in what is referred to as the New York City Gateway
Railway vision for North America l Challenges for the future
Project, which would provide modern, expanded service that exceeds their expectations. For the
access into New York City from Newark, New Jer- Federal Government, which is also a customer for
sey. As part of the Gateway Project, Amtrak is pre- these services, Amtrak will seek to provide cost-ef-
sently investing in preserving right-of-way for new fective service that demonstrates that the Federal
tunnels under the Hudson River that will eventual- taxpayers receive value for their investment.
ly access New York City’s Pennsylvania Station.
The State-Supported Services are adjusting to a The next year or two will see the periodic legisla-
new relationship between Amtrak and the States tive redefinition by the U.S. Congress of the U.S.
where the States have the primary responsibility Federal Government’s role in surface transporta-
for the design and funding of the services that be- tion. This will include the Federal investments in
nefit them. Amtrak sees its strategy related to these highways, public transit, and Amtrak. Amtrak will
services addressing two different customers. For be an active participant in the debates that will
the customers that travel on the trains, the goal is lead to new transportation legislation. Amtrak’s
to deliver superior customer service by providing goal is to move away from the traditional ap-
friendly, efficient and on-time service that exceeds proach of transportation investment that is de-
their expectations. For the States that help fund fined by specific forms of transportation, such as
these trains, the goal is to provide cost-effective highways. Our vision is for a new approach where
service that demonstrates they receive value for the Federal Government’s transportation invest-
their investment. ments will be based upon what investment yields
the greatest benefit to national mobility needs in
The strategy for Long-Distance Trains, will in many a specific situation. Amtrak believes that its future
ways parallel that for the State-Supported Service. will be bright in such a transportation investment
For travelers on the trains we will provide superior environment.
21
FOCUSSES ON MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS AND DEVELOPMENTS
Summary
From one end of the country to the other, the Uni Robert C. Vanderclute,
ted States is connected by the safest, most affor- Senior Vice President
dable, and most reliable freight rail system in the of Safety and Operations
22 world. The seven large “Class I” railroads, working Association of American
in cooperation with hundreds of smaller railroads Railroads (AAR). Chairman
and tens of thousands of rail customers, deliver of UIC North America Region
economic growth, support job creation, and pro-
vide huge environmental benefits such as reduced Robert C. VanderClute has more than 40
highway gridlock and cleaner air. Almost entirely
years in railroading, and since 2003 has
been the SVP of Operations at AAR. In this
privately owned and operated, America’s freight
role, he oversees the railroad industry’s
railroads in recent years have been reinvesting
homeland security plan, equipment inter-
more than ever before — including a record $25.5
change standards, car service rules, quality
billion in 2012, of their own funds, not government
assurance programs, safety initiatives and
funds — on their nearly 140,000-mile network.
issues in environmental, hazardous mate-
rials, communication and signals as well
Delivering The Goods Across as tank car safety and design standards.
the Country and to the World He also serves as the industry liaison with
As an indispensable part of America’s transporta- the federal government, including the U.S.
tion system, freight railroads serve nearly every in- Department of Transportation, the Fede-
dustrial, wholesale, retail, and resource-based sec- ral Railroad Administration, the National
tor of our economy. More than 560 freight railroads Transportation Safety Board, The Environ-
operate in the United States. The seven “Class I” mental Protection Agency, the Department
railroads account for 69 percent of freight rail mi- of Homeland Security, the Federal Commu-
leage, 90 percent of employees, and 94 percent nications Commission and other regulatory
of revenue. Class I railroads typically operate in bodies. Prior to joining AAR, he was with
many different states over thousands of miles of Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) where he led the
track. Non-Class I railroads — also known as short company’s international passenger rail acti-
line and regional railroads — range in size from vities, including major high-speed projects
tiny operations handling a few carloads a month in the U.K. and China. He is the Chairman of
to multi-state operators not far from Class I size. UIC North America.
Together, America’s freight railroads form an inte-
Railway vision for North America l Challenges for the future
intermodal: 12.3 million Food products: Lumber, paper & other forest Farm products:
tralers and containers 1.6 million carloads products: 1.0 million carloads 1.6 million containers
And much
more!
Plastics, fertilizers and other Sand, stone & gravel: Transp. equipment: Coal: 6.3 milion
chemicals: 2.2 milion carloads 1.3 milion carloads 1.4 milion carloads carloads Figures are 2012.
FOCUSSES ON MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS AND DEVELOPMENTS
6.5¢
j In addition to their own employees, America’s
Average inflation-adjusted
freight railroads sustain more than one million 6.0¢ U.S. freight rail rates were
Revenue per ton-mile
TO) estimated that if all freight rail traffic were *Avg. revenue per ton-mile, all commodities. Source: BLS, AAR
Railway vision for North America l Challenges for the future
shifted to trucks, rail shippers would have to pay nearly 17 percent, or more than five times more.
an additional $69 billion per year. Adjusted for The four largest U.S. freight railroads each
increased freight volume and inflation, that fi- spend much more on their tracks and infrastruc-
gure is probably close to $100 billion today. ture each year than most states spend on their
highways.
Investing for the Future
As America’s economy grows, the need to move Safer Than Ever
more people and goods will grow too. Recent Nothing is more important to railroads than safe
forecasts reported by the Federal Highway Ad- ty, and America’s railroads are safer today than
ministration found that total U.S. freight ship- ever before. The safety challenge is never ending.
ments will rise from an estimated 17.6 billion tons That’s why railroads, in cooperation with their
in 2011 to 28.5 billion tons in 2040 — a 62 percent employees, suppliers, customers and policyma-
increase. Railroads are getting ready today to kers, are constantly developing and implemen-
meet this challenge: ting new safety-enhancing technologies and ope-
rating practices to further improve their already
j America’s freight railroads operate overwhelmin excellent safety record.
gly on infrastructure that they own, build, main-
tain, and pay for themselves. By contrast, trucks,
airlines, and barges operate on highways, air Accident & casualty rates have plunged
ways, and waterways that are publicly financed. 12
11
RR Employee Casualties*
j From 1980 to 2012, freight railroads reinvested 10
1980-2012: 85%
$525 billion on locomotives, freight cars, tracks, 9
1990-2012: 78%
bridges, tunnels and other infrastructure and 8 25
2000-2012: 51%
equipment. That’s more than 40 cents out of 7
every revenue dollar. Despite the recession, in re- 6
cent years America’s freight railroads have been 5
reinvesting more than ever before — including 4
Train accidents**
$25.5 billion in 2012 — back into a rail network 3
1980-2012: 80%
that keeps our economy moving. 2
1990-2012: 51%
1 2000-2012: 44%
j The average U.S. manufacturer spends about 3 0
‘80 ‘82 ‘84 ‘86 ‘88 ‘90 ‘92 ‘94 ‘96 ‘98 ‘00 ‘02 ‘04 ‘06 ‘08 ‘10 ‘12
percent of its revenue on capital expenditures.
* Injuries and fatalities per 100 employee equivalents.
The comparable figure for U.S. freight railroads is ** Train accidents per million train-miles. Source: FRA
Freight railroad spending RRs ARE SAFER THAN MOST OTHER INDUSTRIES
on infrastructure & equipment* (injuries per 200,000 employee-hours)
($ billions) $25.5 6
Air
Railroads are spending $23.3 Transp.
record amounts to 5
maintain and improve $21.5 All
their tracks and $20.8 Private Agric.
equipment. $20.2 $20.2 4 Industry
$19.3
Inland Grocery Trucking
water Mining strores
3 freight
$16.7 $16.7 Manuf.
$15.5 Constr.
2
RRs
‘03 ‘04 ‘05 ‘06 ‘07 ‘08 ‘09 ‘10 ‘11 ‘12
Capital spending + maintenance expenses. 0
2012 is preliminary. Data are for Class I railroads. Source:AAR Data are 2011. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
FOCUSSES ON MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS AND DEVELOPMENTS
j The train accident rate in 2012 was down 80 by rail instead of truck reduces greenhouse gas
percent from 1980 and down 44 percent from emission by 75 percent.
2000; the employee injury rate was down 85
percent from 1980 and down 51 percent from j Since a single train can replace several hundred
2000; and the grade crossing collision rate trucks, railroads help reduce highway gridlock
was down 82 percent from 1980 and down 45 and the need to spend scarce taxpayer dollars
percent from 2000. Each of these categories on highways.
achieved record lows in 2012.
A NEED FOR REASONABLE REGULATION
j Railroads today have lower employee injury rates j Largely because of decades of excessive regu-
than most other major industries, including truc- lation, by the 1970s U.S. freight railroads were
king, inland water transportation, airlines, agri- on the brink of ruin. Railroad bankruptcies were
culture, mining, manufacturing, and construc- common, and tracks and equipment were fal-
tion — even lower than grocery stores. ling apart because railroads could not afford the
cost of upkeep. The economy suffered greatly
j Railroads are constantly incorporating new tech- because railroads could not provide the quality
nologies to improve rail safety. Just a few of the service their customers needed.
many examples include sophisticated detectors
along tracks that identify defects on passing rail j Recognizing the need for reform, Congress
cars; ground-penetrating radar that identifies passed the Staggers Rail Act of 1980. The Stag-
problems below ground, such as excessive mois- gers Act put in place a more reasonable regu-
ture, that could destabilize track; and specialized latory system under which railroads could lar-
rail cars that use sophisticated instruments to gely decide for themselves – rather than have
identify defects in tracks. Washington decide for them – what routes to
26 use, what services to offer, and what prices to
ESSENTIAL TO A GREENER, charge. Staggers did not eliminate government
LESS-CONGESTED FUTURE oversight, though. Government regulators to-
j Railroads are the most environmentally sound day still can take action, including setting maxi-
way to move freight and are committed to even mum-allowable rail rates, if a railroad engages in
greater environmental excellence in the years anti-competitive behavior.
ahead.
j Unfortunately, some shortsighted groups and
j In 2012, U.S. railroads moved a ton of freight an individuals are calling for a return to the days of
average of 476 miles per gallon of fuel. On ave- unbalanced and unreasonable regulation. Poli-
rage, railroads are four times more fuel efficient cymakers should reject these calls and retain a
than trucks. common-sense regulatory system that provides
effective oversight while allowing railroads to
j Because greenhouse gas emissions are direct- provide the rail system our economy needs to
ly related to fuel consumption, moving freight grow.
Railway vision for North America l Challenges for the future
The North American railroad industry is increa detector system was developed by Beena Vision,
singly moving towards detector and performan a N.A detector technology supplier, to inspect the
ce-based rolling stock maintenance to improve freight wagon and its components at speeds up to
efficiency by reducing the cost of maintenance 60 kmph.
and inspection. Currently the various car health
monitoring systems are being used to identify In cooperation with Federal Railroad Administra-
poorly performing cars. In the future, technology tion (FRA), TTCI is testing a new and alternative
will allow for the detector systems to be integrated wheel flaw detection system. The ultrasonic wheel
in order to assess the overall condition of the car inspection system shown in Figure 2 was produced
and its components and to plan shorter and lon- by China’s Sheenline Corporation, shows pro-
ger-term proactive maintenance actions as well mise for inspecting freight train wheels at speeds
as better car fleet management. Figure 1 shows a near 20 mph. If successful, this technology could
photo of a train undercarriage inspection system substantially increase the inspection rate of train
currently under testing and evaluation at TTC. The wheels for internal flaws.
FOCUSSES ON MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS AND DEVELOPMENTS
Figure 1. Figure 2.
A machine vision inspection system, one of many defect- An automated Cracked Wheel Detection System under
detection technologies being tested at TTC. evaluation at TTC.
The Integrated Railway Remote Information Ser- encompasses the entire rolling stock health cycle,
vice® (InteRRIS®), an advanced Internet database incorporating prevention, detection, planning, mo-
with wide potential applicability, was developed vement, and repair.
at TTCI. InteRRIS® collects data from many detec-
28 tors including wheel impact load detector systems The track and structures research program fo-
(which identify wheel defects by measuring the cuses on improvements to track materials, special
force generated by wheels on tracks) and detectors trackwork designs, bridges and track substructure.
that monitor the undercarriage of rail cars (which Development of innovative solutions is underway
identify suspension systems that are not perfor- by the N.A. rail industry in the area of track ins-
ming properly on curves). InteRRIS® processes the pection and track maintenance, friction control,
information to produce vehicle condition reports. advanced track geometry inspection systems, ul-
Many of these technological advances have been trasonic-based rail inspection tools, and predictive
incorporated in the rail industry’s Advanced Tech- algorithms that utilize measured data.
nology Safety Initiative (ATSI), a predictive and
proactive maintenance system designed to detect In 2013, TTCI continued its partnership with Edi-
and report potential safety problems and poorly son Welding Institute (EWI), a leading developer
performing equipment before they result in acci- of nondestructive inspection technology, to de-
dents or damage. velop phased array rail inspection technology to
improve rail inspection. Traditional rail inspection
North American rail industry safety will also be leaves some portions of the railhead uninspected
enhanced by the Asset Health Strategic Initiative because inspection angles are fixed in the hard-
(AHSI), a multi-year rail industry program being ware. With phased array ultrasonics, the inspec-
developed by AAR’s Railinc, that will apply infor- tion beam can be steered and focused without
mation technology solutions and processes to im- reorienting the probe. TTCI’s goal is to use the
prove the safety and performance of freight cars greater capabilities of phased array to find any
and locomotives across North America. AHSI aims flaw in the railhead or web. In 2014, a demonstra-
to improve safety and reduce costs across the rail tion of the prototype’s capabilities will be perfor-
industry by addressing mechanical service inter- med in a rail inspection vehicle environment.
ruptions, inspection quality, and yard and shop
efficiency. It is based on the recognition that im- TTCI continues to manage another long-standing
proving asset health means more than just focu- research program for the AAR at the Facility for
sing on railcar and locomotive repair. Rather, it Accelerated Service Testing (FAST) on the High
Railway vision for North America l Challenges for the future
Figure 3. Figure 4.
FAST’s 16,000-tonne train equipped with 110 wagons with FAST’s 4.3 km. High Tonnage Loop with three 340-
35.3-metric-tonne axle loads. to 400-meter curves and three full-scale bridges.
Tonnage Loop (HTL) (Figure 4). Launched in Research within the North American rail industry
1976, FAST operates up to 140-million gross tons is a cooperative effort that takes advantage of not
per year durability test bed for railroad track, rail only the best minds within the industry, but also
vehicles, and their component parts. A 17,600-ton enlists the help of researchers at major universities
full-scale train comprised of 3 SD 70 locomotives through the Affiliated Laboratory Program. The 29
and 110, 315,000-pound cars (Figure 3) are ope- AAR Affiliated Laboratory Program is one way in
rated over a 2.7-mile-long HTL at 40 mph. The which the railroads maintain awareness, adopt,
cars and the locomotives are loaned by the AAR and assimilate new technologies. The program has
member roads. The oval-shaped HTL, where the grown to include four universities, providing a pool
train is operated, is comprised of sharp curves of engineers and scientists who are familiar with
and tangent track with new and untried track and railroads and who are available to solve technolo-
bridge components and designs. The AAR, indivi- gical problems. They are University of Illinois, Texas
dual railroads, and railroad suppliers (through in- A&M, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Uni-
kind contributions) have cooperatively funded the versity (Virginia Tech), and University of Alberta.
operations at FAST and its test programs. Projects of the program help train future engineers
who will build and maintain the railroads, and can
Given the high capital costs of bridge replacement, provide the basic research needed by the industry.
recent research at TTCI has been focusing on the
oldest bridges in the railroad infrastructure. The The long-term outlook for the N.A. railroad indus-
addition of a 100-year old riveted girder span at try is that demand for railroad freight and passen-
FAST is serving as a proving ground for studying ger service will increase at rates beyond the growth
the effectiveness of various repair methods. In ad- of the gross domestic product. With the railway
dition, it is providing valuable information about network already at capacity on some segments, it
the effects of corrosion and the effects of impaired is imperative that research targeted at improving
lateral bracing members. Effective inspection, safety, network efficiency, and capacity is acce-
maintenance, repairs and safety methods inclu- lerated. The development of best practices and
ding ongoing stress and deflection measurements components, through continued use of the TTC’s
have successfully extended the service life of this revenue-service type environment to test new ma-
bridge span at FAST. The research on bridges terials and techniques for improving rolling stock,
at TTCI also has the added benefit of being ap- strengthening the track structure as well as redu-
plicable not only to the rail industry, but also to cing the stress state under HAL operations will be-
highway applications, as well. nefit the industry in years to come.
a feW ConCluding Words
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