RESEARCH RESULTS are four-page summaries, which describe significant R&D projects. These documents will be posted as projects or major project phases are completed.  Full reports that document past research on these and other topics are also available from the Research Reports page.

RR08-31: Development of Rail Neutral Temperature Monitoring Device

RR08-28: Quick-Release Emergency Egress Panels for Cab Car End Door

RR08-26: Fracture and Fatigue Evaluation of Slot-Welded Railhead Repairs

RR08-25: On-line High-speed Rail Defect Detection

RR08-24: Communication Timeout and Latency Effect on Positive Train Control System for the IDOT Corridor

RR08-23: Development of a Locomotive Security System Using Biometric Authentication

RR08-22: Improving the Wheel/Rail Performance on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor

RR08-21: Evaluation of Tie Plate Cracking on Composite Ties

RR08-20: Generic Wheel/Rail Profiles for Commuter Railroads

RR08-17: Gas Pressure Welds and Hollink Slot Welds Testing at the Facility for Accelerated Service Testing

RR08-15: Performance of Two Concrete Bridges at the Facility for Accelerated Service Testing for 500 MGT

RR08-11: Preliminary Results of Prototype Insulated Joint Tests at the Facility for Accelerated Service Testing

RR08-10: North American Joint Positive Train Control System Four-Quadrant Gate Reliability Assessment

RR08-09: Positive Safety Outcomes of Clear Signal for Action Program at Union Pacific Yard Operations

RR08-08: Promising Evidence of  Impact on Road Safety by Changing At-risk Behavior Process at Union Pacific

RR08-07: NC DOT "Sealed Corridor" Assessment Phase I, II, and III

RR08-06: Development of Rail Temperature Prediction Model

RR08-05: Ultrasonic Monitoring of Longitudinal Rail Stress

RR08-04: System for Monitoring Multiple Railroad Operations Using an Integrated Track Display and Common Data Protocol

RR08-03: Slab Track Test and Demonstration for Shared Freight and High-Speed Passenger Service

RR08-02: Improved Spiral Geometry for High Speed Rail

RR08-01: Safety Analysis of Communication Timeout and Latency in a Positive Train Control System

RR07-22: Regenerative Power for Track-Health Monitoring

RR07-21: Alternative Rail Intruder and Obstacle Detection Systems

RR07-20: Feasibility Studies of Integrating Intelligent Transportation Systems and Positive Train Control Technologies at Highway-Rail Intersections

RR07-19: Trespass on Railroad Rights-of-Way

RR07-18: Public Education and Enforcement Research

RR07-17: Alerting Lights on Locomotives

RR07-16: Heavy Axle Load Revenue Service Rail Performance, Tehachapi, CA

RR07-15: Preliminary Impact Load Assessment of Ballast Deck Prestressed Concrete Bridges

RR07-13: Signal Shunting Performance Related to Application of Wayside-Based Top of Rail Friction Control Materials

RR07-12: Bridge Approaches and Track Stiffness

RR07-10: Study of High-Speed Wireless Data Transmissions for Railroad Operation

RR07-09: Work Schedules and Sleep Patterns of Railroad Dispatchers

RR07-08: Clear Signal for Action Program Addresses Locomotive Cab Safety Related to Constraining Signals

RR07-07: Behavior-Based Safety at Amtrak-Chicago Associated with Reduced Injuries and Costs

RR07-06: Railroad Horn Systems

RR07-05: Train-to-Train Impact Test of Crash Energy Management Passenger Rail Equipment

RR07-04: Development of a Switch Point Monitoring System in Non-Signaled Territory

RR07-03: A Crash Energy Management Specification for Passenger Rail Equipment

RR07-01: Development of a General Train Movement Simulator for Safety Evaluation

RR06-20: Retroreflective Markings on Rail Cars

RR06-18: A Pilot Examination of a Joint Railroad Management-Labor Approach to Root Cause Analysis of Accidents, Incidents, and Close Calls in a Diesel and Car Repair Shop Environment

RR06-17: An Integrated Track Stability Assessment and Monitoring System Using Site-Specific Geo-Technical/Spatial Parameters and Remote Sensing Technologies

RR06-16: Alternative End Frame Design of Passenger Rail Cab Car

RR06-15:  Deformability and Energy Absorption for Optimized End Frame Designs for Passenger Rail Cars

RR06-14:  Canadian Pacific Railway Services’ 5-Alive Safety Program Shows Promise in Reducing Injuries

RR06-13:  Canadian Pacific Railway Investigation of Safety-Related Occurrences Protocol Considered Helpful by both Labor and Management

RR06-11: Preliminary Evaluation of T-18’s Gage Restraint Measurement System Tests

RR06-10: A Higher Speed Turnout

RR06-09: Yardmasters and Yard Safety in the US Railroad Industry: An exploratory Study

RR06-08: Real-Time Vertical Track Modulus Measurement System

RR06-07: Passenger Rail Car Evacuation Simulator

RR06-06: Effectiveness of Alternate Rail Passenger Equipment Crashworthiness Strategies

RR06-05.1: Work Schedules and Sleep Patterns of Railroad Maintenance of Way Workers

RR06-04: Passenger Rail Car Egress Time Prediction

RR06-03: Video System for Joint Bar Inspection

RR06-02: Fracture and Fatigue Damage Tolerance of Bainitic and Pearlitic Rail Steels

RR06-01: A Comparative Risk Assessment of Remote Control Locomotive Operations versus Conventional Yard Switching Operations

RR05-09: Development of a Detailed Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis Model of Colliding Trains

RR05-08: Development of Crush Zones for Passenger Railcars

RR05-07: On-line High-speed Rail Defect Detection – Phase III

RR05-06: Non-Destructive Evaluation of Railway Track Using Ground Penetrating Radar

RR05-05: Human Factors Root Cause Analysis Of Accidents/Incidents Involving Remote Control Locomotive Operations

RR05-04: Work Schedules and Sleep Patterns of Railroad Signalmen

RR05-03: Remote Control Locomotive Operations: Results of Focus Groups with Remote Control Operators in the U.S. and Canada

RR05-02: Locomotive Crew Egress

RR05-01: Development of Objective Track Quality Indices

RR04-03: A Preliminary Design of a System to Measure Vertical Track Modulus from a Moving Railcar

RR04-01: Development and Deployment of a Vehicle Tracking System

RR03-07: Aerodynamic Effects of High-Speed Trains

RR03-06: Human Reliability Analysis in Support of Risk Assessment for Positive Train Control

RR03-05: Locomotive Fuel Tank Safety

RR03-04: Locomotive Crew Egress

RR03-03: The Impact of Safety Rules Revisions on Safety Culture, Incident Rates, and Liability Claims in the U.S. Railroad Industry

RR03-02: Passenger Train Fire Safety

RR03-01: The Influence of Track Maintenance on the Lateral Resistance of Concrete Tie Track

RR02-02: A Preliminary Examination of Railroad Dispatcher Workload, Stress, and Fatigue

RR02-01: An Examination of Railroad Yard Worker Safety

RR01-01: T-16: FRA's High Speed Research Car

RR00-06: Fractal Analysis Of Geometry Data For Railroad Track Condition Assessment

RR00-05: Instrumented Wheelset System Results Verified The High Speed Safety Standards

RR00-04: Computer Model Developed To Predict Rail Passenger Car Response To Track Geometry

RR00-03: Analysis of Antennas to Improve Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) Reception on Locomotives

RR00-02: Developed Wheel And Axle Assembly Monitoring System To Improve Passenger Train Safety

RR00-01: Evaluation Of A Top-of-Rail Lubrication System

RR99-01: Residual Stresses In Railroad Commuter Car Wheels

Notice and Disclaimer : These documents are disseminated under the sponsorship of the United States Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. Any opinions, findings and conclusions, or recommendations expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the United States Government, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the United States Government. The United States Government assumes no liability for the content or use of the material contained in these documents.