Selected Federal
Government Resources on Rail Collisions
Federal Railroad
Administration, Collision Analysis Working Group http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/99
FRA’s Collision Analysis Working Group reviewed
maintrack train collisions where human factor causes contributed to trains
exceeding their authority. The Group
selected 65 collision cases it believes contain enough information to find
meaningful commonalities upon which to base collision-avoiding findings and
recommendations. The selection process
and the full report are contained here.
Federal Transit
Administration
Rail Modernization Study: Report to Congress, April
2009
http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/Rail_Mod_Final_Report_4-27-09.pdf
The
main objective of this Rail Modernization Study is to assess the level of
capital investment required to attain and maintain a state of good repair (SGR)
for the nation’s seven largest rail transit operators. The study also considers
these reinvestment needs within the context of past levels of Federal funding
support as well as potential changes to the current Federal program.
Federal Transit
Administration
Transit State of Good Repair – Beginning the
Dialogue, October 2008
http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/SGR.pdf
In the summer of 2008, the Federal
Transit Administration (FTA) brought together representatives from 14 public
transportation providers and State Departments of Transportation to discuss the
state of repair of our Nation’s transit inventory. Discussion topics included
transit recapitalization and maintenance issues, asset management practices,
and innovative financing strategies. Issues explored related to measuring the
condition of transit capital assets, prioritizing local transit re-investment
decisions, and preventive maintenance practices. Other topics addressed included
research needs and potential tools for helping agencies cope with this growing
problem.
Subsequently, FTA met with equipment
manufacturers, construction and engineering firms, and private equity firms to
explore potential public-private partnership opportunities within public
transportation—including the potential for private-sector involvement in
long-term capital asset management, to help ensure that legacy assets are
maintained or replaced as needed.
National Transportation Safety
Board, Railroad Accident Reports:
http://www.ntsb.gov/Publictn/R_Acc.htm
Selected reports from 1971 –
present, in full text from 1996 – present.
National Transportation
Safety Board
Collision Between Two Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Trains at the Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan Station in Washington, D.C.
November 3, 2004
http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2006/RAR0601.pdf
Full text of NTSB Report on
November 3, 2004 Washington,
DC Metro collision.
National Transportation
Safety Board
Public Hearing, March 3-4, 2009, Collision of Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink)
Passenger Train No. 111 and Union Pacific Railroad Freight Train No. LOF65-12, Chatsworth, California. September 12, 2008
http://www.ntsb.gov/Events/2009/Chatsworth-CA/default.htm
Extensive documentation and
complete video of NTSB’s two day public hearing on the collision near Los Angeles, CA.
Volpe National Transportation Systems
Center
Rail Equipment
Crashworthiness Research
http://www.volpe.dot.gov/sdd/crashworthy.html
The Federal
Railroad Administration (FRA) has been working with the Volpe
National Transportation
System Center
(Volpe Center) to conduct research into rail
equipment crashworthiness. The approach in conducting this research has been to
propose strategies for improved crashworthiness and to apply analytic tools and
testing techniques for evaluating the effectiveness of those strategies. The principal activities of the research
include technical studies, the documentation and dissemination of the results
of these studies, and the application of the study results to standards
development.
Volpe National Transportation Systems
Center
Rail Equipment
Crashworthiness Publications and Papers
http://www.volpe.dot.gov/sdd/pubs-crash.htmlCurrent, archival, and full
text technical research papers on rail equipment crashworthiness. Many papers are accompanied by test
video. Sample titles include
"Detailed
Modeling of the Train-to-Train Impact Test: Rail Passenger Equipment Impact
Tests” and "The Influence of Manufacturing Variations on a Crash Energy
Management System".
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Another
excellent bibliography has been created by the Dorothy Peyton Gray
Transportation Library of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation
Authority. It can be accessed at:
http://www.metro.net/about_us/library/train_controls.htm
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This
document was prepared by the National Transportation Library on June 23,
2009. Please contact us at library@dot.gov or 202-366-0746 with any
questions or comments. Thank you.
