2012 Annual Meeting Agenda
AP070(1) Self-Powered Rail Car Technologies Subcommittee
Monday January 23, 2012, 3:45 to 5:30 pm
Columbia Hall 2:
David O. Nelson, Chairman | Acting Secretary, Adamson E. Streit
1. Approval of Minutes from Mid Year Meeting Saturday June 11, 2011
2. Discussion Topics
a. Recent Developments involving Compliant Cars
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iv. Trinity Railway Express
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vi. GO Transit: Has ordered 12 DMUs from Nippon Sharyo
vii. VIA
viii. Other systems?
b. Recent Developments involving Non-Compliant Cars
i. FRA RSAC and Alternative Compliance: Technical Criteria and Procedures for Evaluating the Crashworthiness and Occupant Protection Performance of Alternatively Designed Passenger Rail Equipment for Use in Tier I Service Final Report Published October 2011
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iii.
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vii. Plans for other systems?
3. Research Plan and Agenda
i. Updating the roster of North American SPRCs
ii. Empirical analysis of DMU Economics
iii. How will Alternative Compliance affect fleet decisions of North American transit providers?
iv. Other suggestions
Denton A Train Update from Stephen Bonina of Stadler Rail Car : January 10, 2012.
ReplyDeleteAll vehicle design activities are complete and the project focus is now on receiving completed vehicles and performance of commissioning tests. Training sessions for all systems on the cars are ongoing and are expected to be completed before the end of February. There are a total of 6 GTWs on site at the O&M Facility, with 4 of these vehicles Final Accepted by DCTA. Two additional vehicles are schedule to be delivered in mid-January.
Alternative Vehicle Technology (AVT): DCTA Staff and Stadler continue to finalize the AVT waiver package to be submitted within the next couple of weeks formally to the FRA for consideration by the FRA safety board during February/March 2012. Once submitted, it is anticipated that the waiver will be subject to approval at the March/April FRA Safety Board meeting. Upon the FRA approval DCTA will commence the use of the Stadler GTW’s in mixed use with the RDC’s, which are currently FRA compliant.
To date there have been three grade crossing accidents between automotive vehicles and the RDCs. Two motor vehicle operators drove their vehicles onto the tracks for approximately 40-feet before their vehicles became fouled and subsequently impacted by a RDC. Both vehicle operators were charged with driving while intoxicated. A third grade crossing accident is associated with a distracted driver who rear ended (while texting) a vehicle stopped at a grade crossing and pushed that vehicle into a RDC that was in the grade crossing.
One pedestrian was injured after walking around the pedestrian gates and into the side of a moving RDC, this person was also arrested for being under the influence. Lastly, there was one fatality associated with a trespasser walking on the tracks.