2018 Annual Meeting Announcement

Sonoma Marin Opened August 25, 2017

The Annual Meeting of the Self Powered Rail Car Technologies Subcommittee will be held in conjunction with the 

97th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board  

Wednesday January 10, 2018 | 2:30 to 4:00 pm
Marriott Marquis, "Union Station Room" (M3), 

Washington DC

Discussion Topics will include:
NPRM for Alternative Compliance
Operational Updates
Coming Attractions

Research Agenda Suggestions:
Alternative Compliance Updates
DMU Economics
Other Suggestions

Click Here for a AGENDA and Meeting Presentation

Click Here for MINUTES from the 2017 Annual Meeting

Perhaps its time to revisit this 20 year old list?

Click Here

New Passenger Rail Rolling Stock Safety Standards Proposed

In December.  the FRA published a proposal to codify a set of technical evaluation criteria for railroads seeking to use alternatively designed passenger rolling stock using Crash Energy Management design principles

The current regulations rely on equipment design requirements which limit application of recent technology.  The proposed new rules use more performance-based requirements to demonstrate safety in alternative ways. FRA believes this rule would have a net beneficial effect on the passenger rail industry and society as a whole.

The technical criteria are based on established international standards and significant research and testing both the industry and DOT's Volpe Transportation Systems Center Codifying the technical criteria would dovetail with alternative crashworthiness performance requirements FRA established in part 238 for the front-end structures of cab cars and multiple-unit (MU) locomotives, thereby broadening application of such requirements to other main structures.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS