Transportation Research Board

1. Transportation Research Board National Cooperative Rail Research Program AASHTO Standing Committee on Rail Transportation Washington, DC March 15, 2011

2. Coming soon … • National Cooperative Rail Research Program (NCRRP) • FRA – AASHTO – AAR – APTA – NARP - TRB

3. Approximate Annual Funding levels:

4. NCRRP--Basics • Authorized in PRIIA Legislation • $5.0 million per year starting in FY 2010 through FY 2013 • To cover freight, intercity passenger (including HSR), and commuter rail (FRA-Regulated Systems) • Applied, problem solving research • National Academy of Sciences (i.e., TRB) to administer as per PRIIA • Governing board to be selected by Secretary, USDOT • FY 2010 funding from HSR pot ($5.0 Million)

5. NCRRP--Status as of 3/14/2011 • FRA-NAS NCRRP Memorandum of Agreement-- Executed • NCRRP FY2010 Grant--Approved • U.S. DOT Appointment of NCRRP Governing Board in Process • Solicitation of Potential Research Topics Underway through FRA and Relevant AASHTO, APTA, TRB Committees (31 Received to Date) • First Meeting of NCRRP Governing Board Expected Spring 2011 to Select FY 2010/11 Research Projects

6. NCRRP– Governing Board • 21 Voting Members • - 4 Freight Rail, 1 Alaska Railroad • - 1 Amtrak, 2 Intercity Passenger, 2 Commuter Rail • - 4 State DOTs • - 2 Railway Labor • - 3 Private Sector and/or University • - FRA Administrator, Associate Administrator of Railroad and Policy Development • 7 Non-Voting, ‘Ex-Officio” Members • - AAR, APTA, AASHTO, EPA, FAA, NARP, TRB

7. Potential NCRRP Products: • Guides and Specifications • Software products • Product enhancements • New or improved models/tools • Guidebooks/handbooks • Improved operations and services • Testing/evaluation techniques

8. Involvement in NCRRP • Submit a Potential Research Topic • Serve on a CRP Project Panel • Serve as a Research Contractor • Use the Research Results

9. NCRRP RESEARCH FIELDS • Operations • Environmental • Policy and Planning • Safety • Security • Human Resources • Administration  • 8. Engineering of Rolling Stock and Equipment • 9. Engineering of Fixed Facilities • 10. Construction • 11. Maintenance • 12. Special Projects

10. NCRRP PROBLEM STATEMENTS RECEIVED • Local Connections to High Speed Intercity Rail – Where Do We Put the Station? • Identifying Best Asset Management Practices for State-Owned Railroad Corridors • Program of Research into Shared Passenger and Freight Issues • Innovative Manufacturing Technology for Passenger Rail Systems • Travel Impacts of Amtrak Cascades Intercity Passenger Rail Service • Feasibility Study: Dynamic Brake Energy Recovery using Cab Control Cars • Factors in Evaluating Dedicated High Speed Rail Track Development • Guidance for High Speed Rail Ridership Forecast and Estimate • Bridge Natural Frequency with Direct Fixation Continuously Welded Track • Serving Needs of Property Owners Adjacent to HSR

11. NCRRP PROBLEM STATEMENTS RECEIVED • Sustainable Business Models for New Passenger Rail Operating Agencies and Authorities • Benchmarking of International Intercity Passenger Rail Systems • Evaluation of Long-Term Electrification Options for Intercity Passenger Rail • Strategies to Meet Safety Standards for Mixed Freight and Intercity Passenger Rail Traffic • Outlook and Options for the U.S. Domestic Passenger Rail Manufacturing Industry • Fostering Strategic Partnerships between U.S. and International Passenger Rail Manufacturers • Capital Improvements and Operating Strategies Needed to Provide Necessary Capacity for Proper Management of Mixed Freight and Intercity Passenger Rail • Professional Workforce Capacity Building for the Intercity Passenger Rail Industry

12. NCRRP PROBLEM STATEMENTS RECEIVED • Homeland Security and Environmental Considerations for High Speed Rail System • Comparative Study of High Speed Rail Vehicles for US Market • High Speed Rail Stations – Accessibility (ADA) Program • Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Warning Devices for Pedestrians and Bicyclists • A Comprehensive Economic-Based Revenue-Generation Strategy for Inter-City High-Speed Rail System Planning and Development • Lessons Learned from Funding of High-Speed Passenger Rail Projects • Legal Aspects of Rail Programs • Prioritization of Incremental and Emerging High-Speed Rail Investments • Development of Emerging High-Speed Rail Passenger Systems

13. NCRRP PROBLEM STATEMENTS RECEIVED • Assessing the Risk Associated with Electronic Transmission of Authorities • Improving Safety Culture in High Speed and Short Line Railroads • Developing a Synthesis Program of Research and Evaluation on Effective Safety Practices within NCRRP • Performance Tracking of Rail Grant Programs • Dynamic Analysis of Steel Bridges for High Speed Rail Service

14. Related CRP Products/Projects • NCHRP Report 657, Guidebook for Implementing Passenger Rail Service on Shared Passenger and Freight Corridors (Published 2010): • Providesimproved principles, processes, and methods to support agreements on access, allocation of operation and maintenance costs, capacity allocation, operational issues, future responsibilities for infrastructure improvements, and other fundamental issues that affect the ultimate success of shared-use passenger and freight agreements between public and private railroad stakeholders.

15. Related CRP Products/Projects • TCRP Report 130, Shared Use of Railroad Infrastructure with Noncompliant Public Transit Rail Vehicles: A Practitioner’s Guide (Published 2009): • Provides a business case for the shared use of non-FRA-compliant public transit rail vehicles (e.g., light rail) with freight operations and offers a suggested business model for such shared-use operations. Identifies the advantages and disadvantages of shared-use operations and the issues and barriers that can arise in the course of implementation. Includes a section that identifies and evaluates available and emerging technology, operating procedures, and techniques that could be used to minimize the risks associated with sharing of track between non-FRA-compliant public transit rail vehicles and freight railroad operations.

16. Related CRP Products/Projects • NCFRP Project 30, Web-Based Screening Tool for Shared-Use Rail Corridors (Underway—Completed July 2012) • Objective: to develop a web-based tool to enable states and passenger rail operators to perform preliminary feasibility screening of proposed shared-use passenger and freight rail corridor projects

17. Related CRP Products/Projects • NCHRP Project 8-85, The Comprehensive Costs of Highway-Rail At-Grade Crossing Crashes (contract pending) • Objectives: to develop (a) a categorization scheme for comprehensively describing costs associated with highway-rail at-grade crossing collisions; (b) estimates of the cost magnitudes in recent experience; and (c) an analytical framework for developing a model or set of models for forecasting these costs, considering the characteristics of a crossing and the rail and highway traffic using it.

18. Related CRP Products/Projects • NCHRP Project 8-86, Understanding Capacity Modeling for Shared-Use Passenger and Freight Rail Operations • (proposals under review) • Objective: to produce a guidebook that state transportation agency staff and other stakeholders may use to better understand the modeling processes and results that support the negotiation of service outcome agreements for the shared use of rail lines for freight, intercity, and commuter rail operations.

19. TRB website www.trb.org • Information on NCHRP, TCRP, ACRP, NCFRP, HMCRP, NCRRP • Search engine • Project Info since 1988: Anticipated / Active / Completed • CRP publication lists / ordering info • Requests for proposals • Registration form for notification of RFPs