RAILROAD RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

This appropriation represents a consolidation of two appropriations authorized in fiscal year 1974 which were: Railroad research, and high speed ground transportation research and development. An amount of $64,240,000, compared to a program level in fiscal year 1974 of $45,450,000 (including fiscal year 1973 deferred funds of $15,000,000), is requested for general railroad research directed at solving critical safety problems, improvement of freight car management, improvement of freight service, solving railroad industry problems. performing track research, advancing rail passenger system technology, and working on advanced ground transportation concepts. An important element of this funding is necessary to develop the high speed ground test center near Pueblo, Colo., to a fully effective operational status.

GENERAL RAILROAD RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

The fiscal year 1975 request for this activity is $20,540,000, or $10,190,000 over fiscal year 1974. This research effort complements the FRA in-house efforts, as I mentioned earlier, in fulfilling FRA's expanding missions in finding solutions to the rail industry problems as they relate to increased emphasis being placed on the role of rail transportation in the economy; the requirement in the public interest for increased safety operations; the need for increased efficiency within the industry; and the need for finding ways that the rail industry can contribute toward lessening the impact of the energy crisis, such as achieving more efficient use of fuels.

The fiscal year 1975 request of $20,540,000 will fund the following program areas: Industry problems, $6,000,000; freight car management systems, $6,000,000; improve freight service, $2,600,000; safety, $1,800,000; policy, planning, and program evaluation, $200,000; and administration, $940,000.

INDUSTRY PROBLEMS

The shape of the industry is being influenced by numerous factors such as bankruptcies, reorganizations, liquidation proceedings, merger proposals, and the like. Without a significant amount of research with which to measure and monitor industry progress, it is difficult for Government to make informed choices or to predict/react to events which change the future of the industry. The problems of the Northeast railroads provide an example of the critical need within DOT for advanced research and decisionmaking data to enable the Department to present appropriate alternatives to the Congress on major policy issues. Passage of the Regional Rail Reorganization Act will result in substantial public assistance being made available to railroads in that region. Monitoring of the use of these moneys and such other assistance as may be made available to insure wise use will require that FRA have a more thorough understanding of all facets of railroad operations than it has been possible to develop to date.

Industry problems is the area in which FRA has been, and will continue to be, called upon for the foreseeable future to provide the information necessary to support Federal programs. In the past year, major emphasis has been on the problems of the Northeast railroads, Amtrak, and the movement of grain. Our responsibilities for support in these areas will, if anything, increase during fiscal year 1975. In addition, we anticipate being asked for substantial support on the problems of the Midwest railroads (which differ in a number of ways from those of the railroads in the Northeast); and movement of all agricultural commodities, fertilizer, scrap, coal, and other energy resources. Additional emphasis must be placed on environment and energy conservation, which can represent a great opportunity for the railroads.

FREIGHT CAR MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

The car shortages and congestion in terminal locations are symptomatic of the railroads' present inability to control the ear fleet. The key to improved efficiency in such situations is the use of sophisticated, computer-based systems at all levels of railroad operation-national, individual railroad, and terminal. The railroads have made significant progress in this direction working on their own, but progress is slowed both by the high cost of the necessary research and the inability of bankrupt and marginal carriers to invest in newly developed systems. FRA proposes to continue efforts to accelerate the implementation of these systems, through the underwriting of selected research, and the demonstration of systems in order to measure their effectiveness and reduce investment risk. The goal of FRA is a car management system made up of interconnected but separate component systems at the national, individual railroad, and terminal levels. The systems at each level would be designed for specific management problems; that is, the control of interline movement of cars or the management of specific terminal yard, but the separate systems would be interconnected to form a comprehensive nationwide management system. Such systems would benefit shippers in two ways: improved car supply and improved transit time reliability. Similarly, railroads would benefit from improved car utilization, and service which would be more responsive to the needs of shippers.

IMPROVED FREIGHT SERVICE

Studies to date make clear that in order to effectively use the railroad system for high-density movements of freight, railroads must achieve (1) substantially improved service reliability, (2) reduced origin to destination time. (3) reduced costs, and (4) reduced lading loss and damage. The improved freight service portion of our research efforts is aimed at these objectives.

While improved car control and management systems will provide a vital improvement in railroad operations, they attack only a part of the total system problem. A key need is for research and development effort to optimize the relationship of train movement, terminal operations, and intermodal connections.

We have initiated a cooperative effort with the Association of American Railroads and the Railway Progress Institute on track/ train dynamics. The objective of this program is to develop improved train-handling techniques and to provide a scientific base from which to evaluate freight car components and freight car and train characteristics for increased reliability and efficiency.

In addition, FRA is currently defining, with industry, a program to develop an improved freight car truck (wheel assemblies) to reduce lading damage, and increase levels of reliability and safety. Tests of the improved designs will be made both at the High Speed Ground Test Center and in service on railroads.

SAFETY

Component failure prevention. The failure of equipment and track components contributes to about 50 percent of the railroad accidents. In fiscal year 1974, an evaluation of the state-of-the-art of shop-type flaw detection equipment currently available was completed. The equipment was initially evaluated for its ability to detect flaws in wheels and rails. It was found that the most promising results in terms of detection speed, flaw size, repeatability, and reliability were achieved in rail flaw detection. Efforts will be conducted in fiscal year 1975 to develop equipment and techniques that will improve the capabilities currently available to those required for operational application of rail flaw detection devices. Additionally, a track mounted, wayside, acoustic wheel flaw detection device underwent evaluation in fiscal year 1974 and efforts will be continued in fiscal year 1975.

Tank car-Shipment of hazardous liquids by rail tank car has resulted in a number of catastrophic accidents. The current FRA program is aimed at cost-beneficial means to decrease punctures by use of shields and use of couplers which do not separate during the derailment. Research is also being conducted to permit economical development of protective thermal coatings and new relief valves. As a result of the efforts to date in the development of shields, proposed regulations are being prepared on the subject of car shields. This results from analytical efforts and tests which have shown the potential effectiveness of shields to reduce punctures.

Iluman factors.-At the present time, about 40 percent of the accidents which occur in the railroad industry are related to human factors. These include negligence, operator error, failure to heed warnings, et cetera. In fiscal year 1974, the functional requirements for all major operational railroad positions were described. Further areas of investigation dealing with the man-machine interface included functional locomotive cab designs, human engineered locomotive engineer seats, and real-time train condition displays to aid in train handling. These areas will be pursued in fiscal year 1975.

Grade Crossing.--In fiscal year 1974 and fiscal year 1975, a major portion of grade crossing research in FRA will be done in cooperation with FHWA and will go toward responding to the grade crossing programs both on and off the Federal-aid system in the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1973. The FRA research is pointed toward finding more effective and low-cost protective devices.

POLICY, PLANNING AND PROGRAM EVALUATION

Funds requested in this area are to be used to support the development and refinement of FRA policy and legislative proposals, the program planning for all FRA activities, and the evaluation of FRA programs.

ADMINISTRATION

Thirty-seven additional positions, for a total of 43, are requested to provide the direct program management of the General Railroad Research activity.

HIGH SPEED GROUND TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND

DEMONSTRATIONS

The fiscal year 1975 request for this activity is $43,700,000, or $23.600,000 over fiscal year 1974 appropriation of $20,100,000-$8,600,000 over fiscal year 1974 program level. The $43,700,000 will be used for research and development in the following major areas: Systems Analysis/Technology Assessment, $1,100,000; High Speed Rail, $10,500,000; Advanced Systems, $11.700.000; Supporting Technology, $3.650.000; High Speed Ground Test Center, $14 million; and Administration, $2,750,000.

Efforts to date under this activity have resulted in major steps forward in the advancement of our national transportation system. The Metroliner and Turbotrain demonstration programs have been completed sucessfully, the construction of a national ground transportation test center near Pueblo, Colo., is well underway, and numerous FRA and UMTA test programs have been conducted.

Further, research on the construction and maintenance problems applicable to the 200,000 miles of conventional railroad line is underway, and a research project is underway directed at advancing the state-of-the-art of propulsion systems, communication and controls, and tunneling techniques. Another area of investigation that has been pursued is the evaluation of advanced guided vehicle systems for application to future high speed transportation systems.

Examples of specific milestones which have been reached or will be reached in fiscal year 1974 are:

Initiate component testing in the Rail Dynamics building. Complete testing of Metroliner electrical improvements in four prototype cars.

Initiate electric propulsion testing of the tracked levitated research vehicle.

Complete linear induction motor research vehicle high speed dynamics tests.

Demonstrated the water cannon tunneling technique.

Initiate demonstration tests of the 150 mph prototype tracked air cushion vehicle.

Complete evaluation of new Metroliner suspension system. Completed initial installation of commercial power to the High Speed Ground Test Center.

Completed evaluation of the FRA ballast consolidator.

FISCAL YEAR 1975 HIGHLIGHTS

Complete conventional rail test loop.

Issue improved passenger train specifications.

Complete the construction of a lateral track test facility at the High Speed Ground Test Center.

Evaluate the tracked levitated research vehicle with a linear induction motor at speeds up to 200 mph.

Complete the prototype tracked levitated vehicle test program.

SYSTEMS ANALYSIS/TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT

This program consists primarily of the development of specification requirements and advancement in technology supportive of improved designs for rail passenger systems. The studies leading to the specification requirements will determine the potential for rail passenger service, the improved schedules attainable, the improved comfort and convenience attainable, the right-of-way upgrading required, and the costs of instituting improved passenger service in the candidate corridors.

Supporting technology studies relating to improved passenger service include studies of supension/support/guidance technology; signal, train control, and communications systems technology; and propulsion, adhesion, and braking system technology. The development of this technological base will present Amtrak with increased options in the development of future equipment.

HIGH SPEED RAIL

Through the evolution to heavier loads, track in the United States is exposed to the most severe conditions in the world. One of the prime objectives of the railroad track improvement program is the providing of basic and experimentally verified information which could lead to a substantially more permanent track structure with little added investment cost. Achievement of such an objective could lead to better service characteristics of the track and reduced cost to maintain it. In addition, it is providing the technology for advanced track structure which will further extend the durability of original installation smoothness with reduced maintenance. The benefit of this second effort can only be achieved with increased capital investment. A third program area is aimed at rigid track structures in which initial cost is high but maintenance is low enough to produce high long-term returns. The program leading to these near-term objectives is divided into five projects. Two of these are structured to reduce the incidence of failure and, therefore, the costs of accidents attributable to rail-end failure and unsafe levels of track geometry. The other three projects exploit the effectiveness of different track maintenance procedures. Fiscal year 1974 and fiscal year 1975 are devoted to analysis development of solutions, and limited tests to verify research results. Inherent throughout this program will be the data development to provide a basis for proposed rulemaking affecting the track safety standards of FRA.