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2 Shared Use of Railroad Infrastructure with Noncompliant Public Transit Rail Vehicles: A Practitioner's Guide
Summary of Research Tasks
The research program was divided into a series of tasks. The results of these task efforts
were assembled and condensed for this final report.
Phase I Tasks 15 describe current and state-of-the-art technology and vehicles, and
inventory the status of shared-track projects in North America. This narrative forms the
context for the anticipated guidelines to commence a shared-track operation. A requisite
preliminary was a literature review, data collection, and analysis. Identification of relevant
information helped to focus on the most critical issues, avoided duplication of previous
efforts, built on that prior work, and ensured access to the most current knowledge and
thinking. The Task 6 Report summarizes the results from Tasks 15.
(1) Command and control (C&C) systems are a cornerstone of FRA approved safety
procedures used on freight railroads to avoid collisions, and their principles are sig-
nificant to development of any shared-track operations involving noncompliant rail
transit vehicles. Techniques and technologies of the three major branches of C&C--
train control, communications and Rules and Procedures--underscore the goals of
redundancy and other measures to ensure a fail-safe environment.
(2) Information on current and new classes of railcar equipment was assembled and sup-
plemented with descriptions of special attributes, such as crashworthiness and enhanced
braking capabilities, needed in shared-track. Emphasis is on those features that will
compensate for vehicle structural deficiencies. Such features will be part of any success-
ful Waiver Petition and a small wedge towards gaining FRA acceptance for "equivalent
safety" decisions.
(3) North American shared-track operations and programs have been identified and inven-
toried to provide a reference resource.
The findings, exposition, and analysis contained in the earlier tasks make a coherent
case for Phase II, development of analysis tools and products to further future shared-
track operations. Phase II Tasks 712 examine characteristics of freight railroads, financ-
ing, and parameters and metrics for a business model, a business case template, a risk
analysis template and a demonstration project recommendation. Task 13 encompasses the
findings and analyses of Tasks 15 and 712 to prepare a comprehensive final report and
guidebook for the practitioner.
Report Output
The report contains examples of North American shared-track operations and describes
progress to date. A business case template illustrating the use and interpretation of busi-
ness case data, including sample worksheets, is included, as is a risk analysis template and
an explanation of how the results impact the business case and ultimately project viabil-
ity. Incremental steps to move beyond "rigid temporal separation" are reported as evi-
dence of evolutionary progress in shared-track operations. Finally, concrete actions are
proposed to help project planners develop a shared-track operation with a freight railroad.
Ultimately the research suggests ways to increase the interest and potential of shared-track
systems:
· A list of possible candidates and preferred conditions for a demonstration project;
· Highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of shared-track to broaden its service and
practical economic appeal; and
· Reflection on the barriers and obstacles to adoption of the shared-track concept.
