Upcoming Conferences

Four upcoming conferences are of interest to the members and friends of the Passenger Rail Equipment and Systems Integration Committee.

SCORT Annual Meeting
September 11 -14, 2011  Charlotte NC

2012 TRB 91st Annual Meeting 
January 22-28 2012 Washington DC

2012 Joint Rail Conference
April 17-19, 2012  Philadelphia PA

International Conference on Communication-Based Train Control and Train Efficiency
April 30- May 1, 2012 Denver CO

Click on the names of the conferences for more information

Cuban Rail Caucus In Planning

Mark Walbrun reports

Following discussions at the TRB meetings in Boston, AREMA has agreed to sponsor the railroad technology tour of Cuba. The time period selected is Dec 8 – 14 (it will not be quite that long but we are blocking out time to allow for minor adjustments in the itinerary). Some of the committee chairs had asked to have plans finalized within two weeks of our meeting to allow for coordinating committee meeting plans with the time period of the trip to avoid conflicts.

Further details will be available shortly.

Joint Rail Conference: Technology to Advance the Future of Rail Transport

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Temple University | April 17-19, 2012

The conference will cover a broad range of railroad subjects, including:

·   Railroad Infrastructure Engineering

·   Rail Equipment Engineering

·   Signal and Train Control Engineering

·   Planning and Development

·   Safety and Security

·   Energy Efficiency and Sustainability

·   Urban Passenger Rail Transport

The objective of this conference is to promote the dissemination of information and discussion of technological advances, operational and engineering issues and other matters relevant to the railroad industry.  This is a recurring annual event, which TRB co-sponsored in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Expected Attendees: 300 - open to all

Anticipated Products: American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) will provide a CD of papers and other presentation materials to registrants (available for purchase by others). ASME will hold the copyright to the materials.

Sponsors

·         Transportation Research Board

·         American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

·         The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)

·         The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

·         American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA)

·         American Public Transportation Association (APTA)

·          TRB Committees:           

o        Passenger Rail Equipment and Systems Integration (AR020)

o        Intercity Passenger Rail (AR010)

o        Railroad Operating Technologies (AR030)

o        Freight Rail Transportation (AR040)

TRB Role: Robert Dorer (member of the TRB Rail Group Executive Board and Standing Committee on Passenger Rail Equipment and Systems Integration) will serve on the conference organizing and planning committee. Members of sponsoring committees will actively contribute to the technical program of the conference, in particular, the Safety and Security track, and will participate in the program development. Staff will serve on the publicity committee.   TRB will be asked to post notice of this symposium on the TRB website and to allow the conference to use the TRB logo on its promotional material.

Note that consideration may be given to altering TRB’s role in future Joint Rail Conferences so as to enhance the benefits derived from its efforts.

TRB Staff: Ann Purdue |  202) 334-3208  | APurdue@nas.edu

Click here for more information

Mid Year Meeting Agenda - July 14 2011

Transportation Research Board

COMMITTEE AR020

PASSENGER RAIL EQUIPMENT AND SYSTEMS INTEGRATION

Mid-Year Meeting
July 14, 2011 1:30pm–3:00pm

Call-in telephone number: 1 (866) 528-2256 access code 3343208 #

DRAFT AGENDA

1. Welcome – Patrick B. Simmons, Chair

2. Introductions of Members—All

3. Old Business
            (a) Review of Membership Survey—PBS

4. New Business
            (a) TRB Annual Meeting January 22-26, 2012—Planning—Michael Trosino, 

                    Katherine Hunter-Zaworski,  Alan Ware, Aida Asuncion, Katherine Stanchak

(i)                 NEPA Workshop Co-Sponsorship—Lee Hutchins

(ii)               Sessions--All

(iii)             Paper Review/s-- Katherine Hunter-Zaworski

(iv)              Research Statement Needs—Rodney Massman, Katherine Hunter-Zaworski, Katherine Stanchak, Manuel Galdo, Aida Asuncion

(b) Communications—Alan Ware, Steve Hewett, Ing. Flilippo Martinelli, Manuel Galdo, John Boffa, Katherine Stanchak

           

(c) Joint Rail Conference 2012 Co-sponsorship—Robert Dorer

5. Concluding Remarks –All

See http://www.trb.org/CommitteeandPanels/Public/OnlineDirectory.aspx#DetailsType=Committee&ID=1468 for the AR020 Passenger Rail Equipment and Systems Integration Committee Directory

See http://www.highspeed-rail.org/ for an update on the Next Generation High Speed Rail Equipment Committee

Patrick B. Simmons, Director, NCDOT Rail Division pbsimmons@ncdot.gov (919) 733-7245 extension 263

Annual Meeting Minutes (January 25, 2011)

January 25, 2011;  3:45pm–5:30pm (Marriott)
Welcome

Introductions of Members, Friends, and Visitors
Old Business
New Business
Membership Rotation

·         Planning for mid-year meeting

·         Committee web site and communications

·         Research needs statements

·         Presentations

o    “A Simplified Approach for Assessing Initial Fire Development and Spread in Passenger Rail Vehicles”;  Brian J. Meacham and Nicholas A. Dempsey (Worcester Polytechnic Institute), and Matthew Johann, Jeffrey Tubbs and Kurt Schebel (ARUP)

o    “Hierarchical Network Model of Safe High-Speed Railway Operation”;  Yanhui Wang, Xuemei  Xiao, Limin Jia, and Chenchen Zhang (Beijing Jiaotong University

 

Click Here for Complete Meeting Minutes

Mid Year Meeting of Subcommittee on Self Powered Rail Car Technologies

All members and friends of TRB Subcommittee AP070(1) are cordially invited and encouraged to attend the mid-year meeting to be held in conjunction with our parent committee AP070 at APTA’s Annual Rail Conference in Boston Massachusetts. The joint meeting will be convened Saturday June 11th from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM at the Marriott Copley Place Hotel.  Click here for more information.   If you have any questions, suggestions or concerns contact David Nelson (617 532 4286) or david.nelson@jacobs.com


For complete information on the APTA Rail Conference that is being held from June 11 – 15. please visit the APTA conference website: http://www.apta.com/mc/rail/Pages/default.aspx

I look forward to seeing you in Boston

David Nelson

Chair Subcommittee on Self Powered Rail Car Technologies

Agenda for 2011 Annual Meeting

COMMITTEE AR020

PASSENGER RAIL EQUIPMENT AND SYSTEMS INTEGRATION

January 25, 2011;  3:45pm–5:30pm (Marriott)

AGENDA

1. Welcome – Patrick B. Simmons, Chair
2. Introductions of Members, Friends, and Visitors

3. Old Business
                (a) Consideration of minutes

(b) Chairman's perspective on 2010
4. New Business
                (a) Membership Rotation

                (b) Planning for mid-year meeting
                (c) Committee web site and communications

5. Presentations

(a) “A Simplified Approach for Assessing Initial Fire Development and Spread in Passenger Rail Vehicles”;  Brian J. Meacham and Nicholas A. Dempsey (Worcester Polytechnic Institute), and Matthew Johann, Jeffrey Tubbs and Kurt Schebel (ARUP)

(b) “Hierarchical Network Model of Safe High-Speed Railway Operation”;  Yanhui Wang, Xuemei Xiao, Limin Jia, and Chenchen Zhang (Beijing Jiaotong University

6. Concluding Remarks – Patrick B. Simmons

www.highspeed-rail.org

Patrick B. Simmons, Director, NCDOT Rail Division pbsimmons@ncdot.gov (919) 870-9522

Eloy E. Martinez, Senior Consultant, LTK Engineering Services emartinez@ltk.com (857) 472 0029

Minutes from the 89th Annual Meeting

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 89^th ANNUAL MEETING 2010 January 12, 2010

Meeting Minutes (Click here for link to details)

AR020 Committee – Passenger Rail Equipment and Systems Integration

Item 1. Welcome from Chair of Committee

Item 2. Introductions of Members, Friends, and Visitors

Item 3. Old Business

Item 4. New Business

Item 5.  Presentations 

• John Harrison Update on CHST Project (Click here for link)
• Gibson Barbee – Hybrid Locomotive Technology (Click here for link)
• Alternative Power Generation: Automotive Perspective (Click here for link) 

Item 6. Other Committee Business

Item 7. Upcoming Workshops

PLEASE NOTE – PRIIA 305 Executive Committee and Technical Sub-Committee information available for review on AASHTO website. Use the following link to access:

http://www.highspeed-rail.org/Pages/default.aspx

SEC. 305. NEXT GENERATION CORRIDOR TRAIN EQUIPMENT POOL.

Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA)

(Public Law No. 110-432)

SEC. 305. NEXT GENERATION CORRIDOR TRAIN EQUIPMENT POOL.

(a) IN GENERAL.—Within 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, Amtrak shall establish a Next Generation Corridor Equipment Pool Committee, comprised of representatives of Amtrak, the Federal Railroad Administration, host freight railroad companies, passenger railroad equipment manufacturers, interested States, and, as appropriate, other passenger railroad operators. The purpose of the Committee shall be to design, develop specifications for, and procure standardized next-generation corridor equipment.

(b) FUNCTIONS.—The Committee may—(1) determine the number of different types of equipment required, taking into account variations in operational needs and corridor infrastructure; (2) establish a pool of equipment to be used on corridor routes funded by participating States; and (3) subject to agreements between Amtrak and States, utilize services provided by Amtrak to design, maintain and remanufacture equipment.

(c) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—Amtrak and States participating in the Committee may enter into agreements for the funding, procurement, remanufacture, ownership, and management of corridor equipment, including equipment currently owned or leased by Amtrak and next-generation corridor equipment acquired as a result of the Committee’s actions, and may establish a corporation, which may be owned or jointly-owned by Amtrak, participating States, or other entities, to perform these functions.

(d) FUNDING.—In addition to the authorizations provided in this section, capital projects to carry out the purposes of this section shall be eligible for grants made pursuant to chapter 244 of title 49, United States Code.

(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, to remain available until expended, for grants to Amtrak and States participating in the Next Generation Corridor Train Equipment Pool Committee established under this section for the purpose of designing, developing specifications for, and initiating the procurement of an initial order of 1 or more types of standardized next generation corridor train equipment and establishing a jointly owned corporation to manage that equipment.