How shift scheduling practices contribute to fatigue amongst freight rail operating employees: Findings from Canadian accident investigations.

Science.gov (United States)

Rudin-Brown, Christina M; Harris, Sarah; Rosberg, Ari

2018-02-01

Canada's freight rail system moves 70% of the country's surface goods and almost half of all exports (RAC, 2016). These include dangerous goods. Anonymous survey of freight rail operating employees conducted by the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC, 2014) revealed that many do not report getting enough sleep because of their work schedules, and that fatigue may be affecting their performance at work. Besides general impairments in attention and cognitive functioning, fatigue in railway operating employees slows reaction time to safety alarms and impairs conformance to train operating requirements. Shift scheduling practices can contribute to sleep-related fatigue by restricting sleep opportunities, requiring extended periods of wakefulness and by disrupting daily (circadian) rhythms. The primary goal of accident investigation is to identify causal and contributing factors so that similar occurrences can be prevented. A database search of Transportation Safety Board (TSB) rail investigation reports published in the 21-year period from 1995 to 2015 identified 18 that cited sleep-related fatigue of freight rail operating employees as a causal, contributing, or risk finding. This number represents about 20% of TSB rail investigations from the same period in which a human factors aspect of freight train activities was a primary cause. Exploration of accident themes suggests that management of fatigue and shift scheduling in the freight rail industry is a complex issue that is often not conducive to employee circadian rhythms and sleep requirements. It also suggests that current shift scheduling and fatigue management practices may be insufficient to mitigate the associated safety risk. Railway fatigue management systems that are based on the principles of modern sleep science are needed to improve scheduling practices and mitigate the ongoing safety risk. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation assessment of Rail Freight Transportation Research and Development Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1983-02-01

This report presents an evaluation assessment of the Canadian Rail Freight Transportation Research and Development (R and D) Program. The assessment was to assist in preparing for an evaluation of the Program and to stimulate a better understanding of the broader issues and problems of evaluating R and D programs. In general, the objectives of the program are aimed at improving rail freight productivity, capacity, safety, cost, and the domestic and foreign competitive position of railway suppliers. This is to be acccomplished by stimulating a stronger industry commitment to R and D and inducing investment in new technology through joint federal-industry funding and participation in rail freight R and D projects. In view of the low funding levels of the Program, it is unlikely that it will have a significant direct impact upon these ultimate objectives. Impacts will likely only be achieved through the Program's ability to stimulate increased industrial R and D and investment in new technology. A model of the Program developed in the report shows that the critical linkages between the activities and objectives of the Program are the leadership or advocacy functions performed by the Program's managers and of the results of projects supported under the Program; and the processes of program planning and project selection. An assessment of the Program's structure indicates that there are no significant issues that would make the evaluation of the Program or its major components inadvisable. Twelve potential evaluation questions and the basic approaches required to address each of them are presented in the report. 5 figs., 10 tabs.

Atlanta Rail Yard Study: Evaluation of local-scale air pollution trends using stationary and mobile monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Intermodal rail yards are important nodes in the freight transportation network, where freight is organized and moved from one mode of transport to another, critical equipment is serviced, and freight is routed to its next destination. Rail yard environments are also areas with ...

Ontario freight movement study: component two

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hackston, D.; Lake, R.; Schwier, C.; Tardif, L.P.; English, G.; Bunting, M.

1995-11-01

The freight (cargo) transportation sector accounts for a major use of fossil fuels and contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. A study was conducted to assess the prospects, in terms of CO 2 emission reduction, of alternatives to present freight distribution, especially alternatives involving the use of rail instead of truck. Statistical data for Ontario freight transportation were analyzed for fuel consumption, CO 2 emission and cost consequences. Railway fuel consumption was calculated for detailed routing descriptions using a model that computed route and service specific fuel use. The information was compared directly with truck fuel consumption. It was determined that shippers who needed quick, accurately timed shipments preferred trucking over rail, while price conscious shippers, or those with heavy loading commodities preferred rail. An important goal of the study was to identify the enormity of the challenges involved, and clarify the potential tradeoffs by showing different strategies, with respect to CO 2 reduction and related economic impacts. refs., tabs., figs

An Evaluation of the Potential for Shifting of Freight from Truck to Rail and Its Impacts on Energy Use and GHG Emissions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Yan [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Vyas, Anant D. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Guo, Zhaomiao [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

2017-06-01

This report summarizes our evaluation of the potential energy-use and GHG-emissions reduction achieved by shifting freight from truck to rail under a most-likely scenario. A sensitivity analysis is also included. The sensitivity analysis shows changes in energy use and GHG emissions when key parameters are varied. The major contribution and distinction from previous studies is that this study considers the rail level of service (LOS) and commodity movements at the origin-destination (O-D) level. In addition, this study considers the fragility and time sensitivity of each commodity type.

Modeling Freight Ocean Rail and Truck Transportation Flows to Support Policy Analyses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gearhart, Jared Lee [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Wang, Hao [Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States); Nozick, Linda Karen [Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States); Xu, Ningxiong [Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States)

2017-11-01

Freight transportation represents about 9.5% of GDP, is responsible for about 8% of greenhouse gas emissions and supports the import and export of about 3.6 trillion in international trade; hence it is important that our national freight transportation system is designed and operated efficiently and embodies user fees and other policies that balance costs and environmental consequences. Hence, this paper develops a mathematical model to estimate international and domestic freight flows across ocean, rail and truck modes which can be used to study the impacts of changes in our infrastructure as well as the imposition of new user fees and changes in operating policies. This model is applied to two case studies: (1) a disruption of the maritime ports at Los Angeles/Long Beach similar to the impacts that would be felt in an earthquake; and (2) implementation of new user fees at the California ports.

The impact of Pulpwood Rail Freight Costs on the Minnesota-Wisconsin Pulpwood Market

Science.gov (United States)

David C. Lothner

1976-01-01

Transportation costs affect the marketing and utilization of pulpwood. Their impact on the procurement and utilization of pulpwood often prove difficult to measure because deriving an average annual measure of the transportation cost is difficult. This note, by means of a simple index method for measuring regional interstate pulpwood rail freight costs, illustrates...

Atlanta Rail Yard Study (ARYS): Evaluation of local-scale air pollution trends and emissions quantification using stationary and mobile monitoring strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Intermodal rail yards are important nodes in the freight transportation network, where freight is organized and moved from one mode of transport to another, critical equipment is serviced, and freight is routed to its next destination. Rail yard environments are also areas with ...

Sustainable freight transport in South Africa:Domestic intermodal solutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan H. Havenga

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Due to the rapid deregulation of freight transport in South Africa two decades ago, and low historical investment in rail (with resultant poor service delivery, an integrated alternative to road and rail competition was never developed. High national freight logistics costs, significant road infrastructure challenges and environmental impact concerns of a road-dominated freight transport market have, however, fuelled renewed interest in intermodal transport solutions. In this article, a high-level business case for domestic intermodal solutions in South Africa is presented. The results demonstrate that building three intermodal terminals to connect the three major industrial hubs (i.e. Gauteng, Durban and Cape Town through an intermodal solution could reduce transport costs (including externalities for the identified 11.5 million tons of intermodalfriendly freight flows on the Cape and Natal corridors by 42% (including externalities.

5 steps to delivering safe, secure and reliable rail solutions for the nuclear industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Connelly, C. [Direct Rail Services, Warrington (United Kingdom)

2004-07-01

Direct Rail Services (DRS) has been operating since October 1995, following the decision by parent company, British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL), to create a strategic rail transport service. The decision came after the privatisation of the rail network in the UK, when the former British Rail was superseded by a range of private organisations responsible for separate areas of the industry. Individual companies became responsible for aspects such as the operation and maintenance of the network infrastructure and for passenger and freight train services. Rather than enter into contractual arrangements with third party contractors, DRS was formed - securing both the access and reliability of transport routes and availability of the rail network, providing greater guarantees about the levels of service delivery. The strategy of bringing this area of transport in house was concurrent with that of international transport, utilising its own fleet of ships for overseas fuel movements. Freight operations began in October 1995, with the first services operating between Sellafield and the low level radioactive waste facility at Drigg.

5 steps to delivering safe, secure and reliable rail solutions for the nuclear industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Connelly, C.

2004-01-01

Direct Rail Services (DRS) has been operating since October 1995, following the decision by parent company, British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL), to create a strategic rail transport service. The decision came after the privatisation of the rail network in the UK, when the former British Rail was superseded by a range of private organisations responsible for separate areas of the industry. Individual companies became responsible for aspects such as the operation and maintenance of the network infrastructure and for passenger and freight train services. Rather than enter into contractual arrangements with third party contractors, DRS was formed - securing both the access and reliability of transport routes and availability of the rail network, providing greater guarantees about the levels of service delivery. The strategy of bringing this area of transport in house was concurrent with that of international transport, utilising its own fleet of ships for overseas fuel movements. Freight operations began in October 1995, with the first services operating between Sellafield and the low level radioactive waste facility at Drigg

Evaluating the use of operational management techniques for capacity improvements on shared-use rail corridors : final report.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

The majority of intercity passenger and commuter rail services in the United States (U.S.) operate on the shared-use corridors with : freight rail services. These types of operations tend to be challenging for efficient capacity utilization and relia...

The 2055 freight transportation system and the impact of near term rail improvements on TXDOT planning project management plan.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-03-01

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is the sponsor of the project. The : project goals are to: (1) produce a framework for Texas freight transportation system in : 2055 and (2) develop a set of rail planning recommendations that will be...

The North American Transborder Freight Database

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Transportation — The North American Transborder Freight Database, available since April 1993, contains freight flow data by commodity type and by mode of transportation (rail, truck,...

77 FR 24561 - Union Pacific Railroad Company-Abandonment of Freight Easement Exemption-in Alameda and Santa...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-24

... Authority--Abandonment of Residual Common Carrier Obligation Exemption--in Alameda and Santa Clara Counties... freight operating easement on, and for VTA, the owner of the line, to abandon its residual common carrier... abandoned for freight rail service, but will be retained and rebuilt for future inclusion in the Bay Area...

The 2055 freight transportation system and the impact of near term rail improvements on TxDOT planning : project management plan.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-03-01

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is the sponsor of the project. The : project goals are to: (1) produce a framework for Texas freight transportation system in : 2055 and (2) develop a set of rail planning recommendations that will be...

Atlanta Rail Yard Study: Evaluation of local-scale air pollution ...

Science.gov (United States)

Intermodal rail yards are important nodes in the freight transportation network, where freight is organized and moved from one mode of transport to another, critical equipment is serviced, and freight is routed to its next destination. Rail yard environments are also areas with multiple sources of air pollutant emissions (e.g., heavy-duty vehicles, locomotives, cranes), which may affect local air quality in residential areas nearby. In order to understand emissions and related air quality impacts, two field studies took place over the time span of 2010-2012 to measure air pollution trends in close proximity to the Inman and Tilford rail yard complex in Atlanta, GA. One field study involved long-term stationary monitoring of black carbon, fine particles, and carbon dioxide at two stations nearby the rail yard. In addition, a second field study performed intensive mobile air monitoring for a one month period in the summer of 2012 at a roadway network surrounding the rail yard complex and measured a comprehensive array of pollutants. Real-time mobile particulate measurements included particle counts, extinction coefficient, black carbon via light-absorption and particle incandescence, and particle composition derived by aerosol mass spectrometry. Gas-phase measurements included oxides of nitrogen, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and air toxics (e.g., benzene). Both sets of measurements determined detectable local influence from rail yard-related emissions.

77 FR 2077 - Intent To Request Renewal From OMB of One Current Public Collection of Information: Rail...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-13

... carriers, including each carrier operating light rail or heavy rail transit service on track that is part of the general railroad system of transportation and rail transit systems. Also, these persons are... any threat information. In addition, freight railroad carriers and the affected shippers and receivers...

Sub-Saharan Africa’s rail freight transport system: Potential impact of densification on cost

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anneke de Bod

2010-11-01

Full Text Available The main response to sub-Saharan Africa’s (SSA challenges has been foreign aid. Yet, despite the large amounts received, the challenges remain. There is an opportunity to consider a different model with less focus on aid and more on investment. In the transport sector specifically, investment decisions should be informed by a longterm optimal balance between different transport modes. The research presented in this paper highlights the significant cost reduction opportunities possible through the densification of rail freight, especially over longer distances, with concomitant implications for increased profitability for rail operators. The densification opportunity should also place a core focus on transport corridors being developed throughout the region. SSA countries themselves can play a critical role in unlocking this potential through, inter alia, simplifying regional economic communities and taking the lead in structuring agreements with the international community.

Causal analysis of passenger train accidents on freight rail corridors.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-01

A number of economic, technical and political factors have limited the development of new, dedicated, very-high-speed rail systems in North America. Consequently, most, near-term development of improved or expanded passenger rail service in the U.S. ...

Emissions and Air Quality Impacts of Freight Transportation

Science.gov (United States)

Bickford, Erica

Diesel freight vehicles (trucks + trains) are responsible for 20% of all U.S. nitrogen oxide (NOx) and 3% of fine particulate (PM2.5) emissions - pollutants that are harmful to human health. Freight tonnage is also projected to double over the next several decades, reaching 30 billion tons by 2050, increasing freight transport activity. Air quality impacts from increased activity, trade-offs between activity and vehicle technology improvements, as well as where to make infrastructure investments that encourage sustainable freight growth, are important considerations for transportation and air quality managers. To address these questions, we build a bottom-up roadway-by-roadway freight truck inventory (WIFE) and employ it to quantify emissions impacts of swapping biodiesel blends into the Midwest diesel freight truck fleet, and investigate emissions and air quality impacts of truck-to-rail freight modal shifts in the Midwest. We also evaluate the spatial and seasonal freight performance of WIFE modeled in a regional photochemical model (CMAQ) against satellite retrievals of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI). Results show that spatial and seasonal distribution of biodiesel affects regional emissions impacts. Summer high-blend deployment yields a larger annual emissions reduction than year-round low-blend deployment, however, technological improvements in vehicle emissions controls between 2009 and 2018 dwarf the impacts of biodiesel. Truck-to-rail modal shift analysis found 40% of daily freight truck VMT could be shifted to rail freight, causing a 26% net reduction in NOx emissions, and 31% less carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Despite significant emissions impacts, air quality modeling results showed mostly localized near roadway air quality improvements, with small regional net changes; yet, federal regulation of CO2 emissions and/or rising costs of diesel fuel could motivate shifting freight to more fuel efficient rail. Evaluation of

Freight Shuttle System: Cross-Border Movement of Goods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Levien, Mary

2011-05-31

The Freight Shuttle System (FSS) is designed to provide freight transportation services between those short and intermediate distance locations (within 600 miles) that are currently handling large volumes of freight traffic. Much like trucks, the FSS's transporters are autonomous: each transporter has its own propulsion and travels independently of other transporters. Inspired by railroads, each FSS transporter has steel wheels operating on a steel running surface and can carry either a standardsize freight container or an over-the-road truck trailer. However, unlike either rail or trucks, the FSS runs on an elevated, dedicated guideway to avoid the interference of other transportation systems. The objective of this report is to examine the potential viability for an alternative transportation system for trailers and containers in a multi-national, cross-border setting. The El Paso-Ciudad Juarez region serves as the environment of this analysis.

Freight from Space: Evaluating Freight Activity and Emissions Trends from Satellite Data

Science.gov (United States)

Bickford, E.; Holloway, T.; Oberman, J.; Janssen, M.

2012-12-01

Heavy duty diesel freight trucks are the fastest growing source of highway emissions in the U.S., with domestic freight tonnage projected to double by 2050. Highway diesel vehicles currently account for 42% of on-road emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), 58% of on-road fine particulate (PM2.5) emissions, and 21% of on-road carbon dioxide emissions. Because most surface air quality monitors are located in densely populated areas and not rural highways, it is difficult to use ground-based observations to validate spatial trends in transportation emissions. Therefore, we have employed satellite retrievals from the OMI instrument to inform surface freight transportation inventory estimates by validating modeled tropospheric vertical column total nitrogen dioxide (NO2) against satellite observations. For this research we built a roadway-by-roadway bottom-up diesel truck emissions inventory using GIS, the U.S. Federal Highway Administration's Freight Analysis Framework (FAF) activity dataset, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's MOVES emissions model. We use freight rail emissions from the Eastern Regional Technical Advisory Committee (ERTAC), inventory emissions from the Lake Michigan's Air Directors Consortium (LADCO) and the EPA's Community Multiscale Air Qualiy (CMAQ) model to simulate ground-level and tropospheric column concentrations of NO2. We also use the combination of models and satellite data to evaluate weekday-weekend patterns of NO2 concentrations and the relative contributions of highway diesel vehicles, highway gasoline vehicles, and freight rail to transportation-related pollution. This research presents the first evaluation of surface freight transport from space-based observations. We find satellite retrievals of surface pollutants provide a useful data tool for evaluating air quality models and constraining emissions sources.

Managing rail service life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. Popović

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The service life of rails depends especially on the operational loads and speeds on the railway lines, as well as on the rail maintenance policy. There are multiple aspects of rail maintenance optimization. The following article considers optimisation of rail maintenance activities relating to rail head surface condition in order to reduce corrective work on track geometry, as well as to minimize the overall costs for track maintenance. The objects of this research are issues and challenges related to rail and track maintenance in curves on modern conventional railway lines for mixed traffic.

On structural inelasticity of modal substitution in freight transport

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rich, Jeppe; Kveiborg, Ole; Overgård, Christian Hansen

2011-01-01

alternative available. The paper investigates the magnitude of this ‘‘structural inelasticity” of modal substitution in freight transport due to a sparser layout of rail and ship-based freight networks compared to road. In the analysis we use a recent Scandinavian freight demand model covering more than 800...... zones. We find that the structural inelasticity is very significant – in particular for transportation over less than 500 km. Moreover, the inelasticity varies greatly with commodity groups and between OD pairs, and it depends strongly on the port and rail infrastructure. The results suggest that pure...

Undergraduate Certificate in Rail Transportation/Engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-05-05

A shift in the U.S. transportation environment has led to a revival in rail transport, especially in : freight rail1. In the meantime, an aging rail employee demographic presents a severe threat to : sufficient level of individuals equipped to handle...

Ontario freight movement study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1995-11-01

The freight (cargo) transportation sector accounts for a major use of fossil fuels and contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. A study was conducted to estimate and forecast emissions from transportation in Ontario, by mode, over the next 15 years, and to examine ways in which those emissions could be reduced. Published data of freight transportation industries was used to examine the fuel consumption characteristics of each mode, followed by a review of emission rates. It was determined that truck transportation accounts for most CO 2 emissions (about 70%). Rail follows with 21% and the marine and air modes contribute relatively small shares (6% and 2%). New intermodal technologies being introduced by the railways were discussed. They have been designed to make intermodal transport more accessible to a wider segment of the freight market. A recommendation was made which would require all truck shipments over 500 km, accounting for fully one half of truck tonne-km, to have their line-haul component diverted to this new more fuel-efficient mode (i.e., from truck to rail). refs., tabs., figs

Operations Research for Freight Train Routing and Scheduling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Harrod, Steven; Gorman, Michael F.

2011-01-01

This article describes the service design activities that plan and implement the rail freight operating plan. Elements of strategic service design include the setting of train frequency, the routing of cars among trains, and the consolidation of cars, called blocking. At the operational level......, trains are dispatched either according to train paths configured in advance, called timetables, or according to priority rules. We describe the North American and European practice along with selected modeling and problem solving methodologies appropriate for each of the operating conditions described...

Research on squeal noise of tread brake system in rail freight vehicle

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jun; Li, Yong-hua; Fang, Ji; Zhao, Wen-zhong

2017-07-01

Brake squeal is a result of a unstable flutter from brake system, it results to the noise pollution in railway side and excessive wear of wheel tread. A finite element model of brake system for rail freight vehicle is set up, the contact and friction between the brake shoe and wheel tread is considered, the complex modals of brake system are calculated, the possibility of happening chatter and squeal noise are analyzed. The results show that the pressure angle or the brake force direction have a important influence on the unstable chatter and squeal noise, the more greater the pressure angle deviates from the wheel center, the more greater the possibility of happening chatter and squeal noise is, and the possibility of happening chatter and squeal noise is also increased along with the addition of friction factor.

Identification of key target markets for intermodal freight transport solutions in South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joubert van Eeden

2010-11-01

Full Text Available The Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA identified South Africa's freight logistics challenges as among the key binding constraints on the country's growth aspirations. The research presented here points to the structural imbalance between road and rail freight transport as one of the key contributors to this state of affairs. Most long-distance corridor transport has been captured by road. However, long-distance transport is a market segment that is very suitable for intermodal transportation : rail is utilised for the high-density, long-distance component and road for the feeder and distribution services at the corridor end points. A market segmentation approach is developed to identify the corridors and industries that are natural candidates for such solutions, thereby paving the way for role-players and stakeholders to initiate a dialogue on the development of appropriate solutions.

Reduction of Sleep Deprivation and Fatigue in Mass Transit Rail Operators.

Science.gov (United States)

Haynes, Ajeenah L

2017-08-01

Sleep and work schedules differ considerably between rail workers and the broader U.S. workforce. Due to extended work hours and night shift schedules, train and engine service workers who operate passenger trains or move freight are most vulnerable to fatigue. This article addresses the need for comprehensive fatigue risk management systems (FRMS) for rail operators. Using a transactional ergonomic perspective, FRMS are discussed with a focus on fatigue education and administrative controls to reduce feelings of tiredness, low motivation, poor concentration, and low physical activity among mass transit rail operators. Recommendations for intervention implementation and evaluation are provided.

Identification of promising Twin Hub networks : Report of Work Package 1 of the Intermodal rail freight Twin hub Network Northwest Europe - project (final report)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kreutzberger, E.D.; Konings, J.W.; Meijer, S.; Witteveen, C.; Meijers, B.M.; Pekin, E.; Macharis, C.; Kiel, J.; Kawabata, Y.; Vos, W.

2014-01-01

This report is the first deliverable of the project Intermodal Rail Freight Twin Hub Network Northwest Europe. We call its subject Twin hub network and the organisational entity to carry out the actions the Twin hub project. The project is funded by INTERREG NWE (programme IVb). Its work started in

Sustainable freight infrastructure to meet climate and air quality goals.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-01

This report examines the potential for freight modal shift from truck-to-rail in the upper Midwestern U.S. : to improve air quality and reduce CO2 emissions. Two scenarios were generated, one focusing on : intra-regional freight movements within the ...

High speed rails. Fatigue behaviour

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duart, J. M.; Pero-Sanz, J. A.; Verdeja, J. I.

2005-01-01

In recent years, passenger train speed and freight train load have increased to enhance efficiency of rail road transportation. These trends have increased the severity of rail service conditions, calling for rails with greater wear resistance, strength and fatigue behaviour. In the United Stated and Europe, track site weld rails are made entirely by aluminothermic process. This work describes the results of experimental study conducted on bending fatigue strength of plain rails and aluminothermic welded rails with preheating procedures (oxipropane and air-induced propane) approved by railways authorities. Compliance with the required fatigue strength shall be ascertained by 4 point pulsating bending test in accordance with European standards by aluminothermic welding in rails. The locati method, based in the empirical Miner's law about the cumulative damage on a fatigue tested material, allows, once known the Wohler curve of the welding process in use to settle the fatigue tensile limit at 50% with only one test. The values obtained at 2.10''6 cycles for plain rails (S f =353 MPa), oxipropane preheated aluminothermic weld rails (S f =225 MPa), and propane-air induced aluminothermic weld rails (S f =210 MPa) are very similar to those resulting from test method stated in the European Standard. From our point of view and due to its ease, speediness and savings, this is the most suitable test to check the quality and compare the aluminothermic processes in use. (Author) 15 refs

Rail industry job analysis : freight conductor.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-01

This document describes the results from a job analysis that was conducted for the position of Freight Conductor. Key aspects of the position were identified, including main tasks and knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) ne...

Freight corridor performance measurement system: A framework for South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan H. Havenga

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Background: On a national level, South Africa’s freight logistics industry is inefficient. The country ranks 36th out of 40 countries in terms of transport productivity (tonne kilometres as a ratio of gross domestic product, or GDP; the ratio of freight logistics costs to GDP measured 11.1% in 2013, compared to that of developed regions which measures in the order of 9%; and rail tonne-km market share on the two most dense long-distance corridors, namely, GautengDurban and Gauteng-Cape Town, is only 12.8% and 4.4%, respectively, whereas rail is globally acknowledged as a more efficient provider of long-distance freight solutions, given appropriate investments and service commitments. Objectives: A cornerstone of improved national freight logistics performance is the availability of reliable indicators to quantify the efficiency and capacity of the logistics network over the intermediate and long term, thereby enabling an evidence-based policy and investment environment. The objective of this article is to describe the foundation framework (i.e. phase 1 for South Africa’s freight corridor performance measurement system (CPMS. Once populated, the CPMS will be a key generator of indicators to facilitate the systemic management of corridors as a national production factor and thereby contributing to South Africa’s competitiveness. Method: The design of South Africa’s CPMS was informed by desktop research and refined through an extensive stakeholder consultation process. A distinction was made between South Africa’s dedicated bulk corridors and the multi-modal corridors. Results: Facilitating both stakeholder involvement and agreement on key indicators, as well as the eventual development of a system supporting the population, aggregation and dissemination of the CPMS are critical outcomes for the management of corridors as a national production factor. Three overarching corridor indicators were defined, relating to increased throughput

Why is energy use rising in the freight sector?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mintz, M.; Vyas, A.D.

1991-01-01

Trends in transportation sector energy use and carbon dioxide emissions are analyzed with an emphasis on three freight modes -- rail, truck, and marine. A recent set of energy use projections is presented and freight mode energy characteristics are discussed. Transportation sector energy use, which nearly doubled between 1960 and 1985, is projected to grow more slowly during the period 1985 endash 2010. Most of the growth is projected to come from non-personal modes (freight and commercial air). Trends in freight mode energy intensities are discussed and a variety of factors behind these trends are analyzed. Rail and marine modes improved their energy intensities during sudden fuel price rises of the 1970s. Though there is room for further technological improvement, long power plant life cycles preclude rapid penetration of new technologies. Thus, energy intensities in these modes are more likely to improve through operational changes. Because of relatively stable fuel prices, the energy share of truck operating expenses is likely to remain low. Coupled with increasing labor costs, this portends only modest improvements in truck energy efficiency over the next two decades

On the rail-based freight corridor between CE and SEE regions and the main obstacles on Romanian territory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mihaela POPA

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The project “Freight and Logistics Advancement in Central/South-EastEurope - Validation of trade and transport processes, Implementation of improvementactions, Application of co-coordinated structures” (in short - FLAVIA is carried outunder the Central Europe – Cooperation for Success Programme, cofunded by theEuropean Regional Development Fund. One of the main objectives of FLAVIA project isto consolidate a logistic corridor from Central Europe (CE to the South-East Europe(SEE and the Black Sea Region, based on rail and inland waterways intermodaltransport. In this paper we discuss the partial outputs of FLAVIA project, mainly relatedto the identified actual status of rail-based intermodal transport and trade obstacles of thefreight flows on the Romanian territory and the used methodology. Several operationaland long-term measures to improve the trade and intermodal transport are listed,considering the advantages of the geo-strategic potential of Romania location, connectedwith the several improvement directions already considered into the new releasedintermodal strategy.

Optimization of wheel-rail interface friction using top-of-rail friction modifiers: State of the art

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, M. Roshan; Dasaka, Satyanarayana Murty

2018-05-01

High Speed Railways and Dedicated Freight Corridors are the need of the day for fast and efficient transportation of the ever growing population and freight across long distances of travel. With the increase in speeds and axle loads carried by these trains, wearing out of rails and train wheel sections are a common issue, which is due to the increase in friction at the wheel-rail interfaces. For the cases where the wheel-rail interface friction is less than optimum, as in case of high speed trains with very low axle loads, wheel-slips are imminent and loss of traction occurs when the trains accelerate rapidly or brake all of a sudden. These vast variety of traction problems around the wheel-rail interface friction need to be mitigated carefully, so that the contact interface friction neither ascents too high to cause material wear and need for added locomotive power, nor be on the lower side to cause wheel-slips and loss of traction at high speeds. Top-of-rail friction modifiers are engineered surface coatings applied on top of rails, to maintain an optimum frictional contact between the train wheels and the rails. Extensive research works in the area of wheel-rail tribology have revealed that the optimum frictional coefficients at wheel-rail interfaces lie at a value of around 0.35. Application of top-of-rail (TOR) friction modifiers on rail surfaces add an extra layer of material coating on top of the rails, with a surface frictional coefficient of the desired range. This study reviews the common types of rail friction modifiers, the methods for their application, issues related with the application of friction modifiers, and a guideline on selection of the right class of coating material based on site specific requirements of the railway networks.

Private–public partnerships: A mechanism for freight transport infrastructure delivery?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hans W. Ittmann

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Freight transport infrastructure is an indispensable requirement for economic growth, development and prosperity. Public–private partnerships (PPPs, as a mechanism to fund and construct freight transport infrastructure, have been suggested by many in private and public sectors. Objectives: The concept of PPPs is dealt with, and the relevance of this mechanism is expanded upon. It is clear that PPPs in the rail environment present huge challenges and complexities. The objective was to determine whether PPPs are a viable mechanism to fund freight transport infrastructure in South Africa. Method: Experiences with rail PPPs worldwide have shown that many failures occurred implementing these. The challenges and complexities of PPPs, in the freight rail environment, are highlighted together with the benefits, risks and best practices of PPPs. It is shown that suitable policies, legislation and regulations concerning PPPs are in place in South Africa. Results: A proper framework and methodology to proceed should be in place. PPPs take time and are complex. Government involvement remains essential. Firm contractual agreements between parties are essential. Risk handling, risk sharing and the magnitude of risks should be clarified with agreement on where the risks reside. Financial viability, with value for money (VfM and financial benefits for private sector role players are non-negotiable. Conclusion: Appropriate legislation for implementing PPPs must be in place while two further important elements are economic circumstances and proper project execution. Taking all these factors into consideration, the freight transport sector can only benefit from successfully negotiated and implemented PPPs.

Evaluating service quality in the Durban freight transportation industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeevarathnam P. Govender

2011-11-01

Full Text Available This paper evaluates service quality in the Durban freight transportation industry, in which a high degree of competition exists. Previous measurements of service quality in the industry have been casual gauges, rather than a formalised process. This paper makes a contribution by examining the level of service quality, specifically from a tangibles, reliability and responsiveness perspective, thereby identifying service quality gaps which need to be closed, with a view to raising service quality levels in the industry. The SERVQUAL instrument has been used to measure service quality levels administered to 500 of the industry’s active customers, i.e. organisations utilising the services of the freight transportation industry. The targeted respondents were managers responsible for logistics in their organisations. It was found that gaps existed between expectations and perceptions of service quality on 14 of the 15 measured items. Recommendations are made as to how the industry can improve its service quality levels.

49 CFR 38.175 - High-speed rail cars, monorails and systems.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false High-speed rail cars, monorails and systems. 38....175 High-speed rail cars, monorails and systems. (a) All cars for high-speed rail systems, including... monorail systems operating primarily on dedicated rail (i.e., not used by freight trains) or guideway, in...

Rural freight rail and multimodal transportation improvements.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-05-18

In this time of globalization, urbanization, congestions and increasing fuel prices, the growing importance of both freight and passenger transportation has been widely acknowledged. However, the importance of competitive transportation for rural Ame...

The impact of fracking on freight distribution patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-11-01

The increasing production of domestic energy through the use of fracking will likely alter local/regional/national economies and corresponding freight distribution patterns (highway, rail, marine, pipeline) in the United States. The proposed project ...

CargoMover - the driverless 'truck on rails'; CargoMover - der fahrerlose 'Lkw auf Schienen'

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mairhofer, F. [Siemens AG, Erlangen (Germany). Transportation Systems, Cargo Logistics; Janssen, G. [DB Netz AG, NL West, Duisburg (Germany)

2003-07-01

Year after year, more and more freight is transported in Europe. Most of it is transported by road, because users currently see the truck as the fastest, most flexible and most economic solution. But road haulage is already leading to a lot of congestion, so that is it becoming more and more important to shift traffic onto the railways. The high-availability CargoMover {sup registered} system complements existing rail freight transport services. It combines the strategic advantages of truck and rail transport and offers flexible driverless rail freight transport to individual destinations - including at regional and local level, and for short-term requirements or small loads. (orig.) [German] Jahr fuer Jahr werden in Europa mehr Gueter bewegt. Der Grossteil dieser Transporte erfolgt auf der Strasse, weil der LKW von vielen Nutzern momentan als die schnellste, flexibelste und wirtschaftlichste Loesung angesehen wird. Schon heute fuehrt der Lkw-Verkehr aber zu vielen Staus, so dass es immer wichtiger wird, mehr Transportvolumen auf die Schiene zu bringen. Der CargoMover {sup registered} komplettiert als hochverfuegbares System das Gueterverkehrsangebot auf der Schiene. Er verbindet die strategischen Vorteile des Lkw mit denen des Bahnsystems und ermoeglicht fahrerlosen, zielreinen und flexiblen Gueterverkehr auf der Schiene - auch im Regional- und Nahverkehr, bei kurzfristigem Bedarf oder kleineren Losgroessen. (orig.)

Transportation Energy Futures: Freight Transportation Modal Shares: Scenarios for a Low-Carbon Future

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brogan, J. J. [Cambridge Systematics Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States); Aeppli, A. E. [Cambridge Systematics Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States); Brown, D. F. [Cambridge Systematics Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States); Fischer, M. J. [Cambridge Systematics Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States); Grenzeback, L. R. [Cambridge Systematics Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States); McKenzie, E. [Cambridge Systematics Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States); Vimmerstedt, L. [Cambridge Systematics Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States); Vyas, A. D. [Cambridge Systematics Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States); Witzke, E. [Cambridge Systematics Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States)

2013-03-01

Freight transportation modes—truck, rail, water, air, and pipeline—each serve a distinct share of the freight transportation market. A variety of factors influence the modes chosen by shippers, carriers, and others involved in freight supply chains. Analytical methods can be used to project future modal shares, and federal policy actions could influence future freight mode choices. This report considers how these topics have been addressed in existing literature and offers insights on federal policy decisions with the potential to prompt mode choices that reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

Trends in passenger transport and freight energy use in Spain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendiluce, Maria; Schipper, Lee

2011-01-01

This paper provides for the first time a complete analysis of recent trends in activity, carbon emissions, modal shares, energy intensities, vehicle use and fuels in the Spanish transport system from 1990 to 2008 and discusses policy options. Passenger and freight activities have increased in Spain and are projected to continue, presenting a challenge for sustainable mobility efforts; emissions have increased, mainly fueled by the rise in activity; modal shares have pulled away from public transport, with a decrease in bus and rail, towards an increase in car and air travel; energy intensities, though initially decreasing, are currently increasing; and fuel use has taken over 37% of Spanish final energy consumption. To target these issues the Spanish government has focused its efforts in targeting energy efficiency through dieselization, which has not led to positive results. More recently policies and measures have been directed towards redirecting modal shares and diversifying the fuel mix. Little has been done to reduce activity besides some anecdotic public awareness campaigns. Activity reduction may be achieved with regulations, restrictions and mobility plans; by increasing high speed rail and rail freight transport; by improving intermodality and tying the Spanish rail network with the EU; and with more urban transport planning at local level. - Highlights: → Complete analysis of recent trends in Spanish transport system from 1990 to 2008. → Passenger and freight activities have driven GHG emissions increase. → Modal shares have pulled away from public transport. → Policy efforts targeted energy efficiency and redirecting modal shares and diversifying the fuel mix. → Little has been done to reduce activity.

Intermodal Logistics Centres and Freight Corridors – Concepts and Trends

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Norbert Wagener

2017-09-01

Full Text Available . Background: The development of international freight corridors, as the Trans European Network and new rail and inland shipping corridors in Asia and Africa, require efficient logistics centres along these corridors which serve as intermodal interfaces and provide a variety of different logistics service functions. The definition of the term logistics centre differs between countries and implies different functionalities. Locations are often selected randomly and business models are opportunity driven, especially in highly dynamic and less regulated new emerging economies. In particular Freight Villages as a special form of logistics centres have a high impact on regional development and serve as cargo generator for freight corridors. Consideration of general principles how to establish Freight Villages could improve the effectiveness of these logistics centres along freight corridors. Methods: Based on a literature review a comprehensive and hierarchical definition of logistics centres will be discussed and applied. From experiences in the development of logistics centres in several countries, especially in Germany and Lithuania, challenges and concepts concerning regulatory framework, determination of location and business and financing models are discussed. Results: Concerning the definition of logistics centres a hierarchical definition is applied which comprises different levels of logistics centres depending on the scope of the value adding and the functionality. As general principles for the development of Freight Villages the active role of the state, master planning, objective location finding, participation and co-operation of different stakeholders in the business model and a stepwise scheme for financing are introduced. Major trends for the future development of Freight Villages are the digitalization of supply chains, the application of new intermodal technologies and of innovative telematics systems, solutions for low emission and

49 CFR 173.9 - Transport vehicles or freight containers containing lading which has been fumigated.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Transport vehicles or freight containers... MATERIALS REGULATIONS SHIPPERS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR SHIPMENTS AND PACKAGINGS General § 173.9 Transport... hazardous material. (b) No person may offer for transportation or transport a rail car, freight container...

78 FR 36017 - MCM Rail Services LLC, d/b/a Baltimore Industrial Railroad-Operation Exemption-Hilco SP Rail, LLC

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-14

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35725] MCM Rail Services LLC, d/b/a Baltimore Industrial Railroad-- Operation Exemption--Hilco SP Rail, LLC MCM Rail Services LLC, d/b/a Baltimore Industrial Railroad (MCM), a noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption...

Transportation Energy Futures Series: Freight Transportation Demand: Energy-Efficient Scenarios for a Low-Carbon Future

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grenzeback, L. R. [Cambridge Systematics Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States); Brown, A. [Cambridge Systematics Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States); Fischer, M. J. [Cambridge Systematics Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States); Hutson, N. [Cambridge Systematics Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States); Lamm, C. R. [Cambridge Systematics Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States); Pei, Y. L. [Cambridge Systematics Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States); Vimmerstedt, L. [Cambridge Systematics Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States); Vyas, A. D. [Cambridge Systematics Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States); Winebrake, J. J. [Cambridge Systematics Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States)

2013-03-01

Freight transportation demand is projected to grow to 27.5 billion tons in 2040, and by extrapolation, to nearly 30.2 billion tons in 2050, requiring ever-greater amounts of energy. This report describes the current and future demand for freight transportation in terms of tons and ton-miles of commodities moved by truck, rail, water, pipeline, and air freight carriers. It outlines the economic, logistics, transportation, and policy and regulatory factors that shape freight demand; the possible trends and 2050 outlook for these factors, and their anticipated effect on freight demand and related energy use. After describing federal policy actions that could influence freight demand, the report then summarizes the available analytical models for forecasting freight demand, and identifies possible areas for future action.

77 FR 73455 - Change to the Military Freight Carrier Registration Program (FCRP)

Science.gov (United States)

2012-12-10

... (common, contract, logistics, freight forwarders, and brokers). This does not apply to registration of air, rail, ocean, pipeline, barge, international, and household goods TSPs. This update will be included in...

77 FR 65937 - Pioneer Railcorp-Continuation in Control Exemption-Rail Switching Services, Inc.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-31

... control of Rail Switching Services, Inc. (RSS), upon RSS's becoming a Class III rail carrier. \\1\\ Pioneer states that it owns 100% of the common stock of its 17 Class III rail carrier subsidiaries: West Michigan...--Continuation in Control Exemption--Rail Switching Services, Inc. Pioneer Railcorp (Pioneer) and its...

We keep on truckin': Trends in freight energy use and carbon emissions in 11 IEA countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eom, Jiyong; Schipper, Lee; Thompson, Lou

2012-01-01

Based on detailed national and international data on freight transportation, we analyze trends in freight CO 2 emissions in 11 IEA countries from the earliest year of data availability to 2007–2010. The cross-country comparison of the freight transportation sector indicates that per capita CO 2 emissions span a wide range and are mostly determined by local needs without full knowledge or coordination with policies and practices in other countries. Over the last several decades, while many developed countries have experienced decreased coupling between total freight activity (measured in tonne-km) and income, no major indication of decreased coupling between trucking and income was found. Rather, the coupling has been strengthened in many countries due to a continued increase in the share of trucking in total freight activity. The energy intensity of trucking has exhibited very large variation among the countries, and its recent international trends are mixed, providing greater challenges to reduce freight CO 2 emissions. Modal shift toward rail away from truck presents a sizeable opportunity to reduce freight CO 2 emissions, although the potential gain varies widely among the countries. - Highlights: ► We analyze trends in freight CO 2 emissions in 11 IEA countries. ► Many of them experienced decreased coupling between freight and income. ► No major indication of decoupling was found between trucking and income. ► The energy intensity of trucking exhibited very large variation. ► The trends of trucking energy intensity are mixed. ► There is a huge opportunity of reducing emissions by shifting toward rail.

Train Dwell Time Models for Rail Passenger Service

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

San Hor Peay

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In recent years, more studies had been conducted about train dwell time as it is a key parameter of rail system performance and reliability. This paper draws an overview of train dwell time models for rail passenger service from various continents, namely Asia, North America, Europe and Australia. The factors affecting train dwell time are identified and analysed across some rail network operators. The dwell time models developed by various researches are also discussed and reviewed. Finally, the contributions from the outcomes of these models are briefly addressed. In conclusion, this paper suggests that there is a need to further study the factors with strong influence upon dwell time to improve the quality of the train services.

Control of rolling contact fatigue on premium rails in revenue service.

Science.gov (United States)

2014-11-01

Effective rail maintenance strategies are : essential for controlling rolling contact fatigue : (RCF) and reducing wear of rails under heavy : axle load (HAL) operations. In an effort to : optimize rail maintenance strategies in revenue : service, Tr...

The Energy-Efficient Operation Problem of a Freight Train Considering Long-Distance Steep Downhill Sections

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xuan Lin

2017-06-01

Full Text Available With the energy consumption rising in rail transport, the railway sector is showing increasing interest in the energy-efficient operation of freight trains. Freight trains require more complicated driving strategies than ordinary passenger trains do due to their heavy loads, especially in the long-distance steep downhill (LDSD sections that are very common in freight rail lines in China. This paper studies the energy-efficient operation of a freight train considering LDSD sections. An optimal control model including regenerative and pneumatic braking is developed for the freight train. Then, when a train leaves/enters the LDSD section, we verify the uniqueness of control transitions and discuss the speed profile linkage between LDSD and its adjacent sections, which indicates that the periodic braking should be applied on LDSD sections for optimality. Additionally, given the same running time for the entire journey, our analysis shows that electrical braking-full braking strategy is more energy-efficient than coasting-full braking strategy on LDSD sections. Finally, a numerical algorithm for the optimal driving solution is proposed. The simulation results demonstrate that the driving strategies generated by the proposed algorithm performs better than those from fuzzy predictive control and field operation regarding energy saving.

The Freight Transportation Services Index as a leading economic indicator

Science.gov (United States)

2009-09-01

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) showed a decline a full year and a half prior to the start of the current recession. This downturn suggests the TSI may prove particularly useful as an indic...

49 CFR 1580.101 - Rail security coordinator.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... system of transportation, when notified by TSA in writing, that a threat exists concerning that operation.... This section applies to: (1) Each freight railroad carrier that operates rolling equipment on track that is part of the general railroad system of transportation. (2) Each rail hazardous materials...

Working on rail freigt corridors : a trade union manual anticipate - take action - work together

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Goudswaard, A.; Torre, W. van der; Verbiest, S.

2013-01-01

The European Transport Workers Federation (ETF) put in place in 2013 the project “WOC – Working On Rail Freight Corridors” with the objective to on the one hand raise awareness among ETF affiliates about the developments of the European freight corridors and on the other hand to give the tools to

Transportation Energy Futures Series: Freight Transportation Demand: Energy-Efficient Scenarios for a Low-Carbon Future

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grenzeback, L. R.; Brown, A.; Fischer, M. J.; Hutson, N.; Lamm, C. R.; Pei, Y. L.; Vimmerstedt, L.; Vyas, A. D.; Winebrake, J. J.

2013-03-01

Freight transportation demand is projected to grow to 27.5 billion tons in 2040, and to nearly 30.2 billion tons in 2050. This report describes the current and future demand for freight transportation in terms of tons and ton-miles of commodities moved by truck, rail, water, pipeline, and air freight carriers. It outlines the economic, logistics, transportation, and policy and regulatory factors that shape freight demand, the trends and 2050 outlook for these factors, and their anticipated effect on freight demand. After describing federal policy actions that could influence future freight demand, the report then summarizes the capabilities of available analytical models for forecasting freight demand. This is one in a series of reports produced as a result of the Transportation Energy Futures project, a Department of Energy-sponsored multi-agency effort to pinpoint underexplored strategies for reducing GHGs and petroleum dependence related to transportation.

Best practices and strategies for improving rail energy efficiency

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-28

In support of the FRA Energy, Environment, and Engine (E3) program, this study reviews and evaluates technology development opportunities, equipment upgrades, and best practices (BPs) of international and U.S. passenger and freight rail industry segm...

76 FR 77716 - Alternate Passenger Rail Service Pilot Program

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-14

...-0108; Notice No. 2] RIN 2130-AC19 Alternate Passenger Rail Service Pilot Program AGENCY: Federal... rule is in response to a statutory mandate that FRA complete a rulemaking proceeding to develop a pilot... enactment of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008. The final rule develops this pilot...

COMPETITION AND PRICING OF ESSENTIAL INPUTS: THE CASE OF ACCESS CHARGES FOR THE USE OF THE ITALIAN RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ugo Arrigo

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This paper explores the access charge for the use of the Italian rail infrastructure. Access problems arise when the provision of a complete service to end users requires the combination of two or more inputs, one of which is non-competitive (OECD, 2004. It is a well-known fact that excessive access charges mean higher prices for rail passengers and rail freight companies when using the infrastructure. We conclude that the structure of the access charge has changed significantly with the recent introduction of the HS/HC (high-speed and high-capacity network; specifically, the fixed component has lost importance, whilst the variable component reaches 94%. The results of this paper provide evidence of the access charge for HS/HC being above 13 €/km.

Freight on a Low-Carbon Diet: Accessibility, Freightsheds, and Commodities.

Science.gov (United States)

Taptich, Michael N; Horvath, Arpad

2015-10-06

The freight infrastructure network (e.g., roads, railways, waterways, etc.) is the backbone of nearly all trade partnerships in the United States and abroad. The manner in which the individual portions of its constituent parts are interrelated or arranged plays an important role for determining the environmental footprint of goods moved within the network. Herein, we compare the spatial distribution of potential consumer-producer exchanges (i.e., accessibility) under varying greenhouse gas (GHG) budgets or preferences for minimal transportation-related GHG emissions. We conduct case studies using two freight modes (truck and intermodal rail) for two representative commodities: meat/seafood and paper articles. Results across all counties in the United States indicate that the geographic area in which trade is possible, given a GHG budget, varies by transportation mode, location, and commodity. Our results suggest that intermodal terminal availability is an important determinant of low-GHG accessibility. Since only a fraction of road-to-rail terminals accommodate meat/seafood (4.9%) and paper (0.7%), the United States could increase its expected GHG savings associated with truck-to-rail mode-switching policies by 70% (+20 kg CO2,e/ton for meat/seafood) and 310% (+30 kg CO2,e/ton for paper) by upgrading current terminals to allow the exchange of all types of goods.

Numerical evaluation of pulse-echo damage detection in train rail

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Long, CS

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A guided wave based monitoring system for welded freight rail, has previously been developed. The existing system was designed to only detect complete breaks. Current research efforts are focused on including a pulse-echo mode of operation in order...

78 FR 17996 - MCM Rail Services LLC-Petition for Retroactive Exemption-In Sparrows Point, Md.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-25

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35707] MCM Rail Services... regarding a petition for an operation exemption submitted by MCM Rail Services LLC (MCM) regarding 12 miles of rail line in Sparrows Point, Md. (the Line). DATES: MCM's supplemental information is due by April...

The current state of the rail freight market in Russia: new forms of governance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Koncipko Natal'ja Vladimirovna

2015-10-01

Unsolved problems of the industry and the availability of infrastructure limited movements in the context of a sharp increase in the number of car Park led to the violation of a reasonable balance of rolling stock, the growth which outpaced the increase in transportation. This led to the reduction of hodnoty freight and has led to the simultaneous increase in the share of empty run freight car, and technological losses, including growth time of its turnover. The study showed that to improve the competitiveness of freight operators and increase their profits, you need to pass empty flights in centralized case management of JSC "RZD".

49 CFR 215.119 - Defective freight car truck.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Defective freight car truck. 215.119 Section 215... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD FREIGHT CAR SAFETY STANDARDS Freight Car Components Suspension System § 215.119 Defective freight car truck. A railroad may not place or continue in service a...

On the stick-slip vibration in the suspension of a freight wagon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mazilu Traian

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Damping based on the dry friction is frequently in suspensions of the freight wagons. The paper presents some aspects of vertical vibration of freight wagons. It uses a simple model considering that the vehicle was reduced to a mass suspended on a wheel, moving at constant speed on a rigid track with harmonic irregularity. Stick-slip vibration can occur due to the friction and it is characterized by sudden changes in the wheel acceleration affecting the ride quality. The paper shows the influence of stick-slip vibration on the wheel-rail dynamic force.

Keeping rail on track: preliminary findings on safety culture in Australian rail.

Science.gov (United States)

Blewett, Verna; Rainbird, Sophia; Dorrian, Jill; Paterson, Jessica; Cattani, Marcus

2012-01-01

'Safety culture' is identified in the literature as a critical element of healthy and safe workplaces. How can rail organizations ensure that consistently effective work health and safety cultures are maintained across the diversity of their operations? This paper reports on research that is currently underway in the Australian rail industry aimed at producing a Model of Best Practice in Safety Culture for the industry. Located in rail organizations dedicated to the mining industry as well as urban rail and national freight operations, the research examines the constructs of organizational culture that impact on the development and maintenance of healthy and safe workplaces. The research uses a multi-method approach incorporating quantitative (survey) and qualitative (focus groups, interviews and document analysis) methods along with a participative process to identify interventions to improve the organization and develop plans for their implementation. The research uses as its analytical framework the 10 Platinum Rules, from the findings of earlier research in the New South Wales (Australia) mining industry, Digging Deeper. Data collection is underway at the time of writing and preliminary findings are presented at this stage. The research method may be adapted for use as a form of organizational review of safety and health in organizational culture.

The Logistical Aspects of Freight Transportation and Forwarding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zimina Anna I.

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The article substantiates the theoretical and practical aspects of freight transportation and forwarding services based on the principles of logistics. The indicators of dynamics of freight transportation in Ukraine compared to last year and the structure by types of transport have been provided. The indicators of the foreign trade performance of Ukraine have been presented, including the counter-current export and import flows, as well as the external trade balance, which directly impacts the volume and dynamics of freight transportation and forwarding services. The main parameters of the transportation and forwarding logistics system were systematized, taking into consideration the technical and operational characteristics of the rolling stock, the route of communication, and the terminals. The role and features of the functions of the inter/multimodal transportation operators – freight forwarders of the «tonnage customers» have been considered. The article determines principles for the organization of work of freight forwarders, as well as the terms of agreement of the parties when the freight forwarding contract is concluded. The conditions for developing a logistics approach to the implementation of freight transportation and forwarding services have been generalized.

75 FR 26839 - Metrics and Standards for Intercity Passenger Rail Service under Section 207 of the Passenger...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-12

... and Standards for Intercity Passenger Rail Service under Section 207 of the Passenger Rail Investment... performance and service quality of intercity passenger train operations. In compliance with the statute, the... Intercity Passenger Rail Service,'' on the FRA's Web site. Simultaneously, the FRA published a notice in the...

Cost that is Directly Incurred as a Result of Operating the Train Service on the 1520 mm Rail with Primarily Freight Transportation

OpenAIRE

Hudenko, J; Ribakova, N; Počs, R

2016-01-01

Under the Directive 2012/34/EU (21 November 2012) "the charges for … [rail] infrastructure … shall be set at the cost that is directly incurred as a result of operating the train service". This charging rule is new for Baltic States’ railways, where due to the favorable geographic position a full cost application without detalization was possible. Although, a big number of relevant studies on the issue was made in EU, all of them covered only 1435mm railways with primarily passenger transport...

Improving marketing strategies of sea freight forwarding services - Thien Hong Joint Stock company

OpenAIRE

Pham, Thanh Huyen

2015-01-01

Analyzing and improving marketing strategies of Thien Hong Joint Stock company - a newborn company in the field of sea freight forwarding service in Vietnam. This thesis focused on the 4Ps (product, price, placement, promotion) in marketing strategy, how to apply the theory of services marketing in a business to business company and a special industry effectively.

Web Services on Rails

CERN Document Server

Marshall, Kevin

2006-01-01

This PDF will show you how your small business or enterprise can publish its APIs (application programming interface) to a developer community just like the behemoths of the Internet--Google, Yahoo!, eBay, and Amazon. These giants already offer their APIs to other programmers and allow for add-on services and mash-ups to develop from them--but until recently, the capability for most enterprises to do the same was limited by a myriad of competing standards and a lack of easy-to-use tools to accomplish the task. Ruby on Rails levels the playing field for companies by simplifying the process

Life Cycle Assessment Comparing the Use of Jatropha Biodiesel in the Indian Road and Rail Sectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Whitaker, M.; Heath, G.

2010-05-01

This life cycle assessment of Jatropha biodiesel production and use evaluates the net greenhouse gas (GHG) emission (not considering land-use change), net energy value (NEV), and net petroleum consumption impacts of substituting Jatropha biodiesel for conventional petroleum diesel in India. Several blends of biodiesel with petroleum diesel are evaluated for the rail freight, rail passenger, road freight, and road-passenger transport sectors that currently rely heavily on petroleum diesel. For the base case, Jatropha cultivation, processing, and use conditions that were analyzed, the use of B20 results in a net reduction in GHG emissions and petroleum consumption of 14% and 17%, respectively, and a NEV increase of 58% compared with the use of 100% petroleum diesel. While the road-passenger transport sector provides the greatest sustainability benefits per 1000 gross tonne kilometers, the road freight sector eventually provides the greatest absolute benefits owing to substantially higher projected utilization by year 2020. Nevertheless, introduction of biodiesel to the rail sector might present the fewest logistic and capital expenditure challenges in the near term. Sensitivity analyses confirmed that the sustainability benefits are maintained under multiple plausible cultivation, processing, and distribution scenarios. However, the sustainability of any individual Jatropha plantation will depend on site-specific conditions.

Changes in Service and Associated Ridership Impacts near a New Light Rail Transit Line

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeongwoo Lee

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Los Angeles (LA, for many years a city with limited rail transit, is substantially expanding its public transit system. This paradigm change in transportation policy and investment creates new requirements for monitoring. One area needing evaluation is whether new, high quality transit options, such as light rail, near existing transit services increase sustainable transportation mode shares and reduce car travel. Few studies have explored light rail’s role as a catalyst to increase overall transit use and achieve sustainability goals within an auto-oriented city like LA. Metro’s data show that trips taken on its bus and rail system dropped overall by 10.5% between 2009 and 2016, but its rail ridership grew 21% during the same period due to the debut of the Gold Line and Expo Line extensions. We analyze changes to bus service and associated ridership impacts that resulted from the opening of these two LRT lines in LA. The immediate effect of the city’s bus service changes along the Gold Line light rail extension appear to be associated with a net “bus plus rail” ridership decline in that corridor. In contrast, the Expo Line corridor experienced an initial increase in ridership during the two years immediately after its opening, possibly because the bus service was not reduced by the same magnitude as along the Gold Line extension. Our findings indicate that changes in bus service made to coincide with the introduction of new light rail transit (LRT can negatively affect the overall transit ridership in the corridor. Planners and policy makers should closely monitor changes in bus service and ridership associated with new rail transit to ensure investments results in an overall net increase in more sustainable travel.

Revisiting the reasons for contact fatigue defects in rails

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Darenskiy Alexander

2017-01-01

Full Text Available As it is known rail is one of the most significant elements of the whole railway construction. Operation under alternating loads from wheels of the rolling stock and different ambient temperatures lead to appearance and development of rail defects and damages. A great variety of operational factors (freight traffic density, axial loads, traffic speeds, track layout and profile as well as special features of manufacturing and thermal treatment of rails create certain difficulties while identifying reasons for defects and damages. The article deals with an attempt to estimate influence of track layout and lateral forces on appearance of defects and damages in rails on the base of long-term observations of rail operation in Kharkiv Metro. On the basis of the vehicle/track mathematical model which considers structural features of both rolling stock and permanent way in underground systems, the level of lateral forces in curves was calculated. The coefficients of correlation between the track curvature, the level of forces and the amount of defected rails removed were later obtained, that made it possible to determine the dominant factor which may lead to appearance and development of contact fatigue defects in rails laid in curves.

Backcasting sustainable freight transport systems for Europe in 2050

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mattila, Tuomas; Antikainen, Riina

2011-01-01

European freight transport emissions and fuel consumption are projected to increase. This study focuses on long distance freight transport (LDFT) and explores possible sustainable futures through quantitative modeling. The evaluation was part of European foresight process between researchers, policy makers and freight companies (FREIGHTVISION). Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy demand of road, rail and inland waterways were estimated for an EU-27 in 2005. Development was extrapolated to 2050 based on technology and freight performance forecasts. Stakeholders found the forecasted GHG emissions and fossil fuel share unsustainable, so alternative futures were developed with backcasting. The developed emission model was run with random parameter combinations to screen a set of sustainable futures, with an 80% reduction of GHG emissions and fossil fuel share. Freight transport performance was not controlled in the backcasts, but several sustainable futures were found if significant changes in transport efficiency and energy mix are implemented. In spite of agreeing on the importance of reducing emissions, stakeholders had difficulties in choosing a preferred technological future. Simple models were found to be an effective tool for communicating the influence of various measures. Further research is recommended to screen preferable technological roadmaps from the broad range of available futures. - Research highlights: → Sustainable transport systems were explored with modeling and stakeholder workshops. → Backcasting identified technological options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80%. → Improving road vehicle efficiency, engine efficiency and fuel mix showed the greatest potential.

Analytical methods and simulation models to assess innovative operational measures and technologies for rail port terminals: the case of Valencia Principe Felipe terminal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ricci, S.

2016-07-01

The topic of freight transport by rail is a complex theme and, in recent years, a main issue of European policy. The legislation evolution and the White Paper 2011 have demonstrated the European intention to re-launch this sector. The challenge is to promote the intermodal transport system to the detriment of road freight transport. In this context intermodal freight terminals, play a primary role for the supply chain, they are the connection point between the various transport nodes and the nodal points where the freight are handled, stored and transferred between different modes to final customer. To achieve the purpose, it is strengthen the improvement of existing intermodal freight terminals and the development of innovative intermodal freight terminals towards higher performance (ERRAC, 2012). Many terminal performances improvements have been proposed and sometime experimented. They are normally basing on combinations of operational measures and innovative technologies (e.g. automatic horizontal and parallel storage and handling, automated gate and sensors for tracking systems data exchange) tested in various terminals, with often-contradictory results. The research work described in this paper (developed within the Capacity4Rail EU project) focusses on the assessment of effects that these innovations can have in the intermodal freight terminals combined in various alternative consistent effective scenarios. The methodological framework setup to assess these innovations is basing on a combination of analytical methods based on sequential algorithms and discrete events simulation models. The output of this assessment method are key performance indicators (KPIs) selected according to terminals typologies and related to different aspects (e.g. management, operation and organization). The present paper illustrates the application of the methodological framework, tuned on the operation of various intermodal terminals, for the validation on today operation and the

Air Freight Service Development Plan : Case: CMA CGM Logistics Vietnam

OpenAIRE

Nguyen, Giang

2014-01-01

Being one of the fastest-growing nations in the world, Vietnam is trading across the border actively and at the same time attracting multiple foreign investments. Import and export activities are occurring vigorously which leads to a huge potential for international transportation sectors, particularly for aviation industry. Hence, the ultimate goal of this thesis is to establish a development plan of air freight service for the case company – CMA CGM Logistics Vietnam (CCLOG VN). The stu...

Using Improved Entropy-Cloud Model to Select High-Speed Railway Express Freight Train Service Sites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wencheng Huang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available High-speed railway (HSR express freight train service sites selection is critical to the development of China’s Third Party Logistics market. In this paper, we formulate an improved entropy-cloud model based approach to solve the HSR express sites selection problem for the first time. The basic data of the indicators, for example, existing railway network conditions, traffic environment, express freight market demand, and policy, will be used as the inputs. We apply improved entropy method to obtain each subindicator’s weight. The cloud model will be used to select and classify each station under evaluation.

Large scale implementation of guided wave based broken rail monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Burger, Francois A.; Loveday, Philip W.; Long, Craig S.

2015-03-01

A guided wave ultrasound system has been developed over the past 17 years to detect breaks in continuously welded rail track. Installation of the version 4 system on an 840 km long heavy duty freight line was conducted between January 2013 and June 2014. The system operates in pitch - catch mode with alternate transmit and receive transducers spaced approximately 1km apart. If the acoustic signal is not received at the receive station an alarm is triggered to indicate a break in the rail between the transmit station and the receive station. The system is permanently installed, powered by solar panels and issues broken rail alarms using the GSM network where available, and digital radio technology in other areas. A total of 931 stations were installed and the entire length of rail is interrogated every fifteen minutes. The system operates reliably although some problems involving unreliable GSM communication and theft of solar panels have been experienced. In the first two months of operation four broken rails were detected and train operation was halted temporarily for repairs.

Freight railway transport: Critical variables to improve the transport applied to infrastructure costs and its associated traffic flow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zakowska, L.; Pulawska-Obiedowska, S.

2016-07-01

The developed societies have as challenge, among others, to achieve a mobility development based on economic models of low carbon and energy efficient, making it accessible to the entire population. In this context, the sustainable mobility seems to meet the economic, social and environmental needs, minimizing their negative impact. There are three factors that are relevant: (1) infrastructures; (2) modes of transport more ecological and safe, and (3) operations and services for passengers and freights.The objective of this research is to provide guidance to investment in sustainable transport infrastructures that are truly useful and effective. In particular we have studied the case of the railway, using the following information: details of the infrastructure; cost of construction (per kilometre); maintenance cost, and life cycle. This information may be relevant to consider their possible business models.The methodology of this research was focused in the detailed analysis of the infrastructure use and maintenance criteria, the market opportunities for freight development and the available data to validate the obtained results from the software tool reached in this work. Our research includes the different following aspects:• Evaluation of the supported traffic by the rail line.• Relevant items to be considered in the rail infrastructure. Defining the track, we can group items in two sets: civil and rail installations.• Rolling stock available. Locomotives and wagons are modelled to introduce the data as convenience for the user.Besides our research includes the development of software, Decision System Tool (DST), for studying the construction and maintenance cost of railway infrastructure. It is developed in a common and open source program, providing the user the interaction with the critical variable of the line. It has been adjusted using the following references: MOM PlanCargorail; EcoTransIT, and Projects funded by Framework Program of EU (New

Coopetition in Intermodal Freight Transport Services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jian Liu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The paper studies the coopetition of the downstream different carriers by providing complementary transport services in intermodal freight transport chain. Considering different information structure, a two-stage dynamic game model with simultaneous actions on investment and price is first formulated. Equilibria show both parties have motivation to select coopetition even if the agreement for cooperation investment is reached in advance. When both firms agree on the specific allocation, the new coopetition with higher efficiency would be emerged. Moreover, we analyze the complexity and evolution of coopetition by repeated pricing game with finitely and infinitely time horizon. In the finitely repeated pricing game, both firms have incentive to reach a tacit understanding to alternate choosing price cooperation and competition after setting suitable allocation scheme; the repeated periods t are then going to be an issue. In the infinitely repeated pricing game, the perfect cooperation is realized by designing the suitable trigger strategy.

Research on Price of Railway Freight Based on Low-Carbon Economy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fenling Feng

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Transportation is one of the major energy consumption and carbon emission industries. Railway transport is a typical low-carbon transport. To accelerate the green low-carbon transportation development and improve the railway market share, this paper defines the concept of carbon saving profit to study the price of railway freight after the government functions were separated from railway enterprise management. First, taking full account of market factors and on the principle of utility maximization and maximum likelihood method, the sharing ratio model of transportation modes is established. Then consideration is given to both the profit of railway enterprises and social benefits, and income maximization model of railway freight based on low-carbon economy is established. The model can scientifically guide the transportation users who prefer to use resource-saving and environmental-friendly transportation modes, optimize transportation structure, and comprehensively improve the efficiency of transportation system. Finally, case analysis is conducted to verify the rationality and validity of the model, and reference for the rail freight pricing is provided.

48 CFR 52.247-7 - Freight Excluded.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Freight Excluded. 52.247-7... AND FORMS SOLICITATION PROVISIONS AND CONTRACT CLAUSES Text of Provisions and Clauses 52.247-7 Freight... contracts for transportation or for transportation-related services when any commodities or types of...

77 FR 77183 - Union Pacific Railroad Company-Abandonment of Freight Easement Exemption-in Alameda County, Cal...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-12-31

...--Abandonment of Residual Common Carrier Obligation Exemption--in Alameda County, Cal. (San Jose Industrial Lead... easement on, and for SCVTA, the owner of the line, to abandon its residual common carrier obligation for, a portion of the San Jose Industrial Lead between mileposts 5.38 and 7.35 near the Warm Springs freight rail...

DETERMINATION OF FRICTION PERFORMANCE INFLUENCE IN THE SYSTEM "BODY–BOGIE" ON THE FREIGHT CAR DYNAMICS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. V. Myamlin

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The main requirements for the design of a new generation of cars, according to the Program of rolling stock renovation, are the requirements reducing the operating costs and increasing the cost-effectiveness of their use, taking into account the achievements of scientific and technical thought. Due to the urgency of this subject the paper is devoted to the study of the friction coefficient influence in the bearing connection «center plate – center bowl – bearers»of freight cars on their main dynamic parameters – coefficients of horizontal and vertical dynamics, body acceleration, frame strength, derailment stability factor. Methodology. The study was conducted by numerical integration and mathematical modeling of the freight car dynamic loading using the software package «Dynamics of Rail Vehicles» («DYNRAIL». Findings. Investigations have shown that the safety movement parameters are influenced by both the friction parameters in bearing connection «center plate – center bowl – bearers» of freight cars in empty and loaded state with bogies TSNII-X3 (model 18-100. Effect have other components of freight car dynamics, namely: radii of curved track sections, height of outer rail, etc. Originality. The author investigated the friction influence on the car dynamic loading using new approaches to solving the problem of predicting the rolling stock dynamics. Prediction was carried out on the basis of significantly updated theoretical material that covers all history of the friction theory and includes the results of recent experimental studies because of the speed on the straights and curves of small-and medium-range sections of the road.Practical value. The obtained results have practical orientation. During the research and after modeling with the improved method of accounting of friction processes dependencies of main dynamic parameters of a four-freight gondola on the value of the friction coefficient in the "body �

Preliminary rail access study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

The Yucca Mountain site, located on the southwestern edge of the Nevada Test Site, is an undeveloped area under investigation as a potential site for nuclear waste disposal by the US Department of Energy. The site currently lacks rail service and an existing rail right-of-way. If the site is suitable and selected for development as a disposal site, rail service is desirable to the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Program because of the potential of rail to reduce number of shipments and costs relative to highway transportation. This preliminary report is a summary of progress to date for activities to identify and evaluate potential rail options from major rail carriers in the region to the Yucca Mountain site. It is currently anticipated that the rail spur will be operational after the year 2000. 9 refs., 13 figs., 2 tabs

Instilling safety culture in the passenger rail transport industry within the South African context

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khulumane (John Maluleke

2013-07-01

Full Text Available South Africa has two major rail operators that constitute the rail transport industry. These are Transnet Freight Rail (TFR, which operates freight and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA. Although the Railway Safety Regulator (2011:29 reported the year on year declining trend of collisions, the main concern is that the costs incurred for each year’s incidents is escalating. This article is concerned with the declining safety standards of these operators as evidenced by 742 collisions recorded during the 2011/2012 financial year for both operators. The focus is mainly on collisions during the movement of rolling stock within the PRASA environment. The analysis of the occurrences is narrowed down, with the emphasis on the province of Gauteng. In the analysis of the causes of these collisions, the problems that led to the root causes of these collisions is reported. Of critical importance is that every transport operator is faced with the challenges of how to effectively respond to the basic transport needs and requirements of the travelling public. The transport users’ need is to travel between the two geographical points. During the journey between these geographical points, the operator has safety and security requirements and must provide a reliable, accessible and affordable transport system. As the travelling public becomes more affluent, the transport needs become open ended and require much more rational public choices. The rail transport system remains a vital or indispensable business sector of the economy. By investing in new technology, rolling stock and infrastructure, we woud see an increase in innovation, competitiveness, and an elevated standard of living.

Defining Robust Recovery Solutions for Preserving Service Quality during Rail/Metro Systems Failure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luca D'Acierno

2016-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we propose a sensitivity analysis for evaluating the effectiveness of recovery solutions in the case of disturbed rail operations. Indeed, when failures or breakdowns occur during daily service, new strategies have to be implemented so as to react appropriately and re-establish ordinary conditions as rapidly as possible. In this context, the use of rail simulation is vital: for each intervention strategy it provides the evaluation of interactions and performance analysis prior to actually implementing the corrective action. However, in most cases, simulation tasks are deterministic and fail to allow for the stochastic distribution of train performance and delays. Hence, the strategies adopted might not be robust enough to ensure effectiveness of the intervention. We therefore propose an off-line procedure for disruption management based on a microscopic and stochastic rail simulation which considers both service operation and travel demand. An application in the case of a real metro line in Naples (Italy shows the benefits of the proposed approach in terms of service quality.

49 CFR 266.1 - Definitions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... a common carrier maintains any line. State Rail Plan means the current plan, including all updates... TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE TO STATES FOR LOCAL RAIL SERVICE UNDER SECTION 5 OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION... of railroad or other rail properties, or any interest therein for existing or future rail freight...

Rail freight vibration impact sleep and community response: An overview of CargoVibes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Persson Waye, K.; Janssen, S.A.; Waddington, D.; Groll, W.; Croy, I.; Hammar, O.; Koopman, A.; Moorhouse, A.; Peris, E.; Sharp, C.; Sica, G.; Smith, M.G.; Vos, H.; Woodcock, J.; Ogren, M.

2014-01-01

The European Union funded project: CargoVibes involving ten partners from eight nations has aimed to examine ground-borne vibration affecting residents close to freight railway lines. The paper presents an overview of the work package investigating human response to vibration, with particular focus

Policies Towards Suburban Rail Services in Britain and West\\ud Germany – A Comparison.

OpenAIRE

Nash, C.A.

1984-01-01

In 1981, the eight S-Bahn systems of the Federal Republic of Germany carried around 7,000m passenger kilometres of traffic. By contrast, the local rail services operated by British Rail on behalf of the British Passenger Transport Executives were expected to carry around 2,000m passenger kilometres. (Table 1). The aim of this paper is to explore some of the reasons for this enormous difference is the role played by suburban rail systems between the two countries. As illustration, the particul...

ON OPERATION OF 740 M LONG FREIGHT TRAINS ON CZECH TEN-T RAILWAY NETWORK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michal Drábek

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Regulation (EU No 1315/2013 defines actual scope of core and comprehensive TEN-T network, including both networks for railway freight transport. For the core network, possibility to operate 740 m long freight trains is required. The aim of this paper is to analyse availability of appropriate overtaking tracks for 740 m long freight trains. Due to ETCS braking curves and odometry, such trains, after ETCS implementation, will require 780-800 m long overtaking tracks. For practical reasons (e.g. bypass lines, whole Czech railway TEN-T network is analysed. The overtaking track, whose occupation means influence on scheduled traffic or threat to boarding passengers, are excluded. The data was collected from station schemes from Collection of Official Requisites for 2015/16 Timetable, issued by SŽDC, Czech state Infrastructure Manager. Most of appropriate tracks are over 800 m long, but their density in the network and in particular directions varies considerably. For freight traffic, gradient of the line is important, so in the resulting figure, there are marked significant peaks for particular lines as well. Czech TEN-T lines are further segmented on the basis of number of tracks and their traffic character. Then, specific issues on overtaking or crossing of 740 m long freight trains are discussed. As a conclusion, for long-term development of Czech TEN-T lines, targeted investment is recommended not only for passenger railway, but also for freight railway. An attractive capacity offer for railway undertakings, which can stimulate freight traffic on European Rail freight corridors, can be represented by network-bound periodic freight train paths with suitable long overtaking tracks outside bottlenecks. After the overtaking by passenger trains, a freight train should run without stop through large node station or a bottleneck area. Before the sections with high gradients, coupling of additional locomotives should be connected with the overtaking

Light rail project in Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Jonas Lohmann Elkjær; Landex, Alex; Nielsen, Otto Anker

2006-01-01

The need for high class public transport service of the increasing travel across the radial urban structure of the greater Copenhagen region was examined through planning of a light rail. The exact corridor (defined as the Ring 2½ corridor) and alignment of the light rail were documented and the ......The need for high class public transport service of the increasing travel across the radial urban structure of the greater Copenhagen region was examined through planning of a light rail. The exact corridor (defined as the Ring 2½ corridor) and alignment of the light rail were documented...... light rail projects...

Study of traction rolling-stock using in Lithuanian sector of railway line “Rail Baltica”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gintautas BUREIKA

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The article analyses the current traction rolling-stock used by „Lietuvos geležinkeliai“ Plc. for freight transportation. The technical data of the above mentioned rolling-stock is explored and compared, and operation costs are estimated in the article. After the assessment of the forecasts of freight flows on the constructed railway „Rail Baltica“, the algorithm for selection of freight locomotives was proposed. The efficiency of the locomotives operated on the railway is determined by three multicriteria evaluation methods: the sum of ratings, simple additive weighting, and the geometric mean method. Locomotives are valued in accordance with technical, economic and ecological parameters. The results of possible effective performance of the rolling stock have been determined by changing coefficient values of the criteria. Finally, basic conclusions are given.

CargoCBM – Feature Generation and Classification for a Condition Monitoring System for Freight Wagons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gericke, C; Hecht, M

2012-01-01

Despite the fact that rail freight transport is one of the most environmentally friendly matters of transport, its growth has been far behind the growth of freight transport in general. Studies showed that a competitive disadvantage is caused by a low availability of rolling stock, especially freight wagons. Changing from a time based to a condition based maintenance strategy is believed to decrease down times by at least one third. To make condition based maintenance for freight wagons possible the TU Berlin and five industry partners started the research project CargoCBM. One task in this project is to develop algorithms for the automatic on-board diagnosis of wheel flats. The focus of the work is on the process of feature generation and feature selection as well as the application of different classifiers to automatically evaluate the data. Based on the results of measured data, features were selected and tested with different classifiers. Thought advanced classifiers such as neural networks have been analysed in accordance to their classification accuracy. It can be shown that with carefully constructed and selected features comparatively simple classifiers can lead to excellent results.

Analysis of the interaction of participants freight forwarding system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavlo Popovych

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Main goal of this work is the analysis of the interaction of participants of freight forwarding activities. Research methods included analysis of scientific literature, theory of systems and systems analysis, methods of induction and deduction. As sources of information used and applied work of fundamental importance known foreign and local scientists and regulatory and legislative documents of Ukraine for the state transport policy. In the article the basic interactions of participants of freight forwarding activities. Classified components freight forwarding services. Assign the concept freight forwarding system and its aim. Established element and forms of cooperation in the freight forwarding system. The main task of forwarding companies are organizing, coordinating and ensuring the delivery from shipper to consignee. Freight forwarding company responsible for the timely delivery of the goods on the condition of preservation of the quantity and quality specified time conditions. Currently used methods are uneffective decision-making, leading to losses. These circumstances require improvement methodology management of freight forwarding companies. This is possible only using modern mathematical methods and information technologies that will improve the operation of freight forwarding companies. The article presents a theoretical exposition of the basic processes of interaction between participants in freight forwarding system. The article may be of interest to specialists of freight forwarding companies.

Resisting momentum in the abutment to rotating of freight car bogie

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavels GAVRILOVS

2008-01-01

Full Text Available On the Latvian railway, derailments of freight cars take place in the course of shunting work on marshalling yards. A number of factors during shunting work on marshalling yards may contribute to the derailments of rolling stock: longitudinal dynamics during braking of cars with the turned off brakes by locomotive, hauling down cars from a marshalling hill with braking position controlled by an operator, dry internal rails in curves, absence of greasing in the pivot unit of freight bogies. At present, measures allowing elimination of the car derailments during shunting work are developed.During the period between repairs, the abutment unit of freight car often works in conditions of dry friction. Our observations suggest that at the time of taking a car into repair, there is often an absence of greasing between trail bearing and center plate of the abutment, and a presence of sandy dust. It increases a friction and, together with high contact pressures and dynamic influence, hinders the turn of bogie at motion of car.In this paper, the results of studying the resisting moment in the abutment to turning of bogie is reported. The study was conducted on the basis of freight bogie of type 18-100; the body was leant on the center plate unit of the abutment, on the center plate unit, and on the sliders. Experiments were conducted, with the use of greasing and at the dry friction of center plate unit.

Influence of Switches and Crossings on Wheel Wear of a Freight Vehicle

OpenAIRE

Doulgerakis, Emmanouil

2013-01-01

Turnouts (Switches & Crossings) are important components in railway networks, as they provide the necessary flexibility for train operations by allowing trains to change among the tracks. But the turnout’s geometry with discontinuity in rail profiles and lack of transition curve causes additional wear both on track and on vehicle. The main goal of this MSc thesis is to investigate the influence of turnouts on wheel wear of a freight vehicle. This will be obtained by simulations in the com...

Economic benefits of productivity increases through truck-to-rail mode shift in freight transport.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-29

Although the study of economic benefits of improving (or not improving) the efficiency of freight movement has been recognized as one of the critical research topic by the decision makers and researchers alike, there remains a dearth of transparent a...

Modelling freight transport

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tavasszy, L.A.; Jong, G. de

2014-01-01

Freight Transport Modelling is a unique new reference book that provides insight into the state-of-the-art of freight modelling. Focusing on models used to support public transport policy analysis, Freight Transport Modelling systematically introduces the latest freight transport modelling

Market opportunity assessment for the Eastern Shore short line rail in Maryland with a focus on potential new customers.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

This study by the University of Maryland explored the potential of an improved freight rail line to attract new customers. The analysis was based on the 2014 InfoGroup U.S. Business Database and other input data that the National Transportation Cente...

Transportation Energy Futures Series: Freight Transportation Modal Shares: Scenarios for a Low-Carbon Future

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brogan, J. J.; Aeppli, A. E.; Beagan, D. F.; Brown, A.; Fischer, M. J.; Grenzeback, L. R.; McKenzie, E.; Vimmerstedt, L.; Vyas, A. D.; Witzke, E.

2013-03-01

Truck, rail, water, air, and pipeline modes each serve a distinct share of the freight transportation market. The current allocation of freight by mode is the product of technologic, economic, and regulatory frameworks, and a variety of factors -- price, speed, reliability, accessibility, visibility, security, and safety -- influence mode. Based on a comprehensive literature review, this report considers how analytical methods can be used to project future modal shares and offers insights on federal policy decisions with the potential to prompt shifts to energy-efficient, low-emission modes. There are substantial opportunities to reduce the energy used for freight transportation, but it will be difficult to shift large volumes from one mode to another without imposing considerable additional costs on businesses and consumers. This report explores federal government actions that could help trigger the shifts in modal shares needed to reduce energy consumption and emissions. This is one in a series of reports produced as a result of the Transportation Energy Futures project, a Department of Energy-sponsored multi-agency effort to pinpoint underexplored strategies for reducing GHGs and petroleum dependence related to transportation.

SKF Freight Transports and CO{sub 2} emissions. A Study in Environmental Management Accounting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lindblom, Helen; Stenqvist, Christian

2007-11-15

In this study of CO{sub 2} emissions accounting, freight transports of the SKF company are examined. The identification of emission sources, the handling of transport activity data, the application of proper calculation methodologies, organizational aspects and questions of liability are all integrated parts of the study. Emission calculations are carried out for two specific logistics systems managed by SKF Logistics Services; the Daily Transport System (DTS) and the Global Air Freight Program. The DTS, which is based on road freight transports, operates the European distribution of finished products. It is estimated to contribute with 9 700 tonnes CO{sub 2} during 2007. Since the system is optimized to a reasonable degree, the CO{sub 2} impact per tonne-km is relatively low. Over the same period the air freight's estimated emissions are 40 000 tonnes. Together these transport activities contributes to about ten percent of the SKF total CO{sub 2} equivalents based on the reporting of 2006. Adding the emissions from the remaining transport activities that SKF utilizes will make this share increase considerably, particularly if also inbound transports are accounted for. The potential for CO{sub 2} reductions is covered by two change-oriented case studies. It can be concluded that short-sea transportation seldom is an alternative to road transports. Intermodal transports combining road and rail can, depending on the circumstances, reduce the CO{sub 2} impact considerably compared to only using road transports. Reducing transportation work by optimizing a transport activity is seen as the best option for CO{sub 2} reductions. Efforts should be put into reducing the need for air freight transports, considering the high emission levels per tonne-km. Monitoring emissions for all transport activities that falls under SKF responsibility will reduce the risk of sub optimization. Introducing system changes in order to decrease CO{sub 2} emissions will have a range of

SOME ASPECTS OF THE DEFINITION OF EMPTY CARS STABILITY FROM SQUEEZING THEIR LONGITUDINAL FORCES IN THE FREIGHT TRAIN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. O. Shvets

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose. Despite of the implementation various programs to improve the safety of train traffic problem of reducing gatherings rolling stock off the rails is still relevant. The study aims to clarify the existing method of determining the factor of stability from the tire longitudinal forces to ensure the sustainability of cars with increasing speeds of the rolling stock. Methodology. Research was conducted by the method of mathematical modeling of loading freight car when driving at different speeds on straight and curved track sections. Findings. Analysis of the results shows that, for all selected freight cars for the calculation, the value of the safety factor by squeezing is smaller than the formulas of Standards. Corrections made to the formula for determining the safety factor by squeezing longitudinal forces, would achieve: 1 a higher safety factor of lightweight cars, excluding them squeezing longitudinal forces in the entire range of speeds of freight trains; 2 to develop and implement measures to prevent squeezing of cars in the entire range of motion; 3 to determine the degree of stability of the empty car in the head, middle and tail laden trains; 4 to offer optimal scheme of mixed trains formation. Originality. The analysis of existing methods for determining stability coefficient cars in freight trains from squeezing their longitudinal forces is presented in studies. Proposals are developed for the refinement of the design phase, construction and operation. Practical value. This study clarifies the existing method of determining the safety factor of stability from the squeezing longitudinal forces, as well as the influence on the magnitude of the coefficient of speed of movement of the rolling stock. Developed proposals for the refinement of existing methods for determining stability coefficient of longitudinal forces squeezing cars in a train, can reduce the number of retirements cars derailed by taking into account in the

78 FR 16036 - Service Level Environmental Impact Statement for the Texas Oklahoma Passenger Rail Study Corridor...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-13

... transportation modes such as auto, air travel, intercity bus, and existing rail and the physical characteristics... alternatives to provide higher speed passenger rail service to meet future intercity travel demand and to... truck traffic demand, intercity truck traffic demand, and passenger travel demand compete for highway...

49 CFR 174.83 - Switching placarded rail cars, transport vehicles, freight containers, and bulk packagings.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... TRANSPORTATION HAZARDOUS MATERIALS REGULATIONS CARRIAGE BY RAIL Handling of Placarded Rail Cars, Transport... force than is necessary to complete the coupling; or (3) Struck by any car moving under its own momentum... its own momentum may be permitted to strike any placarded flatcar or any flatcar carrying a placarded...

To the question of modeling of wheels and rails wear processes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S.V. Myamlin

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose. There is a need of wear process modeling in the wheel-rail system. This is related to the fact that the wear processes in this system are absolutely different in the initial and final stages. The profile change of rail and, especially, of the wheels caused by the wear significantly affects the rolling stock dynamics, traffic safety and the resource of the wheels and rails. Wear modeling and the traffic safety evaluation requires the accounting of the low frequency component forces (including the modeling of transitional areas affecting the wheel on the side of the rail and carriage in motion of rolling stock, so the statistical analysis is not possible. Methodology. The method of mathematical modeling of the wheel set and the rail interaction was used during the research conducting. Findings. As a result of the modeling of the wheel set motion on the rail track, the mathematic model with 19 freedom degrees was obtained. This model takes into account the axle torque and studies wheels constructions as the components of the mechanical systems, consisting of a hub and tire. Originality. The mathematic model allows evaluating the wear degree of the wheels and rails when using on the rolling stock not only all-metal wheel sets, but also compound ones with the use of spring wheels and independent rotation of semi-axes with the wheels. Practical value. The development of the improved mathematical model of freight car wheel set motion with differential rotation of the wheels and compound axles allows studying the wear processes of wheels and rails.

Potential scenarios of concern for high speed rail operations

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-16

Currently, multiple operating authorities are proposing the : introduction of high-speed rail service in the United States. : While high-speed rail service shares a number of basic : principles with conventional-speed rail service, the operational : ...

Aastatepikkune visadus viis raudtee Baltic Rail Service'ile / Anneli Ammas, Andres Eilart

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Ammas, Anneli, 1962-

2001-01-01

Eesti erastamisagentuur sõlmis Baltic Rail Service'iga lepingu 66% Eesti Raudtee aktsiate müügiks. Vt. samas "Uus omanik lubab hakata Eesti Raudtee töötajaid koondama". Kronoloogia: Raudtee müük 1999, 2000, 2001

Truck and rail charges for shipping spent fuel and nuclear waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McNair, G.W.; Cole, B.M.; Cross, R.E.; Votaw, E.F.

1986-06-01

The Pacific Northwest Laboratory developed techniques for calculating estimates of nuclear-waste shipping costs and compiled a listing of representative data that facilitate incorporation of reference shipping costs into varius logistics analyses. The formulas that were developed can be used to estimate costs that will be incurred for shipping spent fuel or nuclear waste by either legal-weight truck or general-freight rail. The basic data for this study were obtained from tariffs of a truck carrier licensed to serve the 48 contiguous states and from various rail freight tariff guides. Also, current transportation regulations as issued by the US Department of Transportation and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission were investigated. The costs that will be incurred for shipping spent fuel and/or nuclear waste, as addressed by the tariff guides, are based on a complex set of conditions involving the shipment origin, route, destination, weight, size, and volume and the frequency of shipments, existing competition, and the length of contracts. While the complexity of these conditions is an important factor in arriving at a ''correct'' cost, deregulation of the transportation industry means that costs are much more subject to negotiation and, thus, the actual fee that will be charged will not be determined until a shipping contract is actually signed. This study is designed to provide the baseline data necessary for making comparisons of the estimated costs of shipping spent fuel and/or nuclear wastes by truck and rail transportation modes. The scope of the work presented in this document is limited to the costs incurred for shipping, and does not include packaging, cask purchase/lease costs, or local fees placed on shipments of radioactive materials

Freight Calculation Model: A Case Study of Coal Distribution

Science.gov (United States)

Yunianto, I. T.; Lazuardi, S. D.; Hadi, F.

2018-03-01

Coal has been known as one of energy alternatives that has been used as energy source for several power plants in Indonesia. During its transportation from coal sites to power plant locations is required the eligible shipping line services that are able to provide the best freight rate. Therefore, this study aims to obtain the standardized formulations for determining the ocean freight especially for coal distribution based on the theoretical concept. The freight calculation model considers three alternative transport modes commonly used in coal distribution: tug-barge, vessel and self-propelled barge. The result shows there are two cost components very dominant in determining the value of freight with the proportion reaching 90% or even more, namely: time charter hire and fuel cost. Moreover, there are three main factors that have significant impacts on the freight calculation, which are waiting time at ports, time charter rate and fuel oil price.

Forecasting freight flows

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lyk-Jensen, Stéphanie

2011-01-01

Trade patterns and transport markets are changing as a result of the growth and globalization of international trade, and forecasting future freight flow has to rely on trade forecasts. Forecasting freight flows is critical for matching infrastructure supply to demand and for assessing investment...... constitute a valuable input to freight models for forecasting future capacity problems.......Trade patterns and transport markets are changing as a result of the growth and globalization of international trade, and forecasting future freight flow has to rely on trade forecasts. Forecasting freight flows is critical for matching infrastructure supply to demand and for assessing investment...

49 CFR 37.91 - Wheelchair locations and food service on intercity rail trains.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Wheelchair locations and food service on intercity rail trains. 37.91 Section 37.91 Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES (ADA) Acquisition of Accessible Vehicles By Public Entities § 37.91 Wheelchair locations and food...

78 FR 10581 - Rail Vehicles Access Advisory Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-14

... guideway systems (e.g., rapid rail, light rail, commuter rail, and intercity rail). We are establishing a... vehicles that operate on fixed guideway systems (e.g., rapid rail, light rail, commuter rail, and intercity... for their service. We may pay travel expenses for a limited number of persons who would otherwise be...

Scheduling Additional Train Unit Services on Rail Transit Lines

OpenAIRE

Zhibin Jiang; Yuyan Tan; Özgür Yalçınkaya

2014-01-01

This paper deals with the problem of scheduling additional train unit (TU) services in a double parallel rail transit line, and a mixed integer programming (MIP) model is formulated for integration strategies of new trains connected by TUs with the objective of obtaining higher frequencies in some special sections and special time periods due to mass passenger volumes. We took timetable scheduling and TUs scheduling as an integrated optimization model with two objectives: minimizing travel ti...

Rail inspection of RCF defects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. Popović

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Rail defects due to rolling contact fatigue (RCF threaten the traffic safety around the world. That hazard is more distinct on railways without adequate maintenance strategy. Realization of interoperability of European railway network demands from every infrastructure manager to have a maintenance plan for the infrastructure subsystem. Besides that, this plan includes rail inspection and strategy against RCF defects. This paper emphasizes the importance of rail inspection and early detection of RCF because the most of RCF crack should be removed in rail grinding campaigns (preventive, cyclical and corrective activities during the whole rail service life.

78 FR 57450 - Notice Rescinding a Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-18

... allowed trains to run from one rail line to the other in order to accommodate intercity travel between... Pass and the Tri Valley area capable of supporting intercity and commuter rail passenger services. The... day, reducing travel times, and eliminating freight railroad delays by providing separate passenger...

Acces to railway stations and its potential in increasing rail use

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brons, M.R.E.; Givoni, M.; Rietveld, P.

2008-01-01

The propensity to travel by rail, and not, for example by car, can be considered to be a factor of the rail service offered, the access to it and the characteristics of the population served. Efforts to increase rail use usually focus on the rail service itself while the accessibility of the rail

The freight landscape : using secondary data sources to describe metropolitan freight flows.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-12-01

Metropolitan areas around the world are seeking to better manage freight flows and reduce negative impacts on local populations. A major challenge to better urban freight management is the lack of data; little is known about freight movements at the ...

Mathematical model of optimal empty rail car distribution at railway transport nodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleksandr RAKHMANGULOV

2014-09-01

Full Text Available At present there are two trends in the market of rail freight transportation in Russia: freight owners put forward higher demands to the transportation quality (promptness of delivery in an effort to reduce storage costs by means of reducing the size of freight shipment; the structure of railcar traffic volume of the railways of Russia is getting more complex due to the reduction of the average shipment size and due to the transfer of railcar fleet ownership to a large number of operating companies. These trends significantly complicate operational management supervision of railway stations and transport nodes. Application of typical data from the information system about the railcar location at the transportation node is not enough for the dispatchers to make the best decision concerning the car traffic management. The dispatcher traffic control service needs some software-based models of efficient railcar distribution. The article is concerned with the description and development of the mathematical model of empty railcar distribution for loading at the railway transport node; this model will take into account the requirements of railcar owners in terms of their cars application, the operating work level of railroad stations of the transportation node and the possibility of adding the groups of empty railcars to the transfer trains, clean-up trains and industrial railway trains operating on a tight schedule. The developed model and the software package were implemented in the information system of the industrial railway of the major metallurgical enterprise - OJSC «Magnitogorsk Metallurgical Works», which processes up to two thousand of railcars belonging to different owners. This model made it possible to reduce the labour intensity of dispatcher operation planning the empty railcar distribution for loading and reduce the total time the railcars spend in the enterprise railway system.

46 CFR 190.25-10 - Storm rails.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Storm rails. 190.25-10 Section 190.25-10 Shipping COAST... ARRANGEMENT Rails and Guards § 190.25-10 Storm rails. (a) On vessels in ocean and coastwise service, suitable storm rails shall be installed in all passageways and at the deckhouse sides where persons on board...

46 CFR 92.25-10 - Storm rails.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Storm rails. 92.25-10 Section 92.25-10 Shipping COAST... ARRANGEMENT Rails and Guards § 92.25-10 Storm rails. (a) On vessels in ocean and coastwise service, suitable storm rails shall be installed in all passageways and at the deckhouse sides where persons on board...

78 FR 57450 - State Rail Plan Guidance

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-18

... of impact assessment required for the rail infrastructure, facilities, and service improvements contained in State rail plans. Other issues raised by commenters included the importance of involving... to emphasize the importance of preparing State rail plans within the policy and procedural contexts...

Field monitoring of rail squats using 3D ultrasonic mapping technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaewunruen, S.; Ishida, M.

2014-01-01

Rail squats and studs are typically classified as the propagation of any cracks .that have grown longitudinally through the subsurface. Some of the cracks could propagate to the bottom of rails transversely, which have branched from the initial longitudinal cracks with a depression of rail surface. The rail defects are commonly referred to as 'squats' when they were initiated from a damage layer caused by rolling contact fatigue, and as 'studs' when they were associated with a white etching layer caused by the transformation from pearlitic steel due to friction heat generated by wheel sliding or excessive traction. Such above-mentioned rail defects have been often observed in railway tracks catered for either light passenger or heavy freight traffics and for low, medium or high speed trains all over the world for over 60 years except some places such as sharp curves where large wear takes place under severe friction between the wheel flange and rail gauge face. It becomes a much-more significant issue when the crack grows and sometimes flakes off the rail (by itself or by insufficient rail grinding), resulting in a rail surface irregularity. Such rail surface defects induce wheel/rail impact and large amplitude vibration of track structure and poor ride quality. In Australia, Europe, and Japan, rail squats/studs have occasionally turned into broken rails. The root cause and preventive solution to this defect are still under investigation from the fracture mechanics and material sciences point of view. Some patterns of squat/stud development related to both curve and tangent track geometries have been observed and squat growth has been monitored for individual squats using ultrasonic mapping techniques. This paper highlights the field monitoring of squat/stud distribution and its growth. Squat/stud growth has been detected and scanned using the ultrasonic measurement device on a grid applied to the rail surface. The depths of crack paths at each grid node form a

Field monitoring of rail squats using 3D ultrasonic mapping technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaewunruen, S., E-mail: sakdirat.kaewunruen@transport.nsw.gov.au [NSW, Transport, Sydney (Australia); Ishida, M., E-mail: ishida-mk@n-koei.jp [Nippon Koei Co. Ltd., Railway Div., Railway Engineering Dept., Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo (Japan)

2014-11-15

Rail squats and studs are typically classified as the propagation of any cracks .that have grown longitudinally through the subsurface. Some of the cracks could propagate to the bottom of rails transversely, which have branched from the initial longitudinal cracks with a depression of rail surface. The rail defects are commonly referred to as 'squats' when they were initiated from a damage layer caused by rolling contact fatigue, and as 'studs' when they were associated with a white etching layer caused by the transformation from pearlitic steel due to friction heat generated by wheel sliding or excessive traction. Such above-mentioned rail defects have been often observed in railway tracks catered for either light passenger or heavy freight traffics and for low, medium or high speed trains all over the world for over 60 years except some places such as sharp curves where large wear takes place under severe friction between the wheel flange and rail gauge face. It becomes a much-more significant issue when the crack grows and sometimes flakes off the rail (by itself or by insufficient rail grinding), resulting in a rail surface irregularity. Such rail surface defects induce wheel/rail impact and large amplitude vibration of track structure and poor ride quality. In Australia, Europe, and Japan, rail squats/studs have occasionally turned into broken rails. The root cause and preventive solution to this defect are still under investigation from the fracture mechanics and material sciences point of view. Some patterns of squat/stud development related to both curve and tangent track geometries have been observed and squat growth has been monitored for individual squats using ultrasonic mapping techniques. This paper highlights the field monitoring of squat/stud distribution and its growth. Squat/stud growth has been detected and scanned using the ultrasonic measurement device on a grid applied to the rail surface. The depths of crack paths at each

77 FR 25229 - Dallas, Garland & Northeastern Railroad Company-Discontinuance of Trackage Rights Exemption-in...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-27

..., Regional Rail Right of Way Company (RRROW), a Class III rail carrier and Texas corporation created by DART, acquired an exclusive, perpetual freight rail operating easement and all attendant freight rail common carrier obligations over the Line. See Regional Rail Right of Way Co.--Acquisition & Operation Exemption...

76 FR 31678 - Saratoga and North Creek Railway, LLC-Acquisition and Operation Exemption-Delaware and Hudson...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-01

... was structured so that the Town would not incur a freight rail common carrier obligation when it....R., 8 I.C.C.2d 835 (1991). Saratoga is acquiring the easement and the associated freight rail common... Canadian Pacific (CP) a permanent and exclusive freight rail easement over, and to operate, approximately...

Determination of dynamic performance of freight cars taking into account technical condition of side bearers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S.Myamlin

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The railway transport plays an important role in social and economic life of the country and carries out the large containment of transportation activities. The transport industry should migrate towards innovation changes and increase its significance as an important transit subsystem on the way of renovation of both the infrastructure and the strategy of all transportation process components including the interaction with other transport modes. At present the life sets strategic challenges for the railway branch, and the basic goals among them are as follows: high-speed train traffic development, increase of the weight of freight trains, new rolling stock development etc. Due to the urgency of this subject, the researchers should cope with the task devoted to one of aspects of improving the freight transportation efficiency, namely to the study of effects of various factors and characteristics of technical conditions of the freight cars running gears (which are unavoidable to arise during operation on their basic dynamic indices. The deviations of technical conditions of running gears from the normal state of the wedge system of bogie swing suspension also play an important role among them. The purpose of the paper is to investigate the influence of different factors of the technical conditions of freight car running gears (size deviation in both the bearers and the wedge system during operation on their basic indices – coefficients of horizontal and vertical dynamics, vehicle body acceleration, frame strength, and derailment stability coefficient. Methodology. The study was conducted by numerical integration and mathematical modeling of the freight car dynamic loading using the software package “Dynamics of Rail Vehicles” (“DYNRAIL”. Findings. As a result of the research for freight car dynamic coefficients determination taking into account technical conditions of the side bearers, the dependencies of the basic freight cars

Economic Analysis Framework for Freight Transportation Based on Florida Statewide Multi-Modal Freight Model

Science.gov (United States)

2018-02-01

Freight transportation plays a vital role in local and regional economy. The markets and businesses from different regions and locations can be connected through freight movements. But it is difficult to quantify the economic contribution of freight ...

Simulation-Based Approach to Operating Costs Analysis of Freight Trucking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ozernova Natalja

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to the problem of costs uncertainty in road freight transportation services. The article introduces the statistical approach, based on Monte Carlo simulation on spreadsheets, to the analysis of operating costs. The developed model gives an opportunity to estimate operating freight trucking costs under different configuration of cost factors. Important conclusions can be made after running simulations regarding sensitivity to different factors, optimal decisions and variability of operating costs.

Formulation of optimal international freight transport objective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Jarašūnienė

2002-10-01

Full Text Available To increase the attraction of Lithuania as a transit country striving to promote carriers' border crossing activities and facilitate customs clearance procedures as well as freight delivery to clients it is necessary to identify the main obstacles, to analyse them and to select adequate measures and means for their elimination. Therefore, on the basis of the formulation of transport freight management objective, as well as basing on the assessment of indeterminacy of external impacts, it would be possible to deduce the main causes of idle time of transport means in customs, to estimate the dependence of service time in proportion to transport flow.

Evaluation of life-cycle air emission factors of freight transportation.

Science.gov (United States)

Facanha, Cristiano; Horvath, Arpad

2007-10-15

Life-cycle air emission factors associated with road, rail, and air transportation of freight in the United States are analyzed. All life-cycle phases of vehicles, infrastructure, and fuels are accounted for in a hybrid life-cycle assessment (LCA). It includes not only fuel combustion, but also emissions from vehicle manufacturing, maintenance, and end of life, infrastructure construction, operation, maintenance, and end of life, and petroleum exploration, refining, and fuel distribution. Results indicate that total life-cycle emissions of freight transportation modes are underestimated if only tailpipe emissions are accounted for. In the case of CO2 and NOx, tailpipe emissions underestimate total emissions by up to 38%, depending on the mode. Total life-cycle emissions of CO and SO2 are up to seven times higher than tailpipe emissions. Sensitivity analysis considers the effects of vehicle type, geography, and mode efficiency on the final results. Policy implications of this analysis are also discussed. For example, while it is widely assumed that currently proposed regulations will result in substantial reductions in emissions, we find that this is true for NOx, emissions, because fuel combustion is the main cause, and to a lesser extent for SO2, but not for PM10 emissions, which are significantly affected by the other life-cycle phases.

The freight landscape : using secondary data sources to describe metropolitan freight flows : final report.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-12-01

Metropolitan areas around the world are seeking to better manage freight flows and reduce negative impacts on local populations. A major challenge to better urban freight management is the lack of data; little is known about freight movements at the ...

75 FR 12810 - Petition for Waiver of Compliance

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-17

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Railroad Administration Petition for Waiver of Compliance In... Switching Service, 49 CFR Part 224 Reflectorization of Rail Freight Rolling Stock, and 49 CFR Part 229...

Impacts of privatising Britain's rail passenger services -- franchising, refranchising, and Ten Year Transport Plan targets

OpenAIRE

Richard D Knowles

2004-01-01

Britain's passenger rail services were privatised in 1996/97 to reduce public subsidies and produce customer benefits through the private sector competing for medium or long-term franchises. Private sector franchisees were committed to investment in rolling stock, services, and infrastructure and were expected to deliver more market-oriented and cost-effective services whilst subsidies decreased on an annual sliding scale. The author analyses why some franchisees have been unable to achieve t...

Fatigue test of a fiberglass based composite panel. Increasing the lifetime of freight wagon

Science.gov (United States)

Sobek, M.; Baier, A.; Grabowski, Ł.; Majzner, M.

2016-08-01

In the XXI century transportation of goods plays a key role in the economy. Due to a good logistics the economy is able to grow fluently. Although land transportation is carried out mainly through trucks for the last several years there has been noted an increase in the percentage share of rail transport in the freight transport. The main goods transported by railways are mineral fuels, mining and quarrying products. They constitute the greater part of 70% of total transported goods. Transportation of material of such high weight, high hardness and with different shapes involves increased and accelerated wear and tear of the cargo space of the wagon. This process is also magnified by substances used to prevent overheating or goods theft. Usually they are in the form of chemical compounds powder, eg. Calcium. A very large impact on the wear of the freight wagons hull is made because of mechanical damage. Their source comes mostly from loading cargo with impetus and using heavy machines during unloading. A large number of cycles of loading and unloading during the working period causes abrasion of body and as a result after several years a wagon car qualifies for a major maintenance. Possibility of application composite panels in the process of renovating the wagons body could reduce the weight of whole train and prolong the service life between mandatory technical inspection. The Paper "Fatigue test of a fiberglass based composite panel. Increasing the lifetime of freight wagon" presents the research process and the results of the endurance test of the composite panel samples fixed to a metal plate. As a fixing method a stainless steel rivet nut and a stainless steel button head socket screws were chosen. Cyclic and multiple load were applied to test samples using a pneumatic cylinder. Such a methodology simulated the forces resulting from loading and unloading of the wagon and movement of the cargo during transport. In the study a dedicated stand equipped with a

Freight from space : evaluating freight activity and emissions from satellite data.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-01

In this report, the authors investigate the current state of knowledge of freight transport emissions, the importance of freight emissions relative to other sources, and what tools are available, or can be developed to answer these questions and impr...

49 CFR 1580.107 - Chain of custody and control requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... businesses, housing, schools, and hospitals. (4) Any information regarding threats to the facility. (5) Other...) TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY MARITIME AND LAND TRANSPORTATION SECURITY RAIL TRANSPORTATION SECURITY Freight Rail Including Freight Railroad Carriers, Rail Hazardous Materials...

76 FR 62144 - Environmental Impact Statement for Implementation of Passenger Rail Service Between Tucson, AZ...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-06

... impacts to the natural and built environment of those alternatives, and invite public participation in the... will provide programmatic assessment of environmental effects associated with the construction... Environmental Impact Statement for Implementation of Passenger Rail Service Between Tucson, AZ and Phoenix, AZ...

Freight transport and intermodality

OpenAIRE

Barbero Mañanes, Eduardo

2010-01-01

During recent decades, there has been very substantial growth in the freight transport sector. Freight transport is increasing faster than the economy or passenger transport. Demand is increasing more rapidly than supply and is resulting in environmental and social problems. Increasing congestion, too, is affecting efficient and reliable freight distribution, and consequently having a deleterious effect on local economies. Intermodality is therefore needed to make better use of alternative mo...

77 FR 17121 - RailAmerica, Inc., Palm Beach Rail Holding, Inc., RailAmerica Transportation Corp., RailTex, Inc...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-23

...% of the Class A Common Units of TransRail, giving RailTex a 70% ownership interest in TransRail and control of W&C through TransRail. The MG Principals will retain the Class B Common Units of TransRail... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35605] RailAmerica, Inc...

Rail vehicle dynamic response to a nonlinear physical 'in-service' model of its secondary suspension hydraulic dampers

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, W. L.; Zhou, Z. R.; Yu, D. S.; Qin, Q. H.; Iwnicki, S.

2017-10-01

A full nonlinear physical 'in-service' model was built for a rail vehicle secondary suspension hydraulic damper with shim-pack-type valves. In the modelling process, a shim pack deflection theory with an equivalent-pressure correction factor was proposed, and a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) approach was applied. Bench test results validated the damper model over its full velocity range and thus also proved that the proposed shim pack deflection theory and the FEA-based parameter identification approach are effective. The validated full damper model was subsequently incorporated into a detailed vehicle dynamics simulation to study how its key in-service parameter variations influence the secondary-suspension-related vehicle system dynamics. The obtained nonlinear physical in-service damper model and the vehicle dynamic response characteristics in this study could be used in the product design optimization and nonlinear optimal specifications of high-speed rail hydraulic dampers.

The Freight Analysis Framework Verson 4 (FAF4) - Building the FAF4 Regional Database: Data Sources and Estimation Methodologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hwang, Ho-Ling [ORNL; Hargrove, Stephanie [ORNL; Chin, Shih-Miao [ORNL; Wilson, Daniel W [ORNL; Taylor, Rob D [ORNL; Davidson, Diane [ORNL

2016-09-01

The Freight Analysis Framework (FAF) integrates data from a variety of sources to create a comprehensive national picture of freight movements among states and major metropolitan areas by all modes of transportation. It provides a national picture of current freight flows to, from, and within the United States, assigns the flows to the transportation network, and projects freight flow patterns into the future. The FAF4 is the fourth database of its kind, FAF1 provided estimates for truck, rail, and water tonnage for calendar year 1998, FAF2 provided a more complete picture based on the 2002 Commodity Flow Survey (CFS) and FAF3 made further improvements building on the 2007 CFS. Since the first FAF effort, a number of changes in both data sources and products have taken place. The FAF4 flow matrix described in this report is used as the base-year data to forecast future freight activities, projecting shipment weights and values from year 2020 to 2045 in five-year intervals. It also provides the basis for annual estimates to the FAF4 flow matrix, aiming to provide users with the timeliest data. Furthermore, FAF4 truck freight is routed on the national highway network to produce the FAF4 network database and flow assignments for truck. This report details the data sources and methodologies applied to develop the base year 2012 FAF4 database. An overview of the FAF4 components is briefly discussed in Section 2. Effects on FAF4 from the changes in the 2012 CFS are highlighted in Section 3. Section 4 provides a general discussion on the process used in filling data gaps within the domestic CFS matrix, specifically on the estimation of CFS suppressed/unpublished cells. Over a dozen CFS OOS components of FAF4 are then addressed in Section 5 through Section 11 of this report. This includes discussions of farm-based agricultural shipments in Section 5, shipments from fishery and logging sectors in Section 6. Shipments of municipal solid wastes and debris from construction

Global Trade, Local Impacts: Lessons from California on Health Impacts and Environmental Justice Concerns for Residents Living near Freight Rail Yards

Science.gov (United States)

Hricko, Andrea; Rowland, Glovioell; Eckel, Sandrah; Logan, Angelo; Taher, Maryam; Wilson, John

2014-01-01

Global trade has increased nearly 100-fold since 1950, according to the World Trade Organization. Today, major changes in trade are occurring with the advent of mega-ships that can transport thousands more containers than cargo ships now in use. Because global trade is expected to increase dramatically, the railroad industry—in the U.S. alone—has invested more than $5 billion a year over the past decade to expand rail yards and enhance rail routes to transport goods from ports to retail destinations. This article describes cancer risks for residents living in close proximity to rail yards with emissions of diesel particulate matter pollution from locomotives, trucks and yard equipment. The article examines the demographics (income, race/ethnicity) of populations living in the highest estimated cancer risk zones near 18 major rail yards in California, concluding that the majority are over-represented by either lower-income or minority residents (or both). The authors also describe a review of the news media and environmental impact reports to determine if rail yards are still being constructed or expanded in close proximity to homes and schools or in working class/working poor communities of color. The paper suggests policy efforts that might provide more public health protection and result in more “environmentally just” siting of rail yards. The authors conclude that diesel pollution from rail yards, which creates significant diesel cancer risks for those living near the facilities, is an often overlooked public health, health disparities and environmental justice issue in the U.S. The conclusions are relevant to other countries where international trade is increasing and large new intermodal rail facilities are being considered. PMID:24518649

Linear friction welding for constructing and repairing rail for high speed and intercity passenger service rail : final report.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-08-01

This project developed a solid-state welding process based on linear friction welding (LFW) technology. While resistance flash welding or : thermite techniques are tried and true methods for joining rails and performing partial rail replacement repai...

Experience within international transport and direct rail services in meeting the IAEA requirement for a radiation protection programme(s)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Billing, D.

2003-01-01

BNFL International Transport and Direct Rail Services have successfully developed appropriate Radiation Protection Programmes for their business. The business supports BNFL's worldwide Nuclear Fuel Services with key customer bases in Europe, Japan and the UK, utilising marine, rail and road modal transports. Experience in this business spans over 4 decades. The preparation of RPP's for each aspect of its operations has been made relatively straight forward in that the key elements within the internationally recognised model RPP (by WNTI) were already in place in BNFL's procedures to satisfy current National UK and International Regulations and supported by Management systems which comply with International Standards for Quality Assurance. (author)

A job analysis design for the rail industry : description and model analysis of the job of freight conductor.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-01

This document provides a step-by-step description of the design and execution of a strategic job analysis, using the position of Freight Conductor as an example. This document was created to be useful for many different needs, and can be used as an e...

Multimodal freight investment criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

Literature was reviewed on multi-modal investment criteria for freight projects, examining measures and techniques for quantifying project benefits and costs, as well as ways to describe the economic importance of freight transportation. : A limited ...

49 CFR 173.166 - Air bag inflators, air bag modules and seat-belt pretensioners.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... generant and, in some cases, a pressure vessel (cylinder)) is a gas generator used to inflate an air bag in... domestic transportation by highway, rail freight, cargo vessel or cargo aircraft, a serviceable air bag...

Assessing sustainable freight policies.

Science.gov (United States)

2014-05-01

The main aim of the study was to examine transportation demand management strategies related to long haul freight. It investigates freight : movements and truck vehicle miles traveled (TVMT) changes in response to certain transportation policies, inc...

Chicago-St. Louis high speed rail plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stead, M.E.

1994-01-01

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), in cooperation with Amtrak, undertook the Chicago-St. Louis High Speed Rail Financial and Implementation Plan study in order to develop a realistic and achievable blueprint for implementation of high speed rail in the Chicago-St. Louis corridor. This report presents a summary of the Price Waterhouse Project Team's analysis and the Financial and Implementation Plan for implementing high speed rail service in the Chicago-St. Louis corridor

Chicago-St. Louis high speed rail plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stead, M.E.

1994-12-31

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), in cooperation with Amtrak, undertook the Chicago-St. Louis High Speed Rail Financial and Implementation Plan study in order to develop a realistic and achievable blueprint for implementation of high speed rail in the Chicago-St. Louis corridor. This report presents a summary of the Price Waterhouse Project Team`s analysis and the Financial and Implementation Plan for implementing high speed rail service in the Chicago-St. Louis corridor.

An Analysis of International Air Freight Forwarding Support for the United States Navy.

Science.gov (United States)

1985-06-01

2. The Role of IATA in Ratemaking ... ...... 23 3. Current Environment ..... ........... 24 III. BURLINGTON-NORTHERN AIR FREIGHT, INCORPORATED . . 28...carrier is permitted access [Ref. 16]. 2. The Role of IATA in Ratemaking Factors other than shipper demand and carrier costs affect international freight...capability of the Air Force and Navy into one transport organization called the Military Air Transport Service (MATS). The mission of MATS was basically that

The importance of disaggregated freight flow forecasts to inform transport infrastructure investments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan H. Havenga

2013-09-01

Full Text Available This article presents the results of a comprehensive disaggregated commodity flow model for South Africa. The wealth of data available enables a segmented analysis of future freight transportation demand in order to assist with the prioritisation of transportation investments, the development of transport policy and the growth of the logistics service provider industry. In 2011, economic demand for commodities in South Africa’s competitive surface-freight transport market amounted to 622 million tons and is predicted to increase to 1834m tons by 2041, which is a compound annual growth rate of 3.67%. Fifty percent of corridor freight constitutes break bulk; intermodal solutions are therefore critical in South Africa. Scenario analysis indicates that 80%of corridor break-bulk tons can by serviced by four intermodal facilities – in Gauteng, Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. This would allow for the development of an investment planning hierarchy, enable industry targeting (through commodity visibility, ensure capacity development ahead of demand and lower the cost of logistics in South Africa.

International Passenger and Freight Report

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Transportation — The International Passenger and Freight report is a summarization of all passengers and all freight transported between the U.S. and foreign countries combined, with...

EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH OF DYNAMIC QUALITIES OF FREIGHT CARS WITH BOGIES OF DIFFERENT DESIGNS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. V. Myamlin

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose. With the advent of new designs of freright cars the task of designing the more modern bogies, assessment of their dynamic properties depending on the type and structure of pecularities, accounting the axle loadings, providing the dynamic and running characteristics, meeting the conditions of impact on the track, stability, and frame forces intensity etc. becomes especially important. In order to launch the new production into manufacture and to assess the dynamic properties using different designs of bogies the running testes were conducted. They allowed one to compare the dynamic performance of the new bogie with the existing models. Methodology. The study was conducted using the method of numerical integration and mathematical modeling of dynamic loading of freight cars using the software package «Dynamics of Rail Vehicles» («DYNRAIL». Findings. The results of studies of dynamic characteristics of open cars with new and worn wheels of bogie models 18-9771, 18-9770 and 18-578 in graphical and tabular form are presented. All figures are within the normative values and do not exceed the maximum admissible ones. Originality. When designing the bogie for loading 23.5 t/axle almost all available technical solutions to improve the characteristics of the freight car bogies (elastic bearers, cassette bearing in axle boxes, axle boxe adapter of original design, bilinear central spring suspension, etc. were used. Practical value. As a result of the engineering works on projecting and manufacturing of the improved designs of freight car bogies a new design was received. It is highly competitive with the dynamic qualities of the best ones. Made choice of rational values of elastic-dissipative parameters of the bogie allows one to create standard series of running gears for freight cars for promising operating conditions.The results are of practical importance. They have found reflection in the number of author’spublications in special and

Study of Freight Transport Trip Chains

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Kaj

1999-01-01

Investigation of energy use and emissions (CO2, NOx, THC, CO, SO2, PM) of freight trains and lorries. The report documents the establishment of energy and emission factors, and in particularly the issue of energy use of freight train is treated in detail.......Investigation of energy use and emissions (CO2, NOx, THC, CO, SO2, PM) of freight trains and lorries. The report documents the establishment of energy and emission factors, and in particularly the issue of energy use of freight train is treated in detail....

Flexibility of Freight Transport Sectors : An Exploration of Carriers’ Responses to External Pressure on Prices and Service

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Runhaar, H.A.C.; Heijden, R. van der; Kuipers, Bart

2002-01-01

In this paper, we explore how government policies in the field of transport may affect future freight rates, transit times, and delivery reliability. In particular, attention is paid to the ‘absorptive capacity’ of freight carriers, i.e. the extent to which they can reduce the effects of such

High-strength chromium--molybdenum rails

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Y.E.; Sawhill, J.M. Jr.; Cias, W.W.; Eldis, G.T.

1976-01-01

A laboratory study was conducted with the aim of developing an as-rolled rail of over 100 ksi (689 N/mm 2 ) yield strength. A series of compositions providing both pearlitic and bainitic microstructures was evaluated. A fine pearlitic structure was developed in a 0.73 percent C -- 0.83 percent Mn -- 0.16 percent Si -- 0.75 percent Cr -- 0.21 percent Mo steel by simulating the mill cooling rate of 132-lb/yd (65.5-kg/m) rail. Two 100-ton commercial heats were made of this approximate composition and processed into 132-lb/yd (65.5-kg/m) rail. Samples tested in the laboratory ranged from 109 to 125 ksi (750 to 860 N/mm 2 ) in yield strength. The chromium-molybdenum rails also exhibited excellent fracture toughness and fatigue properties. Sections of the rail were joined by both flash-butt welding and thermite welding. The hardness peaks produced in the flash-butt welds could be reduced by applying either a postweld current or an induction heating cycle. The high-strength chromium-molybdenum rails have been in service for over eight months in curved sections of an ore railway that carries over 55 million gross long tons per year. 7 tables, 18 figs

In-Service Performance and Costs of Methods to Control Urban Rail System Noise

Science.gov (United States)

1979-12-01

This study evaluates the acoustic and economic effectiveness of five methods of controlling wheel/rail noise and vibration on urban rail transit systems, namely: rail grinding, wheel truing, resilient wheels, ring-damped wheels, and welded vs. jointe...

Participation for Sustainable Urban Freight Transport Systems : A Case Study of Freight Receivers in the City of Gothenburg

OpenAIRE

Lindkvist, Hannes

2017-01-01

This thesis is a case study research that look into the difficulty in engaging freight receivers in initiatives related to urban freight transport. The aim of the paper is to investigate how participatory processes could be formed for more successful outcomes and how the freight receivers could become more engaged in the processes. By conducting a qualitative research where primarily interviews with freight receivers and other concerned stakeholder were made, it was possible to distinguish di...

Coupling System Design Optimization : A Survey and Assessment of Automatic Coupling Concepts for Rail Freight Cars : Volume 1. Executive Summary.

Science.gov (United States)

1978-05-01

The purpose of this study is to provide an independent identification, classification, and analysis of significant freight car coupling systems concepts offering potential for improved safety and operating costs over the present system. The basic met...

Plans for crash-tested wood bridge railings for concrete decks

Science.gov (United States)

Michael A. Ritter; Ronald K. Faller; Barry T. Rosson; Paula D. Hilbrich Lee; Sheila Rimal. Duwadi

1998-01-01

As part of a continuing cooperative research between the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility (MwRSF); the USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory (FPL); and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), several crashworthy wood bridge railings and approach railing transitions have been adapted for use on concrete bridge decks. These railings meet testing and...

SELF-DIAGNOSIS METHOD FOR CHECKING THE WAYSIDE SYSTEMS FOR WHEEL-RAIL VERTICAL LOAD MEASUREMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniele CORTIS

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, wayside measurement systems of wheel-rail contact forces have acquired great relevance for the monitoring of rolling stock, especially for freight trains. Thanks to these solutions, infrastructure managers can check and monitor the status of rolling stock and, when necessary, impose corrective actions for the railway companies. On the other hand, the evaluation of contact forces is part of the rolling stock authorisation process [1] and a mainstone for the study of the running stability. The data provided by these measurements could give useful information to correlate the wear of the track with the frequency of applied loads, helping in the development of a better maintenance strategy of railway networks [2]. In this paper, the monitoring of vertical forces is based on the SMCV (Vertical Loads Monitoring System method, where shear strains of the rail web are measured with a simple combination of four electrical strain gauges, placed on both sides of the rail web along each span. The research has identified self-diagnosis methods for the SMCV system to ensure the reliability and the quality of the measurements and to extend the knowledge of the system. The recorded signals have been processed and converted into easily interpretable physical quantities by means of MATLAB® algorithm.

A long hard road? Urban freight transport challenges facing South Africa

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Ittmann, HW

2008-05-01

Full Text Available shown very little interest in the increasingly severe freight transport problems facing urban areas, there is now growing interest in the logistics of collection and delivery services in towns and city centres....

Transport of solid commodities via freight pipeline: freight pipeline technology. Volume II. First year final report. [Slurry, pneumatic, pneumo-capsule, and hydro-capsule

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zandi, I.; Gimm, K.K.

1976-07-01

In order to determine the feasibility of pipeline as an intercity freight transportation mode, it was necessary to examine its technological feasibility and reliability. This report describes the technology of the major generic freight pipelines in terms of both historical and current trends and operations. Additionally, it presents a state-of-the-art review of calculating energy requirements of various generic freight pipelines. It was concluded that slurry and pneumatic pipelines are technologically feasible and reliable. There are many commercial installations of both types operating around the world. Based on European experience with pneumo-capsule pipelines for mail delivery and Russian gravel- and sand-transport installations, it appears that a pneumo-capsule pipeline is a technologically feasible and operationally reliable mode for transport of solids. Since no commercial pneumo-capsule pipeline installations yet exist in the U.S., it seems desirable that a service demonstration of the advantages and feasibility of this mode of transport be undertaken to attract the shippers' confidence. Hydro-capsule pipelines are technologically feasible, but its reliability within a commercial environment remains to be tested.

Freight railway operator timetabling and engine scheduling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bach, Lukas; Gendreau, M.; Wøhlk, Sanne

2015-01-01

In this paper we consider timetable design at a European freight railway operator. The timetable is designed by choosing the time of service for customer unit train demands among a set of discrete points. These discrete points are all found within the a time-window. The objective of the model...... is to minimize cost while adhering to constraints regarding infrastructure usage, demand coverage, and engine availability. The model is solved by a column generation scheme where feasible engine schedules are designed in a label setting algorithm with time-dependent cost and service times....

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Rail-Noise Mitigation Programmes at European Level: Methodological Innovations from EURANO to STAIRRS

OpenAIRE

Aude Lenders; Nancy Da Silva; Walter Hecq; Baumgartner Thomas

2001-01-01

The STAIRRS project (2000-2002) is a follow-up of EURANO [1] and a Swiss study [2], in which the authors evaluated the efficiency of noise reduction measures in two European freight corridors. STAIRRS includes a cost-benefit analysis based on about 10,000 km of track modelled in seven countries. The benefits are defined in terms of the dB(A) experienced by those living in the rail corridors modelled. They are to be weighted by the number of persons benefiting each year from a noise reduction ...

Plasma treatment of crane rails

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Владислав Олександрович Мазур

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Crane operation results in wear and tear of rails and crane wheels. Renovation and efficiency of these details is therefore relevant. Modern technologies of wheels and rails restoration use surfacing or high-frequency currents treatment. Surface treatment with highly concentrated streams of energy- with a laser beam, plasma jet- is a promising direction.. It is proposed to increase the efficiency of crane rails by means of surface plasma treatment. The modes of treatment have been chosen.. Modelling of plasma jet thermal impact on a solid body of complex shape has been made. Plasma hardening regimes that meet the requirements of production have been defined. Structural transformation of the material in the crane rails on plasma treatment has been investigated. It has been concluded that for carbon and low alloy crane steels the plasma exposure zone is characterized by a high degree of hardened structure dispersion and higher hardness as compared to the hardness after high-frequency quenching. As this takes place phase transformations are both shift (in the upper zone of plasma influence and fluctuation (in the lower zone of the plasma. With high-speed plasma heating granular or lamellar pearlite mainly transforms into austenite. The level of service characteristics of hardened steel, which is achieved in this case is determined by the kinetics and completeness of pearlite → austenite transformation. For carbon and low alloy rail steels plasma hardening can replace bulk hardening, hardening by high-frequency currents, or surfacing. The modes for plasma treatment which make it possible to obtain a surface layer with a certain service characteristics have been defined

Operational freight carrier planning basic concepts, optimization models and advanced memetic algorithms

CERN Document Server

Schönberger, Jörn

2005-01-01

The modern freight carrier business requires a sophisticated automatic decision support in order to ensure the efficiency and reliability and therefore the survival of transport service providers. This book addresses these challenges and provides generic decision models for the short-term operations planning as well as advanced metaheuristics to obtain efficient operation plans. After a thorough analysis of the operations planning in the freight carrier business, decision models are derived. Their suitability is proven within a large number of numerical experiments, in which a new class of hybrid genetic search approaches demonstrate their appropriateness.

48 CFR 52.246-14 - Inspection of Transportation.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Transportation. 52.246-14 Section 52.246-14 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION....246-14 Inspection of Transportation. As prescribed in 46.314, insert the following clause in solicitations and contracts for freight transportation services (including local drayage) by rail, motor...

77 FR 65446 - Turtle Creek Industrial Railroad, Inc.-Acquisition and Operation Exemption-Consolidated Rail...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-26

... common carrier providing interstate rail service, primarily for Dura-Bond, without first obtaining... Industrial Railroad, Inc.--Acquisition and Operation Exemption--Consolidated Rail Corporation Turtle Creek... Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail) and to operate approximately 9.8 miles of rail line between milepost 0...

Applying the polluter-pays principle to rail: Environmental differentiation of rail access charges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pons-Rigat, A.; Turro Calvet, M.; Ubalde Claver, Ll.

2016-07-01

Environmental charges to rail service operators are still at an early stage of implementation in Europe. Current schemes are dissimilar and most of them have a very limited scope or do not provide effective incentives to abate environmental impacts. This is due to several practical difficulties in implementing internalisation pricing schemes in the railway sector. The first difficulty arises from the lack of internalisation in other transport modes and the small competitive margin of railways. Increasing the overall level of rail charges could affect their survival. A second difficulty is due to the uncertainties in the valuation of external costs and in the establishment of the optimal level of charges. On top of that, the imperfect competition in the rail market and its operational and financial rigidities imply that pricing decisions could be unfair and produce undesired demand effects. These difficulties should not prevent, however, advancing towards the application to rail of adequate charging methods for its environmental costs. This paper addresses the problem of setting environmentally differentiated rail charges through an analytical approach. A generalised formulation is developed that sets the level of charges as a function of the degree of internalisation in other modes. Then, the optimal trade-off in the level of differentiation is assessed to extract general guidelines. Based on this, both the derived overall costs and benefits and the impacts on each agent are quantified. (Author)

Characterization of deformed pearlitic rail steel

Science.gov (United States)

Nikas, Dimitrios; Meyer, Knut Andreas; Ahlström, Johan

2017-07-01

Pearlitic steels are commonly used for railway rails because they combine good strength and wear properties. During service, the passage of trains results in a large accumulation of shear strains in the surface layer of the rail, leading to crack initiation. Knowledge of the material properties in this region is therefore important for fatigue life prediction. As the strain is limited to a thin surface layer, very large strain gradients can be found. This makes it very difficult to quantify changes in material behavior. In this study hardness measurements were performed close to the surface using the Knoop hardness test method. The orientation of the pearlitic lamellas was measured to give an overview of the deformed microstructure in the surface of the rail. Microstructural characterization of the material was done by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy to evaluate the changes in the microstructure due to the large deformation. A strong gradient can be observed in the top 50 μm of the rail, while deeper into the rail the microstructure of the base material is preserved.

The need for holding tracks at major intersections for synchronizing freight-train movements with fixed-headway passenger services; Wartegleisbedarf in Grossknoten fuer Synchronisation von Gueterverkehr mit vertaktetem Reiseverkehr

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mutschink, K. [DB Netz AG, Leipzig (Germany)

2005-05-01

Nearly all the big railway interesections have some facilities for passenger trains and others for freight trains. Most passenger trains today run according to fixed-headway timetables. Freight movements, on the other hand, are still basically need-driven with fluctuations in both timing and volumes. Handling both types of train as harmoniously as possible on shared lines calls for a combination of the meticulous planning of timetables and the correct dimensioning of the infrastructure. It is particularly in the vicinity of major intersections, where long-distance and local passenger trains (both with their fixed headways) converge within certain time windows, that approaching freight trains can only be effectively routed from their arrival lines to their departure lines if timing is properly synchronized. This may require the provision of a number of holding tracks for freight trains, and the essence of this article is how to compute that number using a procedure based on recognized scientific-management methods as applied to railways. This approach is centred on concepts such as certain 'no go' times for freight trains and the precise matching of train paths with the infrastructure. It does, however, take other parameters into account too, and these include the performance characteristics of each line (such as minimum headways), trains approaching ahead of their scheduled time and service constraints (such as ensuring connections and maintaining balanced intervals between passenger trains). The statistical appraisal, which is performed analytically, is designed to make sure that any results that are worked out are not slavishly dependent on the timetable, since (as mentioned above) freight movements in future will continue to be subject to fluctuations in volumes and timing. (orig.)

White papers on freight efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-05-31

A number of stakeholders met with the ultimate goal of identifying inefficiencies faced by the freight system and putting forward a set of : strategies to achieve a more efficient freight system. In doing so, a key first step was to provide insight a...

RailSiTe® (Rail Simulation and Testing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Johne

2016-10-01

Full Text Available RailSiTe® (Rail Simulation and Testing is DLR’s rail simulation and testing laboratory (see Figure 1. It is the implementation of a fully modular concept for the simulation of on-board and trackside control and safety technology. The RailSiTe® laboratory additionally comprises the RailSET (Railway Simulation Environment for Train Drivers and Operators human-factors laboratory, a realistic environment containing a realistic train mockup including 3D simulation.

75 FR 51160 - Swanson Rail Transfer, L.P.-Lease and Operation Exemption-BDB Company

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-18

... truck-rail transfer facility on the property and provide associated rail common carrier services. \\1... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35399] Swanson Rail Transfer, L.P.--Lease and Operation Exemption--BDB Company Swanson Rail Transfer, L.P. (SRT), a noncarrier...

Appraisal on Rail Transit Development: A Review on Train Services and Safety

Science.gov (United States)

Nordin, Noor Hafiza binti; Masirin, Mohd Idrus Haji Mohd; Ghazali, Mohd Imran bin; Azis, Mohd Isom bin

2017-08-01

The ever increasing problems faced by population around the world have made demands that transportation need to be improved as an effective and efficient communication means. It is considered as a necessity especially when rapid development and economic growth of a country is the agenda. Among the transportation modes being focused as critical facilities are the bus system, rail system, road network, shipping system and air transportation system. Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In Malaysia, the railway network has evolved tremendously since its inception in the early 19th century. It has grown proportionally with the national development. Railway network does not only mean for rural transportation, but it also considered as a solution to urban congestion challenges. Currently, urban rail transit is the most popular means of urban transportation system especially as big cities such as Kuala Lumpur. This paper presents the definition of rail transportation system and its role in urban or sub-urban operation. It also describes the brief history of world railway transportation including a discussion on Malaysian rail history perspective. As policy and standard are important in operating a railway system, this paper also illustrates and discusses some elements which have an impact on the effectiveness and efficiency of train operation. Towards the end, this paper also shares the importance of railway safety based on real case studies around the world. Thus, it is hoped that this paper will enable the public to understand the rail transit development and appreciate its existence as a public transportation system.

ABOUT WAVEFORM OF BRAKING CYLINDER FILLING IN FREIGHT CARS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. V. Ursuliak

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose. As part of the scientific paper it is necessary to study the waveform impact of the braking cylinders filling on longitudinal train dynamics at different modes of braking. At this one should estimate the level of maximum longitudinal forces and braking distance size in freight cars of various lengths. Methodology. In this paper we attempt to approximate the actual diagram of braking cylinders filling with rational functions of varying degrees. In selection of coefficients in the required functions the highest values of the longitudinal forces and braking distances were used as controlled parameters. They were compared with similar values obtained as a result of experimental rides. The level of longitudinal forces and braking distances amount were evaluated by means of mathematical modeling of train longitudinal vibrations, caused by different braking modes. Findings. At mathematical modeling was assumed that the train consists of 60 uniform four-axle gondola cars, weight of 80 tons, equipped with air dispenser No. 483 included in the median operation, composite braking blocks, and one locomotive VL-8. Train before braking has been pre-stretched. Various types of pneumatic braking (emergency, full service and adjusting braking of the freight train on the horizontal section of the track were simulated. As the calculation results were obtained values of the longitudinal forces, braking distances amounts and reduction time in speed at various braking modes. Originality. Waveform impact of the braking cylinders filling on the longitudinal forces level and braking distances amount in freight trains were investigated. Also the longitudinal loading of freight trains at various pneumatic braking was investigated. Practical value. Obtained results can be used to assess the level of largest longitudinal forces and braking distances in the freight trains of different lengths by mathematical modeling of different braking modes.

Coupling System Design Optimization : A Survey and Assessment of Automatic Coupling Concepts for Rail Freight Cars : Volume 2. Text and Appendices.

Science.gov (United States)

1978-05-01

The purpose of this study is to provide an independent identification, classification, and analysis of significant freight car coupling system concepts offering potential for improved safety and operating costs over the present system. The basic meth...

By-law from December 6, 1996 relative to the rail transport of dangerous goods (called ''RID by-law''). (Dangerous materials no. 2)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mesnil, H. du

1996-01-01

The aim of this by-law from the French ministry of equipment, lodging, transports and tourism is to define the specific rules that must be applied in France to the national or international rail transport of dangerous freight (radioactive materials, explosive materials, under pressure compressed, liquefied or dissolved gases, flammable liquids and solids, spontaneously flammable materials, combustive agents, organic peroxides, noxious, infectious and corrosive materials etc..). The classification of dangerous materials and the freight that cannot be transported by train is listed in two appendixes [700 p.] at the end of the document. This by-law gives the rules concerning: the building, testing, agreement, labelling, periodical controls and conditions for use of packing materials, drums, containers and tank wagons; the equipments, the loading and unloading, the running and parking of wagons; the documents relative to the transport. (J.S.)

77 FR 33266 - Petition for Waiver of Compliance

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-05

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Railroad Administration [Docket Number FRA-2012-0027...), this document provides the public notice that by a document dated March 2, 2012, the Heber Valley..., Reflectorization of Rail Freight Rolling Stock. HVRR also requested a Special Approval to continue in service of...

Energy Consumption and Freight Transport Demand in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Salling, Kim Bang; Bonilla, David

2008-01-01

Considering the externalities of freight transport activity (energy use, accidents, congestion, its related GHG emissions, and lost oil revenues) this article reviews trends from 1990-2005 in truck freight fuel intensity (energy use per tonne-km moved), on road truck fuel economy (L/ 100 km driven......). We review changes in decoupling truck freight activity from GDP. We examine separately five manufacturing sectors using data from Statistics Denmark on vehicle performance for 1980-2006. Our four major findings are: (1) truck freight energy intensity (mj/tonne-km) continues to grow as well as CO2...... emissions; (2) decoupling has not been large enough to reduce overall energy use of truck; (3) because of the absence of fuel economy regulations, a low average vehicle load, increased hauling distance, overall energy use of truck freight will continue to expand; (4) results show that standard freight...

Detection method based on Kalman filter for high speed rail defect AE signal on wheel-rail rolling rig

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Qiushi; Shen, Yi; Wang, Yan; Zhang, Xin

2018-01-01

Nondestructive test (NDT) of rails has been carried out intermittently in traditional approaches, which highly restricts the detection efficiency under rapid development of high speed railway nowadays. It is necessary to put forward a dynamic rail defect detection method for rail health monitoring. Acoustic emission (AE) as a practical real-time detection technology takes advantage of dynamic AE signal emitted from plastic deformation of material. Detection capacities of AE on rail defects have been verified due to its sensitivity and dynamic merits. Whereas the application under normal train service circumstance has been impeded by synchronous background noises, which are directly linked to the wheel speed. In this paper, surveys on a wheel-rail rolling rig are performed to investigate defect AE signals with varying speed. A dynamic denoising method based on Kalman filter is proposed and its detection effectiveness and flexibility are demonstrated by theory and computational results. Moreover, after comparative analysis of modelling precision at different speeds, it is predicted that the method is also applicable for high speed condition beyond experiments.

Logistic system as an essential element of modern organization of railway passenger traffic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O.A. Khodoskina

2012-04-01

Full Text Available The role and place of passenger transport services in the modern structure of rail transportation is considered. The need for approach to rail passenger transport as a logistics system, which is characterized by a set of parameters corresponding to the concept of logistics system in general and taking into account the peculiarities of railway passenger transportation is determined. The features of formation of such a system, taking into account the generally accepted theoretical approach and the specifics of rail transport are also presented. The concept of logistic system for railway vehicles is given; its overall structure is reviewed. The structure of the particular transport is defined by rail freight and in passenger traffic. Is an example of a mathematical model of the logistics system of rail passenger services on the basis of sets of incoming and outgoing parameters is determined. The structure of technologic process for goods and passenger transportation by rail from the perspective of logistics is characterized.

Understanding and Modeling Freight Stakeholder Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-01

This project developed a conceptual model of private-sector freight stakeholder decisions and interactions for : forecasting freight demands in response to key policy variables. Using East Central Wisconsin as a study area, empirical : models were de...

Multimodal schedule design for synchromodal freight transport systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

B. Behdani (Behzad); Y. Fan (Yun); B.W. Wiegmans (Bart); R.A. Zuidwijk (Rob)

2016-01-01

textabstractIntermodal freight transport has been discussed for decades as an alternative to unimodal road transport. However, it still does not represent a significant portion of the total freight market. A new and promising possibility to improve the performance of freight systems is the

Multimodal schedule design for synchromodal freight transport systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Behdani, Behzad; Fan, Yun; Wiegmans, Bart; Zuidwijk, Rob

2016-01-01

Intermodal freight transport has been discussed for decades as an alternative to unimodal road transport. However, it still does not represent a significant portion of the total freight market. A new and promising possibility to improve the performance of freight systems is the synchromodal

Improving Urban Freight Governance and Stakeholder Management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gammelgaard, Britta; Bech Godskesen Andersen, Christina; Figueroa, Maria J.

2017-01-01

Urban freight transport is a complex field characterised by many actors and stakeholders and thus many rationalities are at stake. This paper contributes to literature on urban freight governance by approaching the field with social system theory combined with the concepts of relationship platforms...... and value co-creation. This approach facilitates an improved process to foster implementation of innovative urban freight solutions that is illustrated by means of an analysis of the Copenhagen Citylogistik-kbh demonstration project. The results of this analysis indicate that attaining a shared sense...... of value creation among stakeholders through this process is key to implementation of new urban freight solutions....

77 FR 49854 - Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement for the Oregon Portion of the Pacific Northwest Rail...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-17

... represents other transportation modes such as auto, air travel, intercity bus, and existing rail and the... well as making decisions regarding the level of intercity passenger rail service provided in the... growth of 139% between 2000 and 2008. Current intercity passenger rail service in Oregon includes two...

Management Accounting in freight-forwarding companies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jens Ocksen; Lynggaard, Peter

2002-01-01

The article describes the internal business management processes in a freight forwarding compagny on the operative/tactical level. This is done as an explorative study of how these processes are organized in two medium-sized Danish freight-forwarding compagnies....

A Bi-Level Programming Model for the Railway Express Cargo Service Network Design Problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boliang Lin

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Service network design is fundamentally crucial for railway express cargo transportation. The main challenge is to strike a balance between two conflicting objectives: low network setup costs and high expected operational incomes. Different configurations of these objectives will have different impacts on the quality of freight transportation services. In this paper, a bi-level programming model for the railway express cargo service network design problem is proposed. The upper-level model forms the optimal decisions in terms of the service characteristics, and the low-level model selects the service arcs for each commodity. The rail express cargo is strictly subject to the service commitment, the capacity restriction, flow balance constraints, and logical relationship constraints among the decisions variables. Moreover, linearization techniques are used to convert the lower-level model to a linear one so that it can be directly solved by a standard optimization solver. Finally, a real-world case study based on the Beijing–Guangzhou Railway Line is carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed solution approach.

The standardised freight container: vector of vectors and vector-borne diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Reiter, P

2010-04-01

The standardised freight container was one of the most important innovations of the 20th Century. Containerised cargoes travel from their point of origin to their destination by ship, road and rail as part of a single journey, without unpacking. This simple concept is the key element in cheap, rapid transport by land and sea, and has led to a phenomenal growth in global trade. Likewise, containerised air cargo has led to a remarkable increase in the inter-continental transportation of goods, particularly perishable items such as flowers, fresh vegetables and live animals. In both cases, containerisation offers great advantages in speed and security, but reduces the opportunity to inspect cargoes in transit. An inevitable consequence is the globalisation of undesirable species of animals, plants and pathogens. Moreover, cheap passenger flights offer worldwide travel for viral and parasitic pathogens in infected humans. The continued emergence of exotic pests, vectors and pathogens throughout the world is an unavoidable consequence of these advances in transportation technology.

Review on Malaysian Rail Transit Operation and Management System: Issues and Solution in Integration

Science.gov (United States)

Masirin, Mohd Idrus Mohd; Salin, Aminah Mohd; Zainorabidin, Adnan; Martin, David; Samsuddin, Norshakina

2017-08-01

In any context, operation and management of transportation systems are key issues which may affect both life quality and economic development. In large urban agglomerations, an efficient public transportation system may help abate the negative externalities of private car use such as congestion, air and noise pollution, accident and fuel consumption, without excessively penalizing user travel times or zone accessibility. Thus, this study is conducted to appraise the Malaysian rural rail transit operation and management system, which are considered important as there are many issues and solution in integration of the services that need to be tackled more conscientiously. The purpose of this paper is to describe some of the most important issues on integration of services and rail transit system in Malaysian and how to solve or reduce these problems and conflicts. In this paper, it consists of the historical development of rail transit construction in Malaysia. This paper also attempts to identify the important issues related to rail transit services and integration in Malaysian rural rail operation and management system. Comparison is also conducted with other countries such as UK, France, and Japan. Finally, a critical analysis is presented in this paper by looking at the possible application for future Malaysian rail transit operation system and management, especially focusing on enhancing the quality of Malaysian rural rail transit. In conclusion, this paper is expected to successfully review and appraise the existing Malaysian rural rail transit operation and management system pertaining to issues & solution in integration. It is also hoped that reformation or transformation of present service delivery quality of the rail transit operation and management will enable Malaysia to succeed in transforming Malaysian transportation system to greater heights.

Great River Resource Management Study (Great III): Reconnaissance Report, Mississippi River - Saverton, Missouri to Cairo, Illinois,

Science.gov (United States)

1980-07-01

movements as feeders for rail and water transport, and to deliver fast service for high value freight. ( Creelman , 1979). Since the inland marine mode of...Development Work Group (1) Creelman , William A. Speech at Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board of the National Research Council. 1979. (2

Development of rail access to the proposed repository site at Yucca Mountain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Standish, P.N.; Seidler, P.E.; Andrews, W.B.; Shearin, G.

1991-01-01

In accordance with the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendment Act of 1987, Yucca Mountain was designated as the initial site to be investigated as a potential repository for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste. The Yucca Mountain site is an undeveloped area located on the southwestern edge of the Nevada Test Site (NTS), about 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The site currently lacks rail service or an existing right-of-way. If the Yucca Mountain site is found suitable for the repository, rail service is considered desirable by the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) program because of the potential of rail transportation to reduce (1) costs and (2) number of shipments, relative to highway transportation. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a study to determine (1) that there are alignments for a potential rail line from existing mainline railroads to Yucca Mountain and (2) that these are consistent with present rail design standards and are acceptable relative to environmental and land access considerations

Fleet servicing facilities for testing and maintaining rail and truck radioactive waste transport systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watson, C.D.; Hudson, B.J.; Preston, M.K.; Keith, D.A.; McCreery, P.N.; Knox, W.; Easterling, E.M.; Lamprey, A.S.; Wiedemann, G.

1980-01-01

This paper examines feasibility design concepts and feasibility studies of Fleet Servicing Facilities (FSF). Such facilities are intended to be used for routine servicing, preventive maintenance, and for performing requalification license compliance tests and inspections, minor repairs, and decontamination of both the transportation casks and their associated rail cars or tractor-trailers. None of the waste handling plants in the United States presently receiving radioactive wastes have an onsite FSF, nor is there an existing third party facility providing all of these services. This situation has caused the General Accounting Office to express concern regarding the quality of waste transport system maintenance once the transport system is placed into service. Thus a need is indicated for FSFs or their equivalent at various radioactive materials receiving sites. This paper also compares the respective capital costs and operating characteristics of the following three concepts of a spent fuel cask transportation FSF; integrated FSF, colocated FSF, and independent FSF

78 FR 23331 - Ballard Terminal Railroad Company, L.L.C.-Lease Exemption-Line of Eastside Community Rail, LLC

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-18

... residual common carrier rights and obligations, including the right to reinstitute rail service, over the... resume providing common carrier rail service over this trackage. These filings will be addressed by the... Railroad Company, L.L.C.--Lease Exemption--Line of Eastside Community Rail, LLC Ballard Terminal Railroad...

HRTPO strategic campaign and vision plan for passenger rail : phase 1 overview.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-17

SUBJECT: : TEMS (Transportation Economics & Management Systems, Inc.), the consultant specializing in : passenger rail planning, was secured by the HRTPO and its partner DRPT to evaluate the potential : passenger rail service alternative defined by t...

76 FR 8397 - Environmental Impact Statement for the Chicago, IL to St. Louis, MO High Speed Rail Program Corridor

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-14

... transportation modes, such as auto, air travel, intercity bus, and existing rail, and the physical... regional travel needs through significant improvements to the level and quality of passenger rail service... would divert intercity passenger rail service from the larger populations currently served in the...

Assessing public benefits and costs of freight transportation projects : measuring shippers' value of delay on the freight system.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-01

Freight delay is detrimental to the national economy. In an effort to gauge the economic impact of freight delay due : to highway congestion, this project focuses on estimating shippers value of delay (VOD). We have accomplished : this through thr...

[Occupational stress situation analysis of different types of train drivers].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Wenhui; Gu, Guizhen; Wu, Hui; Yu, Shanfa

2014-11-01

To analyze the status of occupational stress in different types of train drivers. By using cluster sampling method, a cross-sectional study was conducted in 1 339 train drivers (including 289 passenger train drivers, 637 freight trains drivers, 339 passenger shunting train drivers, and 74 high speed rail drivers) from a Railway Bureau depot. The survey included individual factors, occupational stress factors, stress response factors and stress mitigating factors. The occupational stress factors, stress response factors and mitigating factors were measured by the revised effort-reward imbalance (ERI) model questionnaires and occupational stress measurement scale. By using the method of covariance analysized the difference of occupational stress factors of all types train drivers, the method of Stepwise regression was used to analyze the effection (R(2)) of occupational stress factors and stress mitigating factors on stress response factors. Covariance analysis as covariates in age, education level, length of service and marital status showed that the scores of ERI (1.58 ± 0.05), extrinsic effort (19.88 ± 0.44), rewards (23.43 ± 0.43), intrinsic effort (17.86 ± 0.36), physical environment (5.70 ± 0.22), social support (30.51 ± 0.88) and daily tension (10.27 ± 0.38 ) of high speed rail drivers were higher than other drivers (F values were 6.06, 11.32, 7.05, 13.25, 5.20, 9.48 and 6.14 respectively, P occupational stress factors and mitigating factors to depressive symptoms of train drivers was high speed rail drivers (R(2) = 0.64), passenger train drivers (R(2) = 0.44), passenger shunting train drivers (R(2) = 0.39), freight trains drivers (R(2) = 0.38); job satisfaction of train drivers was high speed rail drivers (R(2) = 0.68), passenger train drivers (R(2) = 0.62), freight trains drivers (R(2) = 0.43), passenger shunting train drivers(R(2) = 0.38); to daily tension of train drivers was high speed rail drivers (R(2) = 0.54), passenger train drivers (R(2) = 0

78 FR 75442 - Designation of the Primary Freight Network

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-11

...] Designation of the Primary Freight Network AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT. ACTION: Notice... period for the Designation of the highway Primary Freight Network (PFN) notice, which was published on... the complete National Freight Network (NFN), and to solicit comments on aspects of the NFN. The five...

US Advanced Freight and Passenger MAGLEV System

Science.gov (United States)

Morena, John J.; Danby, Gordon; Powell, James

1996-01-01

Japan and Germany will operate first generation Maglev passenger systems commercially shortly after 2000 A.D. The United States Maglev systems will require sophisticated freight and passenger carrying capability. The U.S. freight market is larger than passenger transport. A proposed advanced freight and passenger Maglev Project in Brevard County Florida is described. Present Maglev systems cost 30 million dollars or more per mile. Described is an advanced third generation Maglev system with technology improvements that will result in a cost of 10 million dollars per mile.

DETERMINATION OF OBJECTIVES FOR URBAN FREIGHT POLICY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Kaszubowski

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Decisions regarding strategic planning of urban freight transport very often are based on superficial assumptions inadequately reflecting the actual character of encountered challenges. The trend may be observed to adapt isolated solutions without supporting measures and verification of expected outcomes. Selected urban freight solutions have a significant potential to alleviate transport related problems, but they require unorthodox approach beyond standard traffic planning and road management. City's current planning experience must be taken into account to plan an optimized sequence of actions. Method: Due to complexity of the problem and specific decision making factors the analytic network process ANP was selected to determine relevant objective of the urban freight policy. Gdynia was selected as the subject for modeling with a review of the current freight planning practice as a first step. Then, classification of policy objective and their prerequisites were identified supported with descriptive feasibility assessment. This allowed for a development of the ANP decision-making model. Results: Considered objectives for urban freight policy were identified were optimization, reduction and transfer. After verifying relevant decision factors optimization was selected as the most feasible option for Gdynia. Other alternatives were rated around four times lower with a slight prevalence of reduction over transfer. Such ranking reflects current planning practice and availability of transferable experiences. Despite the indicative results, it must be stressed that urban freight planning should be based on the long term methodical approach not to exclude any emerging possibilities. 

A symmetrical rail accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Igenbergs, E.

1991-01-01

This paper reports on the symmetrical rail accelerator that has four rails, which are arranged symmetrically around the bore. The opposite rails have the same polarity and the adjacent rails the opposite polarity. In this configuration the radial force acting upon the individual rails is significantly smaller than in a conventional 2-rail configuration and a plasma armature is focussed towards the axis of the barrel. Experimental results indicate a higher efficiency compared to a conventional rail accelerator

Short-term forecasting of intermodal freight using ANNs and SVR: Case of the Port of Algeciras Bay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moscoso Lopez, J.A.

2016-07-01

Forecasting of future intermodal traffic demand is very important for decision making in ports operations management. The use of accurate prediction tools is an issue that awakens a lot of interest among transport researchers. Intermodal freight forecasting plays an important role in ports management and in the planning of the principal port activities. Hence, the study is carried out under the motivation of knowing that modeling the freight transport flows could facilitate the management of the infrastructure and optimize the resources of the ports facilities. The use of advanced models for freight forecasting is essential to improve the port level-service and competitiveness. In this paper, two forecasting-models are presented and compared to predict the freight volume. The models developed and tested are based on Artificial Neural Networks and Support Vector Machines. Both techniques are based in a historical data and these methods forecast the daily weight of the freight with one week in advance. The performance of the models is evaluated on real data from Ro-Ro freight transport in the Port of Algeciras Bay. This work proposes and compares different approaches to determine the best prediction. In order to select the best model a multicomparison procedure is developed using several statistical test. The results of the assessed models show a promising tool to predict Ro-Ro transport flows with accuracy. (Author)

Practical reporting with Ruby and Rails

CERN Document Server

Berube, David

2008-01-01

Business intelligence and real time reporting mechanisms play a major role in any of today s forward looking business plans. With many of these solutions being moved to the Web, the popular Rails framework and its underlying Ruby language are playing a major role alongside web services in building the reporting solutions of tomorrow. Practical Reporting with Ruby and Rails is the first book to comprehensively introduce this popular framework, guiding readers through a wide ranging array of features. Note this isn t a staid guide to generating traditional reports, but rather it shows you how th

Energy study of rail passenger transportation. Volume 2. Description of operating systems. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Henderson, C.; Ellis, H. T.; Wilhelm, J. P.

1979-08-01

The rail passenger systems of the US are described in terms of selected physical, operating, and economic characteristics, and relates services rendered to energy usage and costs. Rail passenger transportation exists in 4 distinct forms: intercity railroads, suburban railroads, heavy-rail transit, and light-rail transit. Each form varies in technical equipment, design of facilities, operating practices, size of systems. Specific data for the national rail passenger network and the Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco regions and the Washington Metropolitan area transit authority are presented.

78 FR 11727 - National Freight Advisory Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-19

... performance in freight transportation; (6) development of freight transportation investment, data, and...; (3) availability and willingness to serve; and (4) relevant experience in working in committees and... minorities, women, and persons with disabilities. Please note, however, that federally registered lobbyists...

In-Service Performance and Costs of Methods for Control of Urban Rail System Noise : Experimental Design

Science.gov (United States)

1976-05-01

This report presents an experimental design for a project to evaluate four techniques for reducing wheel-rail noise on urban rail transit systems: (a) resilient wheels, (b) damped wheels, (c) wheel truing, and (d) rail griding. The design presents th...

Urban freight transportation : challenges, failures and successes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kant, G.; Quak, H.; Peeters, R.; van Woensel, T.; Zijm, H.; Klumpp, M.; Clausen, U.; ten Hompel, M.

2016-01-01

In this paper, we present the challenges, failures and successes on urban freight transportation. We first identify the various involved stakeholders with their interests. Then we evaluate a large number of urban freight transport initiatives and identify lessons learned, which are distinguished in

Consolidation and coordination in urban freight transport

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Heeswijk, W.J.A.

2017-01-01

Due to growing urbanization, fragmentation of freight flows, and increasingly strict delivery conditions, cities around the world have to deal with a vastly increasing number of freight transport flows. Carriers are unable to efficiently bundle these flows, resulting in inefficient urban transport.

Urban freight transportation : Challenges, failure, and successes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kant, Goos; Quak, H.; Peeters, Rene; Woensel van, T.; Zijm, H.; Klumpp, M.; Clausen, U.; Ten Hompel, M.

2016-01-01

In this paper, we present the challenges, failures and successes on urban freight transportation. We first identify the various involved stakeholders with their interests. Then we evaluate a large number of urban freight transport initiatives and identify lessons learned, which are distinguished in

49 CFR 216.11 - Special notice for repairs-railroad freight car.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Special notice for repairs-railroad freight car...—railroad freight car. (a) When an FRA Motive Power and Equipment Inspector or a State Equipment Inspector determines that a railroad freight car is not in conformity with the requirements of the FRA Freight Car...

Canadian Pacific Railway presentation to the Propane Gas Association of Canada erger mania, sustaining franchise value

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Green, F.

1997-12-31

A profile of Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was presented. CPR owns and operates 17,400 miles of tracks in Canada and has a total freight revenue of $3.5 billion. Current rail industry issues, including service expectations, capital markets, safety and the environment, and industry responses to these issues, were reviewed. Restructuring, increasing effectiveness, product and service innovations, and mergers, are the usual answers. CPR`s internal restructuring, which included centralization, integration, better use of information technology and reduced management costs, were described. Impacts of industry-wide restructuring, measures put in place by CPR to manage and respond to the changing rail transportation scene were outlined. 16 figs.

Finite element analysis of rail-wheel interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahman, F.; Kharlamov, Y.A.; Islam, S.; Khan, A.A.

2006-01-01

Damage mechanisms such as surface cracks, plastic deformation and wear can significantly reduce the service life of railway track and rolling stock. They also have a negative impact on the rolling noise as well as: on the riding comfort. A proper understanding of these mechanisms requires a detailed knowledge of physical interaction between wheel and rail. Furthermore, demands for higher train speeds and increased axle loads implies that the consequences of larger contact. forces between wheel and rail must be thoroughly investigated. Two methods have traditionally been used to investigate the rail-wheel contact, that is the Hertz analytical method and simplified numerical method based on the boundary element (BE) method. These methods rely on a half-space assumption and a linear material model. This paper presents that to overcome these limitations, a tool for FE-based quasistatic wheel-rail contact simulations has been developed. The tool is a library of ANSYS macro routines for configuring, meshing and loading of a parametric wheel-rail model. The meshing is based on measured wheel and rail profiles. The wheel and rail materials in the contact region are treated as elastic-plastic with kinematic hardening. By controlling the values of the configuration parameters, representations of various driving cases can be generated. The quasi-static loads are obtained from train motion. Interaction phenomena such as rolling, spinning and sidling can be included. The modeling tool and a methodology are described in the presented paper. Significant differences in the calculated state between the FE solution and the traditional approaches can be observed. These differences are most significant in situations with flange contact. (author)

A disaggregate freight transport model of transport chain and shipment size choice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Windisch, E.; De Jong, G.C.; Van Nes, R.; Hoogendoorn, S.P.

2010-01-01

The field of freight transport modelling is relatively young compared to passenger transport modelling. However, some key issues in freight policy, like growing freight shares on the road, advanced logistics concepts or emerging strict freight transport regulations, have been creating increasing

Rails on Windows

CERN Document Server

Hibbs, Curt

2007-01-01

It's no secret that the entire Ruby onRails core team uses OS X as their preferreddevelopment environment. Becauseof this, it is very easy to findauthoritative information on the webabout using Rails on OS X. But the truthis that Windows developers using Railsprobably outnumber those using otherplatforms. A Windows development environmentcan be just as productive asany other platform. This is a guide to developing with Rubyon Rails under Windows. It won't teachyou how to write Ruby on Rails web applications,but it will show you what toolsto use and how to set them up to createa complete Rail

Evaluating the attractiveness of a new light rail extension: Testing simple change and displacement change hypotheses.

Science.gov (United States)

Werner, Carol M; Brown, Barbara B; Tribby, Calvin P; Tharp, Doug; Flick, Kristi; Miller, Harvey J; Smith, Ken R; Jensen, Wyatt

2016-01-01

Many communities in the United States have been adding new light rail to bus-predominant public transit systems. However, there is disagreement as to whether opening light rail lines attracts new ridership or merely draws ridership from existing transit users. We study a new light rail line in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, which is part of a complete street redevelopment. We utilize a pre-test post-test control group quasi-experimental design to test two different measures of ridership change. The first measure is calculated from stops along the light rail route; the second assumes that nearby bus stops might be displaced by the rail and calculates ridership change with those stops included as baseline. Both the simple measure (transit use changes on the complete street light rail corridor) and the "displacement" measure (transit use changes in the one-quarter mile catchment areas around new light rail stops) showed significant ( p rail bus users. In particular, the displacement analysis discredits a common challenge that when a new light rail line opens, most passengers are simply former bus riders whose routes were canceled in favor of light rail. The study suggests that light rail services can attract additional ridership to public transit systems. In addition, although pre-post control-group designs require time and effort, this project underscores the benefits of such quasi-experimental designs in terms of the strength of the inferences that can be drawn about the impacts of new transit infrastructure and services.

76 FR 55335 - Alternate Passenger Rail Service Pilot Program

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-07

... provides that the proposed pilot program would not be made available to more than two Amtrak intercity... operation; provisions for accommodating the traveling public, including proposed arrangements for stations... program developed by this part will not be made available to more than two Amtrak intercity passenger rail...

Electrodynamic wear of rails in high current density rail gun discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edwards, W.T.; Caldwell, S.G.

1984-01-01

Significant advances in high current, high speed power sources, has in recent years allowed rail guns to produce very high velocity (> 10 km/sec) macroscopic particles (> 1/10 grams). A continuing problem is the structural integrity of the components under these loadings and in particular, the rail wear due to the high current density plasma contacts. In this investigation a small bore rail gun (6x5 mm) was used with a 10.6 kjoule capacitor energy source to examine the modes of rail damage. The rails were constructed of 110 copper base material. These rails were used in an uncoated condition and also with plasma sprayed coatings of W and W/WC. The resulting surface wear was characterized by standard metallurgical techniques and analyzed for the various coatings

Sensor network design for multimodal freight transportation systems.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-10-15

The agricultural and manufacturing industries in the US Midwest region rely heavily on the efficiency of freight transportation systems. While the growth of freight movement far outpaces that of the transportation infrastructure, ensuring the efficie...

Affordable Freight Logistics Transport Information Management Optimisation and Asset Tracking Solution Using Smartphone GPS Capabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Muna, Joseph T.; Prescott, Kevin

2011-08-01

Traditionally, freight transport and telematics solutions that exploit the GPS capabilities of in- vehicle devices to provide innovative Location Based Services (LBS) including track and trace transport systems have been the preserve of a select cluster of transport operators and organisations with the financial resources to develop the requisite custom software and hardware on which they are deployed. The average cost of outfitting a typical transport vehicle or truck with the latest Intelligent Transport System (ITS) increases the cost of the vehicle by anything from a couple to several thousand Euros, depending on the complexity and completeness of the solution. Though this does not generally deter large fleet transport owners since they typically get Return on Investment (ROI) based on economies of scale, it presents a barrier for the smaller independent entities that constitute the majority of freight transport operators [1].The North Sea Freight Intelligent Transport Solution (NS FRITS), a project co-funded by the European Commission Interreg IVB North Sea Region Programme, aims to make acquisition of such transport solutions easier for those organisations that cannot afford the expensive, bespoke systems used by their larger competitors.The project addresses transport security threats by developing a system capable of informing major actors along the freight logistics supply chain, of changing circumstances within the region's major transport corridors and between transport modes. The project also addresses issues of freight volumes, inter-modality, congestion and eco-mobility [2].

22 CFR 201.67 - Maximum freight charges.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

..., commodity rate classification, quantity, vessel flag category (U.S.-or foreign-flag), choice of ports, and... the United States. (2) Maximum charter rates. (i) USAID will not finance ocean freight under any... owner(s). (4) Maximum liner rates. USAID will not finance ocean freight for a cargo liner shipment at a...

Defining freight rates as a contribution to the successful operation of container shipping companies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renato Oblak

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The globalization of the world market and the flexibility of containerization to adjust to the constant changes in supply and demand of the international goods market, has led to a continuous increase in the portion of the container transport within the international maritime cargo transport. By the increase of the container transport level, the impact and importance of container freight rates have been growing, the variability of which directly reflects on the world economy. The aim of this paper is to analyze the efficiency of actual methods in establishing the container freight rates according to the problems which appear in the container shipping operation and refer to large differences in the weights of the actual transported cargo and the declared cargo in containers. The consequence of is lower freight rates and higher costs of the vessels exploitation, concerning the increase of the bunker oil consumption. The conducted research is based on actual data that have been collected and analyzed from particular container vessel liner services within period of 90 days and casting off from 16 container ports. The proposed measures could increase the level of usability of the transporting ships capacities and enable a more accurate and correct account of sea freight rates. The results of the research have shown that by increasing the control of accuracy of the cargo weight in containers and by improving the model of accounting, the freight rates can increase the incomes of shipping companies maintaining the same level of container traffic, which can have a direct influence on the efficiency of their successful operation.

Developing a performance measurement approach to benefit/cost freight project prioritization.

Science.gov (United States)

2014-10-01

Future reauthorizations of the federal transportation bill will require a comprehensive and quantitative analysis of the freight benefits : of proposed freight system projects. To prioritize public investments in freight systems and to insure conside...

Feasibility of freight villages in the NYMTC region.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-23

This report summarizes the work conducted to analyze the site impact of freight villages. The analysis included assessing traffic, : logistics and economic impacts, which are then used to determine the extent to which freight village development has ...

Impact of the rail-pad multi-discrete model upon the prediction of the rail response

Science.gov (United States)

Mazilu, T.; Leu, M.

2017-08-01

Wheel/rail vibration has many technical effects such as wear of the rolling surfaces, rolling noise, settlement of the ballast and subgrade etc. This vibration is depending on the rail pad characteristic and subsequently, it is important to have an accurate overview on the relation between the rail pad characteristic and the level of the wheel/rail vibration. To this end, much theoretical and experimental research has been developed in the past, and for the theoretical approach the track model, in general, and, particularly, the rail pad model is of crucial importance. Usually, the rail pad model is discrete model one, neglecting the length of the rail pad. This fact is questionable because the sleepers span is only 4 times the rail pad length. Using the rail pad discrete model, the rail response is overestimated when the frequency of the excitation equals the pinned-pinned resonance frequency. In this paper, a multi-discrete model for the rail pad, consisting in many Kelvin-Voigt parallel systems, is inserted into an analytical model of the track. The track model is reduced to a rail taken as infinite Timoshenko beam, discretely supported via rail pad, sleeper and ballast. The influence of the number of Kelvin-Voigt systems of the rail pad model on the rail response is analysed.

78 FR 8686 - Establishment of the National Freight Network

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-06

... includes the National Highway System, freight intermodal connectors, and aerotropolis \\1\\ transportation systems. \\1\\ Aerotropolis transportation systems means a planned and coordinated multimodal freight and...

Intercity passenger rail : the congress faces critical decisions about the role of and funding for intercity passenger rail systems

Science.gov (United States)

2001-07-25

With the growth in the nation's highway and aviation systems in the : previous decades, intercity passenger rail service lost its competitive edge. Highways have enabled cars to be competitive with conventional passenger trains (those operating up to...

Hydrogen Fueled Hybrid Solid Oxide Fuel Cell-Gas Turbine (SOFC-GT) System for Long-Haul Rail Application

Science.gov (United States)

Chow, Justin Jeff

Freight movement of goods is the artery for America's economic health. Long-haul rail is the premier mode of transport on a ton-mile basis. Concerns regarding greenhouse gas and criteria pollutant emissions, however, have motivated the creation of annually increasing locomotive emissions standards. Health issues from diesel particulate matter, especially near rail yards, have also been on the rise. These factors and the potential to raise conventional diesel-electric locomotive performance warrants the investigation of using future fuels in a more efficient system for locomotive application. This research evaluates the dynamic performance of a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell-Gas Turbine (SOFC-GT) Hybrid system operating on hydrogen fuel to power a locomotive over a rail path starting from the Port of Los Angeles and ending in the City of Barstow. Physical constraints, representative locomotive operation logic, and basic design are used from a previous feasibility study and simulations are performed in the MATLAB Simulink environment. In-house controls are adapted to and expanded upon. Results indicate high fuel-to-electricity efficiencies of at least 54% compared to a conventional diesel-electric locomotive efficiency of 35%. Incorporation of properly calibrated feedback and feed-forward controls enables substantial load following of difficult transients that result from train kinematics while maintaining turbomachinery operating requirements and suppressing thermal stresses in the fuel cell stack. The power split between the SOFC and gas turbine is deduced to be a deterministic factor in the balance between capital and operational costs. Using hydrogen results in no emissions if renewable and offers a potential of 24.2% fuel energy savings for the rail industry.

TOPICAL PROBLEMS AND DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES OF INTERNATIONAL FREIGHT TRANSPORT

OpenAIRE

Sulce, Anastasija

2014-01-01

The title of thesis is Typical Problems and Development Perspectives of International Freight Transport. This work is dedicated to different modes of international transportation, freight and logistics their advantages and disadvantages. Another essential part of the work related to different way for transport development and its efficient usage The objective is to explore modes of freight transport and logistics in details and, thereof, reveal advantages and disadvantages. On the basis ...

Determination of the primary technical parameters of the test bench for controlling the temperature of rails and rail bars of continuous welded rail

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tertychnyi Vitalii

2017-01-01

Full Text Available One of the most important factors determining the reliability and safety of operation of the continuous welded rail track is the temperature of the rails. All conditions of laying, repair and maintenance of the track during the entire cycle of rails operation depend on it. The existing rail temperature monitoring method does not take into account a few significant factors and that leads to significant errors in determining the actual temperature of the rail bar. The authors propose a new rail temperature measurement method on a special test bench which maximally simulates possible environmental operating conditions for the rail bars, the profile of the roadway (embankment or cut, as well as the actual spatial latitude and meridian location of the rail slabs. At the bench, the studied rails are fastened with the help of rail braces on half ties, in the ballast bed, with sizes in accordance with the existing reference documents. At the first stage, the most common KB-65 intermediate fastener for the continuous welded rail in Ukraine will be used, while in subsequent stages KPP-5 fastening will be used.

Rail passengers rights

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Đurđev Dušanka J.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The legal framework of rail passengers rights is set out in a combination of international and European law: an international measure, the rather unwieldy Uniform Rules concerning the Contract for International Carriage of Passengers and Luggage by Rail, forming part of the Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail of 9 May 1980 (as amended by the Vilnius Protocol of 3 June 1999 ['CIV'], lays down a basic framework which is then fleshed out by more recent EU legislation, Regulation (EC No 1371/2007 on Rail Passengers ' Rights and Obligations. Regulation 1371/2007/EC on rail passenger rights and obligations sets out minimum quality standards that have to be guaranteed to all passengers on all lines. .

49 CFR 1248.1 - Freight commodity statistics.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 9 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Freight commodity statistics. 1248.1 Section 1248... STATISTICS § 1248.1 Freight commodity statistics. All class I railroads, as described in § 1240.1 of this... statistics on the basis of the commodity codes named in § 1248.101. Carriers shall report quarterly on the...

Air freight in the Stockholm region with focus on Eskilstuna Airport

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kjell-Åke Allan Brorsson

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of this article is to analyse the conditions for commencing air freight operations at the regional Eskilstuna Airport in Sweden, which require investments in airport infrastructure of at least SEK 140 –180 million. Design/ methodology: The qualitative data collection for the study was carried out through open-ended interviews with representatives of airport management, staff, representatives of residents, and actors and stakeholders in the field. In addition, much written material was collected from different authorities. Document analysis was used to systematically evaluate and review the collected documents. Content analysis was applied to organize collected data into categories. Based on the reports, decisions, environmental scanning and interviews, the data have been coded and categorized in tables via thematic analysis. Findings: The major findings of the study are that Eskilstuna Airport lacks cargo facilities and has limited apron space, and that there is strong competition from four other airports in the Stockholm region. The prospects for permanent air freight operations at Eskilstuna Airport are therefore not favourable in the current situation. However, if the development of Eskilstuna Logistics Park and the concept of inter modal highway-rail transportation are successful, they could serve as a major driving force for the development of air cargo. Furthermore, with sustainable development as a guiding principle, there is great potential to develop an airport with a high standard of environmental profile. Originality/ value: My findings are of great value to managers of airports and cargo airlines, as they highlight some of the competition aspects associated with engaging in air cargo at regional airports. The study fills a gap in existing research whose main focus is environmental issues concerning airports in general.

A highly successful model? The rail franchising business in Britain

OpenAIRE

Jupe, Robert E.; Funnell, Warwick N.

2017-01-01

A crucial feature of rail privatisation in Britain was franchising. Passenger services were franchised in competitive bidding processes to train operators which were meant to function with declining subsidy. The paper adopts the framework of social cost-benefit analysis to examine rail privatisation's impact on three key groups; consumers, producers and the government. It establishes that privatisation did not achieve all the supposed benefits. Further, franchising only appears to be profitab...

Some design aspects of a two-stage rail-to-rail CMOS op amp

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gierkink, Sander L.J.; Holzmann, Peter J.; Wiegerink, Remco J.; Wassenaar, R.F.

1999-01-01

A two-stage low-voltage CMOS op amp with rail-to-rail input and output voltage ranges is presented. The circuit uses complementary differential input pairs to achieve the rail-to-rail common-mode input voltage range. The differential pairs operate in strong inversion, and the constant

System and prospects of China's intercity rail transit technology

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Ming

2018-06-01

City clusters and metropolitan areas in China are flourishing in the midst of the deepening urbanization in the country, thereby resulting in the emergence of intercity rail transit. Intercity railways connect mainline and urban railways for an integrated regional transportation system that underpins and leads the development of city clusters and metropolitan areas. This study explores the development mode and service characteristics of intercity rail transit, as well as proposes overviews on this system and prospects of its future technology in China.

FREIGHTVISION. Sustainable European freight transport 2050. Forecast, vision and policy recommendation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Helmreich, Stephan [AustriaTech Federal Agency for Technological Measurements Ltd., Wien (Austria). Future of Transport; Keller, Hartmut (eds.) [TransVer GmbH-Transport Research and Consultancy, Muenchen (Germany)

2011-07-01

This book has been written on the basis of the research done between 2008 and 2010 as part of the European Commission funded FREIGHTVISION project. The ''FREIGHTVISION - Freight Transport 2050 Foresight'' project was funded by the Directorate General MOVE to design a long term vision for European freight transport in 2050 and to identify actions and research to progress appropriate freight transport measures in Europe. The project was carried out as a foresight process encompassing four conferences in which the project team identified and developed with the aid of more than 100 experts an action plan for securing long term freight transport in Europe. The book provides insights into the freight transport visions and Backcasts identified for 2035 and 2050, issues which need to be addressed and measures which were assessed to be part of future paths to assure an economical, environmental, and social freight transport system. (orig.)

Implications of rail electrodynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rolader, G.E.; Jamison, K.A.

1990-01-01

A model is developed to investigate possible effects of rail electrodynamics on the performance of railguns. This model describes the oscillatory nature of the rail motion in response to the Lorentz force and the compressive restoration force of material which is behind the rails. In this simple model the rails are found to oscillate with a frequency of β. The rail dynamic behavior induces local electric fields. The authors investigate the significance of these electric fields on stationary particles (lab frame) and on particles moving at the velocity of the plasma/projectile system (projectile frame)

Calculation of freight externality costs for South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefaan Swarts

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to quantify the marginal external costs associated with freight transport in South Africa. Six cost elements are included as externality cost items, namely, costs related to accidents, emissions, roadway land availability, policing, noise and congestion. Inputs in the calculations were a gravity-oriented freight flow model, a road transport cost model, actual transport costs for other modes, a warehousing cost survey, an inventory delay calculation and various national sources of information such as accident statistics and government budgets. Estimation techniques resulted in advances for externality cost measurement in South Africa. The quantification of the cost elements will be used to update the South African Freight Demand Model. The results show that the cost of transportation would have been 20% more if external factors were taken into account. The marginal rates of externalities can be used to develop scenarios based on alternative choices for South Africa's freight transport infrastructure configuration.

THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH OF STRENGTH PROPERTIES OF SPINE BEAM OF FREIGHT CARS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. O. Neduzha

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the results of theoretical and experimental studies of the strength properties of rolling stock; search for design tools, modeling, selection, justification of the service life extension of freight cars and their elements. Methodology. The article is based on the finite element method (FEM. It makes possible to completely automate the calculation of mechanical systems, although, as a rule, it requires a much larger number of computational operations than the classical methods of mechanics. The modern level of development of computer technology opens wide opportunities for the introduction of FEM into engineering practice. FEM is implemented in many well-known and widely distributed software products that provide strength analysis of models of machines, mechanisms, structures, including the rolling stock of railways. Findings. The article presents an analysis of the theoretical and experimental studies of the strength properties of rolling stock elements on the example of the spine beam of freight cars; calculations were performed using a modern application program package. The presented example of use of the offered approach has shown its operation capacity and efficiency, as well as correctness of the research direction. The offered approach can be used when solving similar optimization tasks in research and developmental practice of transport mechanical engineering. Originality. The authors proposed me-thod of determining the reliability indicators and solving scientific and applied problem of calculating the elements of freight cars, taking into account the operation features and the loading mode impact. This allows determining their durability at the design stage. There were developed and investigated the models of the spine beam of a freight car, on the basis of which the dependences characterizing the stress-strain state of its elements were obtained. Scientifically substantiated results of

A simulation model for intermodal freight transportation in Louisiana.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

With increased emphasis on intermodal transportation development, the issue of how to evaluate an intermodal freight transportation system and provide intermodal solutions has been receiving intensive attention. In order to improve freight flow effic...

Comparison of Urban and Suburban Rail Transport in Germany and in the Czech Republic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seidenglanz Daniel

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Rail transport is an environmentally friendly form of passenger transport which can be utilized effectively also in urban and suburban transport systems. The paper describes the urban and suburban rail transport system including comparison of selected Czech (Prague, Brno and Ostrava and German metropolitan regions (Munich, Nuremberg and Dresden. Its aim is to analyze the importance of various factors influencing the differences between the situation in Germany and in the Czech Republic. Therefore, the research question is whether these differences are primarily caused by a different liberalization stage, or whether they are a result of other factors such as available infrastructure, investment level, rail transport services budget, structure and activity of ordering bodies and coordinators or geographical context. The supply of city and suburban rail transport is quite good in Germany and in the Czech Republic, although trains in Munich, Nuremberg and Dresden run more frequently, faster and are better interconnected with car transport. German rail transport sector is at a higher stage of liberalization, and tendering procedures are the preferred selection method for contractor carriers. However, a degree of liberalization of the railway sector is not the key marker indicating a better standard of urban and suburban rail transport in Germany because it is the high standard which is achieved as the consequence of the professional activity of the ordering bodies and train service coordinators in combination with geographical conditions, available financial sources and effective transport infrastructure. On the other hand, the importance of liberalization cannot be totally overlooked as tenders are a tool for the ordering bodies to strongly affect the price and quality of transport services in their area. The supply of better quality and attractive transport to passengers could increase the usage of rail transport in metropolitan regions and could

Designing Light Electric Vehicles for urban freight transport

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Balm, S.H.; Hogt, Roeland

2017-01-01

The number of light commercial vehicles (LCV) in cities is growing, which puts increasing pressure on the livability of cities. Freight vehicles are large contributors to polluting air and CO2 emissions and generate problems in terms of safety, noise and loss of public space. Small electric freight

Alternative transport network designs and their implications for intermodal transhipment technologies

OpenAIRE

Woxenius, Johan

2007-01-01

Six principles for operation of the rail part of intermodal rail freight transport systems are described: direct link, corridor, hub-and-spoke, connected hubs, static routes, and dynamic routes. The first part is a theoretical discussion of the characteristics of the transport network designs. The theory is then applied to intermodal freight transport by analysing how each transport network design affects the need for terminal performance. The discussion includes a classification of existing ...

The rebound effect on road freight transport: Empirical evidence from Portugal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matos, Fernando J.F.; Silva, Francisco J.F.

2011-01-01

Because a large proportion of total operating costs for transportation companies goes towards energy, a reduction in energy operating costs, brought about by an increase in fleet fuel efficiency, or an increase in operational efficiency, results in a change in the relative cost of road freight transportation. This fact could result in an increase in the demand for such services. If this is true, the result would be an increase in total fuel consumption. Consequently, that part of the energy savings obtained through the increased energy efficiency would be lost. The existence of a 'Rebound Effect' is especially important in the road freight transportation sector and is crucial for the definition of a national energy policy. In this study, data from the road freight transportation sector in Portugal for the years of 1987 through 2006 was analyzed. It was determined that an increase in energy efficiency did not cause a backfire, but did cause a total direct rebound effect of 24.1%. In addition, fleet operators were more inclined to adopt operational efficiencies than technological fuel efficiencies as a means of increasing the total operational efficiency. - Research highlights: → We estimate a direct rebound effect for road freight transportation in Portugal. → The functional form chosen was a log-log model and the estimation method used was the two stage least squares model. → Increasing energy efficiency by 1% results in a reduction of 0.759% in energy consumption (a direct rebound effect of about 24.1%). → Estimates of reduced fuel consumption without considering the direct rebound effect may be overestimated by about 0.87 million liters of diesel per year for each percentage point increase in energy efficiency.

Trends in road freight transportation carbon dioxide emissions and policies in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Hongqi; Lu, Yue; Zhang, Jun; Wang, Tianyi

2013-01-01

We adopted the simple average Divisia index approach to explore the impacts of factors on the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions from road freight transportation in China from 1985 to 2007. CO 2 emissions were investigated using the following as influencing factors: the emission coefficient, vehicle fuel intensity, working vehicle stock per freight transport operator, market concentration level, freight transportation distance, market share of road freight transportation, ton-kilometer per value added of industry, industrialization level and economic growth. Building on the results, we suggest that economic growth is the most important factor in increasing CO 2 emissions, whereas the ton-kilometer per value added of industry and the market concentration level contribute significantly to decreasing CO 2 emissions. We also discussed some recent important policies concerning factors contained in the decomposition model. - Highlights: ► We estimated road freight fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions in China. ► Factors implying features of road freight were considered in decomposition model. ► Some policies were discussed to affect CO 2 emissions from road freight

New approaches to enhancing efficiency of freight railway stations performance within industrial enterprises

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ваагн Емілійович Парунакян

2015-03-01

Full Text Available At present time freight stations operation is complicated by raised dynamics of production and transport processes. Under the given handling capacity, this circumstance affects duration of processing of inbound and internal flow of freight cars. In connection with the abovementioned, the article covers new approaches to the analysis and evaluation of operating characteristics, and designing of railway freight stations within industrial enterprises. These approaches base on the system adaptation of the railway freight stations structural layouts and parameters of technical facilities to new working conditions and production demands. As the criterion of optimization of freight station operation, the index of “transportation work” (freight car-hour was offered. It allows differentiating the elemental flows of freight cars from the overall flow of freight cars at the freight station. It also allows identifying structure, volumes and other parameters of train operation (duration of processing measured in freight car-hours, interpretational and technological idle time denoting the location and the reason for their occurrence. Moreover, the analysis and evaluation of yard operation is offered to be carried out via handling capacity balance, which illustrates the relation between the overall volume of transportation work and the amount of trains handled at the station. This allows establishing additional transportation work and makes it possible to evaluate the real (objective necessity in throughput and handling capacity of station facilities in particular, and the station in general. The operating characteristics that have been examined determine the new methodical approaches to designing of composition-and-structural layouts and parameters of industrial freight stations. As the basis for optimization of the station, the certain method of morphological analysis and synthesis of technical decisions can be accepted, with its modification due to the

IMPROVEMENT OF FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION PROCESS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT MECHANISM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. V. Martsenyuk

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose. For Ukraine as for a post-socialist state there is an objective need of reforming on railway transport. In order to meet the requirements of consumers both within the country and outside of it, it is necessary to solve transport problems in time and to introduce new technologies, without lagging behind the developed European states. The purpose of this article is identification of problems in the process of freight transportations and development of ways of their overcoming, formation of the principles of economic efficiency increase for the use of freight cars using the improvement of management mechanism of freight transportations in the conditions of reforming. Methodology. Methods of strategic planning, system approach for research on improvement of the management mechanism of freight transportations, as well as the organizational-administrative method for structure of management construction were used in this research. Findings. Authors have explored the problems arising in the process of transportation of goods and measures, which will increase the efficiency of goods transportation. Advanced mechanism of freight transportation management for its application in the conditions of the railway transport reforming was developed. It is based on management centralization. Originality. The major factors, which slow down process of cargo transportations, are investigated in the article. The principles of management mechanism improvement of freight transportations are stated. They are based on association of commercial and car-repair activity of depots. All this will allow reducing considerably a car turn by decrease in duration of idle times on railway transport, increasing the speed of freight delivery and cutting down a transport component in the price of delivered production. Practical value. The offered measures will improve the efficiency of rolling stock use and increase cargo volumes turnover, promote links of Ukraine with

Decomposing road freight energy use in the United Kingdom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sorrell, Steve; Lehtonen, Markku; Stapleton, Lee; Pujol, Javier; Champion, Toby

2009-01-01

Applying the techniques of decomposition analysis we estimate the relative contribution of ten variables (termed 'key ratios') plus GDP to the change in UK road freight energy use over the period 1989-2004 inclusive. The results are best interpreted as an estimate of the percentage growth in energy consumption that would have resulted from the change in the relevant factor (e.g. length of haul) had the other factors remained unchanged. The results demonstrate that the main factor contributing to the decoupling of UK road freight energy consumption from GDP was the decline in the value of domestically manufactured goods relative to GDP. Over the period 1989-2004 this largely offset the effect of increases in GDP on road freight energy consumption. While the decline in domestic manufacturing was to some extent displaced by increases in imports, the net effect of these supply factors, together with shifts in the commodity mix, has been to reduce UK road freight energy consumption by 30.1%. The net effect on global carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions is likely to be somewhat less beneficial, since many freight movements associated with the manufacture of imported goods have simply been displaced to other countries.

Reliability assessment of a multistate freight network for perishable merchandise with multiple suppliers and buyers

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yi-Kuei; Yeh, Cheng-Ta; Huang, Cheng-Fu

2017-01-01

This study develops a multistate freight network for single and perishable merchandise to assess the freight performance, where a node denotes a supplier, a distribution centre, or a buyer, while a logistics company providing a freight traffic service is denoted by an edge. For each logistics company, carrying capacity should be multistate since partial capacity may be reserved by some customers. The merchandise may perish or be perished during conveyance because of disadvantageous weather or collision in carrying such that the number of intact cargoes may be insufficient for the buyers. Hence, according to the perspective of supply chain management, the reliability, a probability of the network to successfully deliver the cargoes from the suppliers to the buyers subject to a budget, is proposed to be a performance index, where the suppliers and buyers are not the previous customers. An algorithm in terms of minimal paths to assess the reliability is developed. A fruit logistics case is adopted to explore the managerial implications of the reliability using sensitivity analysis.

Social exclusion and high speed rail: The case study of Spain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pagliara, F.; Menicocci, F.; Vassallo, J.M.; Gomez, J.

2016-07-01

Very few contributions in the literature have dealt with the issue of social exclusion related to High Speed Rail systems. The objective of this manuscript is to understand what are the factors excluding users from choosing High Speed Rail services considering as case study Spain. For this purpose, a Revealed Preference survey was employed in November and December 2015. A questionnaire was submitted to users of the Spanish transport systems travelling for long distance-journeys. The aim was that of investigating their perception of High Speed Rail system and the factors inhibiting passengers or excluding them from its use. Data about their socioeconomic characteristics were collected as well. The main result of the survey has been that a relationship between social exclusion and High Speed Rail in Spain is present, especially in terms of geographical exclusion. (Author)

75 FR 76520 - Tennessee Southern Railroad Company, Patriot Rail, LLC, Patriot Rail Holdings LLC, and Patriot...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-08

... family by converting two of its subsidiaries from corporations into limited liability companies: (1... Railroad Company, Patriot Rail, LLC, Patriot Rail Holdings LLC, and Patriot Rail Corp.--Corporate Family... Railroad Company (TSRR), Patriot Rail, LLC (PRL) and its subsidiaries, Patriot Rail Holdings LLC (PRH) and...

Framing Light Rail Projects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olesen, Mette

2014-01-01

In Europe, there has been a strong political will to implement light rail. This article contributes to the knowledge concerning policies around light rail by analysing how local actors frame light rail projects and which rationalities and arguments are present in this decision-making process....... The article draws on the socio-technical approach to mobilities studies in order to reassemble the decision-making process in three European cases: Bergen, Angers, and Bern. This article provides insights into the political, discursive and material production of light rail mobilities in a European context....... It identifies the planning rationales behind the systems and the policies that have been supportive of this light rail vision. Finally, the article identifies the practical challenges and potentials that have been connected to the different local frames of light rail mobility which can be used in future...

Integrating passenger and freight transportation : model formulation and insights

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ghilas, V.; Demir, E.; Woensel, van T.

2013-01-01

Integrating passenger and freight ows creates attractive business opportunities because the same transportation needs can be met with fewer vehicles and emissions. This paper seeks an integrated solution for the transportation of passenger and freight simultaneously, so that fewer vehicles are

Identification and prioritization of rail squat defects in the field using rail magnetisation technology

Science.gov (United States)

Kaewunruen, Sakdirat

2015-04-01

Inevitably, rail squats and studs are continuing to be a serious problem for railway organisations around the world in the 21st century. They are typically classified as the growth of any cracks that have grown longitudinally through the subsurface and some of the cracks propagating to the bottom of rails transversely, and have branched from initial longitudinal cracks with a depression of rail surface. The horizontal crack, which results in a depression of rail surface, induces increased maintenance level, more frequent monitoring, compromised rail testing (as the crack shields the signal echoes), and possible broken rails. This paper presents field investigations using a magnetised-rail testing device developed by MRX Technologies to identify and prioritise the rail squats. Most of the in situ squats were found on the high rail of the transition (variable-radius curved track), which is associated with rolling contact fatigue (RCF). This investigation highlights the field performance of the MRX's surface crack detection technology in comparison with the traditional ultrasonic method and detailed walking inspection. Visually, it was found in the field that the size of the RCF squats varies from very small to moderate. The predicted crack data were obtained by scanning the magnitised rails. The comparison of the actual crack depths (ultrasonic) and the predicted crack depths (MRX device) shows: • A possible correlation for small RCF/ squat cracks. • Poor interpretation of larger defects and welds. The field assessment also suggests some practical issues required for further development, including the detection of rail spalling, deep transverse crack, welding, and so on.

FREIGHT CONTAINER LIFTING STANDARD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

POWERS DJ; SCOTT MA; MACKEY TC

2010-01-13

This standard details the correct methods of lifting and handling Series 1 freight containers following ISO-3874 and ISO-1496. The changes within RPP-40736 will allow better reading comprehension, as well as correcting editorial errors.

A systems approach to reduce urban rail energy consumption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

González-Gil, A.; Palacin, R.; Batty, P.; Powell, J.P.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • An insightful overview of energy usage in urban rail systems is given. • The principal measures to reduce urban rail energy consumption are appraised. • A methodology is proposed to help implement energy saving schemes in urban rail. • Regenerative braking is shown to offer the greatest energy saving potential. - Abstract: There is increasing interest in the potential of urban rail to reduce the impact of metropolitan transportation due to its high capacity, reliability and absence of local emissions. However, in a context characterised by increasing capacity demands and rising energy costs, and where other transport modes are considerably improving their environmental performance, urban rail must minimise its energy use without affecting its service quality. Urban rail energy consumption is defined by a wide range of interdependent factors; therefore, a system wide perspective is required, rather than focusing on energy savings at subsystem level. This paper contributes to the current literature by proposing an holistic approach to reduce the overall energy consumption of urban rail. Firstly, a general description of this transport mode is given, which includes an assessment of its typical energy breakdown. Secondly, a comprehensive appraisal of the main practices, strategies and technologies currently available to minimise its energy use is provided. These comprise: regenerative braking, energy-efficient driving, traction losses reduction, comfort functions optimisation, energy metering, smart power management and renewable energy micro-generation. Finally, a clear, logical methodology is described to optimally define and implement energy saving schemes in urban rail systems. This includes general guidelines for a qualitative assessment and comparison of measures alongside a discussion on the principal interdependences between them. As a hypothetical example of application, the paper concludes that the energy consumption in existing urban

76 FR 59119 - Interim Change to the Military Freight Traffic Unified Rules Publication (MFTURP) No. 1

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-23

... Unified Rules Publication (MFTURP) No. 1 AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD. SUMMARY: The Military... Publication and Rules Manager, Strategic Business Directorate, Business Services, 1 Soldier Way, Building...: Military Freight Traffic Unified Rules Publications (MFTURP) No. 1. Background: The MFTURP No. 1 governs...

Neutron measurement of residual stresses in a used railway rail

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Webster, P.J.; Low, K.S.; Mills, G.; Webster, G.A.

1990-01-01

The high resolution neutron diffraction technique has been applied to determine, non-destructively, the residual stress distribution developed in the head of a railway rail after normal service. Measurements were made, using the neutron strain scanner at the Institute Laue Langevin, Grenoble, on a transverse slice of rail 12mm thick taken from a section of straight track. The rail head was scanned in the three principal orientations in a series of parallel traverses sufficiently close to enable a two-dimensional matrix of data to be accumulated and vertical, transverse and longitudinal residual stress contours to be drawn. The results demonstrate the effectiveness and unique characteristics of the neutron technique to determine nondestructively and continuously the residual stresses inside engineering components

Bronze railing from Mediana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vasić Miloje R.

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The hoard containing components of bronze railing was discovered in trench 7 during excavations at Mediana in 2000. Railing consists of cancelli and herms with busts of deities between them. Railing was constructed in such a way that it was possible to disassemble and reassemble it. Three cancelli one fragmented semicancellus cast together with herm and herms, one with bust of Aesculapius and other with bust of Luna. It could be concluded that railing consisted of two segments with passage between them. Male deities were represented on the left segment of the railing and female deities on the right segment. Detailed analysis revealed that Aesculapius as well as Luna bear strong mark of classical Greek and Hellenistic art, which experienced some kind of renaissance in the time of Constantine I. It is very probable that we can recognize the portrait of Faustina, Constantine’s wife in the portrait of Luna. According to the historical events the railing could have been produced before 325 AD when Constantine definitively accepted Christianity at Council of Nicaea. It is difficult to say where the railing had been produced. It had been most probably brought to Mediana during the stay of emperor Julian in Niš in 361. The sculptures found in one room of the villa with peristyle had probably been brought at the same time. The apse of triclinium of this villa had most likely been arranged as small shrine with bronze railing at its entrance. The railing was buried in 378 after battle of Adrianople and invasion of Goths in diocese Dacia.

76 FR 63991 - Midwest Rail d/b/a Toledo, Lake Erie and Western Railway-Lease and Operation Exemption-Toledo...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-14

... provide common carrier rail service over the Line, connecting with and interchanging traffic with NSR, and... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35555] Midwest Rail d/b/a... Railway and Museum, Inc. Midwest Rail d/b/a Toledo, Lake Erie and Western Railway (Toledo), a noncarrier...

SAFETY AND QUALITY CONTROL OF TRANSPORT SERVICES ON RAILWAY TRANSPORT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. P. Sadlovska

2010-10-01

Full Text Available The article presents the provisions to improve procedure of licensing of passenger and freight transportation, technical specifications for services related to the passenger and freight transportations.

A low-voltage Op Amp with rail-to-rail constant-gm input stage and a class AB rail-to-rail output stage

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Botma, J.H.; Wassenaar, R.F.; Wiegerink, Remco J.

1993-01-01

In this paper a low-voltage two-stage Op Amp is presented. The Op Amp features rail-to-rail operation and has an @put stage with a constant transconductance (%) over the entire common-mode input range. The input stage consists of an n- and a PMOS differential pair connected in parallel. The constant

49 CFR 1242.23 - Shop buildings-freight cars (account XX-13-25).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 9 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Shop buildings-freight cars (account XX-13-25). 1242.23 Section 1242.23 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) SURFACE... Structures § 1242.23 Shop buildings—freight cars (account XX-13-25). These accounts pertain solely to freight...

Implementation of advanced technologies and other means in dangerous freight transportation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Batarlienė

2007-12-01

Full Text Available This article examines types of modern technologies application possibilities in dangerous freight transportation. It is noted that the solution to transport technology problems is based on the improvement of technological supply, the rational usage of informational modeling methodology of the whole transportation process. The aspects of mobile solution of public information and transport are named in this paper. The article presents concrete vehicles and freight tracking on their trips analysis, the principles and methods of their operation. Tracking and localization systems are playing a great role in the transportation of dangerous freight. The newly developed remote identification system for transport facilities and freight are presented.

THE IMPACT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY ON ROAD FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ryuichi YOSHIMOTO

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Surveying the recent trend toward e-commerce and computerization in the trucking industry, this paper establishes a framework for analyzing the impact of information and communication technology on road freight transportation in terms of commerce, logistics and fleet management, and proposes hypothetical mechanisms of influence. The authors note that the rapid growth of e-commerce and freight fleet management systems make it difficult to arrive at firm, statistics-based conclusions about their impact on road freight transportation, but suggest that more sophisticated government management of transportation demand as well as freight fleet management systems could cancel out the negative impact of e-commerce on road transportation.

ORGANIZATION OF FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION IN UKRAINE IN THE REFORMATION CONDTIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. V. Martseniuk

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose. Each country of the former Soviet Union carries out railroad industry reformation according to different models depending on orienting points and the goals it establishes. All railway administrations have faced the problem of considerable reduction of freight and passenger transportation volumes, aging of main assets, lack of investments for their renovation. The purpose of the paper is the development of optimal management structure of freight cars in conditions of railway transport reformation. Methodology. The theoretical and methodological basis for research is a systematic analysis of problems of providing the competitiveness of the transport industry in the field of freight railway transportations, theoretical principles of economics in the production efficiency, market economics transformation and management of the national economy. Findings. The author has developed an improved mechanism for freight traffic management, which differs from the existing one by its adaptation to the conditions of industry being reformed and the organization of management companies. These companies together with the Ukrainian transport and logistics center centralize management of all freight cars of both domestic and foreign operating companies. Originality. Author presents the theoretical generalization and new solution of the scientific problem. It appears in the development of theoretical and methodological approaches to the management structure of the freight cars by operating companies in conditions of railway transport reforming through the management companies organization in Ukraine. The above mentioned companies will combine two types of activity – the commercial one and the cars repair of different property, it will reduce car turnover, stay time of rolling stock in the inoperative park and thereby improve the efficiency of freight transportations. Particularly, they will lease and have the right to dispose universal cars of domestic

Rail vehicle dynamics

CERN Document Server

Knothe, Klaus

2017-01-01

This book on the dynamics of rail vehicles is developed from the manuscripts for a class with the same name at TU Berlin. It is directed mainly to master students with pre-knowledge in mathematics and mechanics and engineers that want to learn more. The important phenomena of the running behaviour of rail vehicles are derived and explained. Also recent research results and experience from the operation of rail vehicles are included. One focus is the description of the complex wheel-rail contact phenomena that are essential to understand the concept of running stability and curving. A reader should in the end be able to understand the background of simulation tools that are used by the railway industry and universities today.

Návrh Rail-to-Rail proudového konvejoru v technologii CMOS

OpenAIRE

Hudzik, Martin

2016-01-01

Diplomová práca sa zaoberá návrhom rail-to-rail prúdového konvejora druhej generácie v technológii CMOS. Opisuje princípy funkcie jednotlivých generácii prúdových konvejorov a taktiež základný princíp návrhu prúdového konvejora druhej generácie založeného na operačnom zosilňovači. Venuje sa obvodovému riešeniu vstupného rail-to-rail stupňa a koncového stupňa v triede AB. Cieľom tejto práce je navrhnúť, charakterizovať vlastnosti a vytvoriť topológiu prúdového konvejora druhej generácie s rail...

Webtechnology and internet services at power rail systems of German Railway DB AG; Nutzung von Webtechnologien und Internet-Diensten bei der Energieversorgung der Deutschen Bahn

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walther, J.T. [DB Energie, Frankfurt am Main (Germany)

2007-07-01

Internet services and the technologies of the World Wide Web are used at power rail systems of German Railway in some processes. Important applications are systems support, service and parametering of substation control- and protection equipment and the monitoring of switches and power transformers. The performance of the security claims of the asset management and the IT-Department are a condition for implementation these technologies. (orig.)

Cost characteristics of tilt-rotor, conventional air and high speed rail short-haul intercity passenger service

Science.gov (United States)

Schoendorfer, David L.; Morlok, Edward K.

1985-01-01

The cost analysis done to support an assessment of the potential for a small tilt-rotor aircraft to operate in short-haul intercity passenger service is described in detail. Anticipated costs of tilt-rotor air service were compared to the costs of two alternatives: conventional air and high speed rail (HSR). Costs were developed for corridor service, varying key market characteristics including distance, passenger volumes, and minimum frequency standards. The resulting cost vs output information can then be used to compare modal costs for essentially identical service quality and passenger volume or for different service levels and volumes for each mode, as appropriate. Extensive sensitivity analyses are performed. The cost-output features of these technologies are compared. Tilt-rotor is very attractive compared to HSR in terms of costs over the entire range of volume. It also has costs not dramatically different from conventional air, but tilt-rotor costs are generally higher. Thus some of its other advantages, such as the VTOL capability, must offset the cost disadvantage for it to be a preferred or competitive mode in any given market. These issues are addressed in the companion report which considers strategies for tilt-rotor development in commercial air service.

Design of Low Voltage Low Power CMOS OP-AMPS with Rail-to-Rail Input/Output Swing

OpenAIRE

Gopalaiah, SV; Shivaprasad, AP; Panigrahi, Sukanta K

2004-01-01

A novel input and output biasing circuit to extend the input common mode (CM) voltage range and the output swing to rail-to-rail in a low voltage op-amp in standard CMOS technology is presented. The input biasing circuit uses a Switched Capacitor Based Attenuator (SCBA) approach to establish rail-to-rail common mode input voltage range. And the output biasing circuit uses an Output Driver (OD), with floating bias to give the rail-to-rail swing at output stage. Three different OD schemes in op...

Basic freight forwarding and transport
 documentation in freight forwarder’s work

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adam Salomon

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the article is to present the basic documentation in international freight forwarder’s work, in particular, insurance documents and transport documents in various modes of transport. An additional goal is to identify sources of the paper, which can be used to properly completing the individual documents.

Environmentally sustainable transport in the CEI countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thaler, R.; Wiederkehr, P.

2004-01-01

Moving people and freight in an environmentally sustainable manner that reduces environmental pollution and health hazards is a key challenge for transport and environment policies in Europe. Present mobility patterns of passenger and freight transport in Central and Eastern Europe do not correspond to the objectives of sustainable development. This paper presents the results of a transport futures study for the CEI region as a whole using backcasting methodology with long-term sustainability criteria to be met by 2030. Achieving environmentally sustainable transport (EST) doesn't mean less transport and mobility than we have today, but it means primarily maintaining a balanced modal split that results in less environmental and health impacts than it would be under projected future trends. Rail, trams, busses and new forms of flexible inter-modal public transport mobility would have to take a large share and rail transport for passenger and freight as well as inland shipping would have to be nearly doubled by 2030 while road freight could still increase if it is based on alternative fuels reducing its impacts. Technological advancements for passenger cars and lorries, fuels and infrastructure will play an important part to achieve EST, but also ''smart'' mobility management (e.g. transport avoidance, increasing load factors and modal shift), innovative mobility services and freight logistics would be critical. The implementation of these policies and strategies will require coherent and comprehensive packages of instruments and measures, including: economic instruments, regulatory instruments, changes in infrastructure investment, mobility management, information and education programmes as well as better integration of land use, transport and environment policies. Realising EST will provide new opportunities for businesses to develop and invest in innovative solutions for passenger and freight transport. Overall, achieving EST would constitute a net benefit for

Study on Rail Profile Optimization Based on the Nonlinear Relationship between Profile and Wear Rate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianxi Wang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a rail profile optimization method that takes account of wear rate within design cycle so as to minimize rail wear at the curve in heavy haul railway and extend the service life of rail. Taking rail wear rate as the object function, the vertical coordinate of rail profile at range optimization as independent variable, and the geometric characteristics and grinding depth of rail profile as constraint conditions, the support vector machine regression theory was used to fit the nonlinear relationship between rail profile and its wear rate. Then, the profile optimization model was built. Based on the optimization principle of genetic algorithm, the profile optimization model was solved to achieve the optimal rail profile. A multibody dynamics model was used to check the dynamic performance of carriage running on optimal rail profile. The result showed that the average relative error of support vector machine regression model remained less than 10% after a number of training processes. The dynamic performance of carriage running on optimized rail profile met the requirements on safety index and stability. The wear rate of optimized profile was lower than that of standard profile by 5.8%; the allowable carrying gross weight increased by 12.7%.

Railway investigation report : derailment : Canadian National freight train M30351-03 mile 49.4, Edson Subdivision, Wabamun, Alberta, 03 August 2005

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

This railway investigation report described an incident in which 43 cars of a Canadian National (CN) freight train derailed near Wabamun, Alberta. The cars contained pole treating oil, toluene, and 700,000 litres of Bunker C heavy oil fuel oil. The accident caused extensive environmental and biological damage to the area, and approximately 20 people were evacuated. This report provided factual information concerning the accident, including details of the railway track and the defect that led to the derailment, as well as details of the CN incident response and remediation process and responses from Alberta Environment. An analysis of the incident examined fatigue limits, defect tracking, and emergency response systems. The report then concluded by examining safety actions taken to ensure improved rail testing, track inspection and maintenance practices. 57 refs., 3 tab., 3 fig

The railroad perspective: Issues behind the issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furber, C.P.; Brobst, W.A.

1986-01-01

Rail transportation is a vital segment of DOE's spent fuel program. Most of the shipments from reactors to a repository or to a Monitored Retrievable Storage facility will be by rail, and essentially all of the shipments from an MRS to a repository. Casks must move economically and efficiently, while at the same time providing adequate safety to the public and transport workers, and meeting the legal/institutional constraints. Shippers are faced with the problem of procuring transportation services in a safe manner at a reasonable cost, trying to balance freight charges against cask inventory costs. Carriers are cautious about accepting potentially high hazard materials in routine service, and are worried about uninsured losses in case of accidents. Both shippers and carriers operate under different scheduling and operational criteria. Technical and institutional constraints add to the complexity of the operation. Standardization of shipping casks and rail car design will ease the resolution of the complex problems now existent. This paper discusses the economic, safety, operational, and legal issues surrounding rail transportation

Development of a Freight Demand Model with an Application to California

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert Lim

2014-03-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the disaggregation of the Federal Highway Administration's Freight Analysis Framework (FAF database (version 3.0 on freight origin-destination data and the development of linear regression equations to describe the relationships between commodity-based freight trip productions/attractions to specific economic variables. Instead of generating a production/attraction equation for each commodity, commodities are grouped in certain ways to simplify model development and application. We consider three grouping methods and two model selection criteria (with and without intercepts, which are compared in terms of goodness of fit with two data sets (FAF versions 2.0 and 3.0. Furthermore, the freight generation models are validated using county-level economic data in California and applied to predict year 2015 commodity outputs. The results of this study can help city, county, metropolitan and state level planning agencies develop their own customized freight demand generation models without performing costly large-scale surveys.

Uncovering Document Fraud in Maritime Freight Transport Based on Probabilistic Classification

OpenAIRE

Triepels , Ron; Feelders , Ad; Daniels , Hennie

2015-01-01

Part 4: Data Analysis and Information Retrieval; International audience; Deficient visibility in global supply chains causes significant risks for the customs brokerage practices of freight forwarders. One of the risks that freight forwarders face is that shipping documentation might contain document fraud and is used to declare a shipment. Traditional risk controls are ineffective in this regard since the creation of shipping documentation is uncontrollable by freight forwarders. In this pap...

Simply rails 2 the ultimate beginner's guide to Ruby on rails

CERN Document Server

Lenz, Patrick

2008-01-01

Want to learn all about Ruby on Rails 2.0, the web application framework that is inspiring developers around the world? The second edition of this practical, hands on book will: show you how to install Ruby on Rails on Windows, Mac, or Linux walk you, step by step, through the development of a Web 2.0 social news application, just like digg.com show you how to test, debug, benchmark, and deploy your Rails application Unlike other Rails books, this book doesn't assume that you are an experienced web developer, or that you've used Ruby before. An entire chapter is devoted to learning Ruby in a fun way, using the interactive Ruby console, so you can follow along at home. You'll be an accomplished Ruby programmer in no time! The example application that the book builds - a user-generated news web site - is built upon with each following chapter, and concepts such as sessions, cookies and basic AJAX usage are gradually introduced. Different aspects of Rails, such as user authentication, session cookies, and automa...

Freight distribution problems in congested urban areas : fast and effective solution procedures to time-dependent vehicle routing problems

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Congestion is a common phenomenon in all medium to large cities of the world. Reliability of freight movement in urban areas is an important : issue to manufacturing or service companies whose operation is based in just-in-time approaches. These comp...

Head first rails a learner's companion to ruby on rails

CERN Document Server

Griffiths, David

2009-01-01

Ready to transport your web applications into the Web 2.0 era? Head First Rails takes your programming -- and productivity -- to the max. You'll learn everything from the fundamentals of Rails scaffolding to building customized interactive web apps using Rails' rich set of tools and the MVC framework. By the time you're finished, you'll have learned more than just another web framework. You'll master database interactions, integration with Ajax and XML, rich content, and even dynamic graphing of your data -- all in a fraction of the time it takes to build the same apps with Java, PHP, ASP.NE

Feasibility study for the introduction of synchromodal freight transportation concept

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Agbo, Aaron Agbenyegah; Li, Wenfeng; Atombo, Charles; Lodewijks, G.; Zheng, Lanbo

2017-01-01

The current weaknesses of the conventional intermodal freight transportation system have led to the development of the synchromodal freight transportation concept introduced and piloted in the Netherlands. The innovative concept has the advantage of adding flexibility, cost reduction, and

Improvements in BTS estimation of ton-miles

Science.gov (United States)

2004-08-01

Ton-miles (one ton of freight shipped one mile) is the primary physical measure of freight transportation output. This paper describes improved measurements of ton-miles for air, truck, rail, water, and pipeline modes. Each modal measure contains a d...

A survey of wheel-rail contact models for rail vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Meymand, Sajjad Z.; Keylin, Alexander; Ahmadian, Mehdi

2016-03-01

Accurate and efficient contact models for wheel-rail interaction are essential for the study of the dynamic behaviour of a railway vehicle. Assessment of the contact forces and moments, as well as contact geometry provide a fundamental foundation for such tasks as design of braking and traction control systems, prediction of wheel and rail wear, and evaluation of ride safety and comfort. This paper discusses the evolution and the current state of the theories for solving the wheel-rail contact problem for rolling stock. The well-known theories for modelling both normal contact (Hertzian and non-Hertzian) and tangential contact (Kalker's linear theory, FASTSIM, CONTACT, Polach's theory, etc.) are reviewed. The paper discusses the simplifying assumptions for developing these models and compares their functionality. The experimental studies for evaluation of contact models are also reviewed. This paper concludes with discussing open areas in contact mechanics that require further research for developing better models to represent the wheel-rail interaction.

75 FR 55631 - U. S. Rail Corporation-Construction and Operation Exemption-Brookhaven Rail Terminal

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-13

... the proposed construction is to enable U. S. Rail to serve the BRT as a common carrier and to deliver... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35141] U. S. Rail Corporation--Construction and Operation Exemption-- Brookhaven Rail Terminal AGENCY: Surface Transportation...

Passenger and freight transport perspectives for 2035. Background report for transport policy discussion; Henkiloe- ja tavaraliikenteen kehityskuva 2035. Taustaraportti liikennepoliittiseen keskusteluun

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luukkonen, T.; Maekelae, T.; Pollanen, M.; Kalenoja, H.; Mantynen, J.; Rantala, J.

2012-07-01

transport: which type of goods will be transported where. It is difficult to forecast the future development of the global economy and the Finnish economy which are strongly connected. Rail freight transport depends mostly on the development of a few sectors and the transports between Finland and Russia, while the demand for road freight transport is broad and not as susceptible to rapid sector-related changes. In the case of sea transport, emphasis, in addition to industrial production, is on the development of the Baltic Sea region. Changes in the supply and costs of transport are mirrored in the use of different transport modes, although the transition potential between different modes of transport is limited. Looking ahead, the future of the transport system should be examined as an entity, as a system, not individually in different transport modes or administrative sectors. The starting point for producing forecasts for different transport modes should be the mutual operating environment, allowing comparing the forecasts. (orig.)

Performance criteria for EM rail launchers with solid or transition armatures and laminated rails

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

James, T.E.

1991-01-01

Velocity limitations of EM Rail Launchers with solid armatures due to the velocity skin-effect are assessed for a range of homogeneous materials (copper, aluminium, molybdenum and tungsten). Performance criteria as limited by armature melting in the region adjacent to the rail/armature contact surface and by rail surface melting are deduced analytically based on defined electro-thermal reference conditions. The performance criteria predict the reference transition velocity at which the solid contact surface changes to mainly a melted contact surface which is shown to be a fundamental property of the materials. The paper shows that the critical factors in obtaining a high transition velocity are a relatively high resistivity armature material combined with high temperature rail surface coatings. For example a transition velocity of >2.0 km/s for a molybdenum armature and a tungsten rail surface coating on a copper rail are predicted compared with <0.5 km/s for the aluminium/copper combination frequently used

Rail-induced Traffic in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nan He

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The rapid development of China’s railway has exerted an enormous influence on the intercity passenger transport structure in recent years. However, it has not satisfied the passengers’ travel demand due to induced traffic. This paper is committed to solving such issue, with the aim of satisfying the current travel demand, and of anticipating the demand of the predicted traffic growth over the next 20 to 30 years. The paper has considered the increase in rail passenger kilometres caused by the growth of rail kilometres as rail-induced traffic. Based on the concept and former research of induced traffic, the panel data of 26 provinces and 3 municipalities of China between the year 2000 and 2014 were collected, and the elasticity models (including elasticity-based model, distributed lag model, high-speed rail (HSR elasticity model and rail efficiency model have been constructed. The results show the importance of model formation incorporation of rail-induced traffic. It is better to get the correct value in divided zones with different train frequencies or incorporation rail efficiency in cities or provinces. The lag time and rail types also need to be considered. In summary, the results analysis not only confirms the existence of rail-induced traffic, but also provides substantial recommendations to train operation planning.

Railway and road discrete choice model for foreign trade freight between Antioquia and the Port of Cartagena

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. D. Pineda-Jaramillo

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Most Colombian freight is transported on roads with barely acceptable conditions, and although there is a speculation about the need for a railway for freight transportation, there is not a study in Colombia showing the variables that influence the modal choice by the companies that generate freight transportation. This article presents the calculation of demand for a hypothetical railway through a discrete choice model. It begins with a qualitative research through focus group techniques to identify the variables that influence the choice of persons responsible for the transportation of large commercial companies in Antioquia (Colombia. The influential variables in the election were the cost and service frequency, and these variables were used to apply a Stated Preference (SP and Revealed Preference (RP survey, then to calibrate a Multinomial Logit Model (MNL, and to estimate the influence of each of them. We show that the probability of railway choice by the studied companies varies between 67% and 93%, depending on differences in these variables.

76 FR 63581 - Certainty of Terms of Service Contracts and NVOCC Service Arrangements

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-13

... Terms of Service Contracts and NVOCC Service Arrangements AGENCY: Federal Maritime Commission. ACTION... regarding certainty of terms of service contracts and non-vessel- operating common carrier service... flexibility if they decide to use long-term contracts that adjust based on a freight rate index that reflects...

Measuring the economic contribution of the freight industry to the Maryland economy : [research summary].

Science.gov (United States)

2015-05-01

The primary objective was to measure the economic contributions of the freight : industry to the Maryland economy and to develop a freight economic output (FECO) : index that tracks the economic performance of the freight industry over time.

46 CFR 169.329 - Storm rails.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Storm rails. 169.329 Section 169.329 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) NAUTICAL SCHOOLS SAILING SCHOOL VESSELS Construction and Arrangement Rails and Guards § 169.329 Storm rails. Suitable storm rails or hand grabs must be...

Goods movement study in Illinois : application to freight transportation and logistics.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-01

This report details the results generated by a recently completed nationwide online freight establishment study. : The survey was assembled with the intention of allowing the formulation or enhancement of new or existing : freight-demand microsimulat...

Integrated Optimization of Service-Oriented Train Plan and Schedule on Intercity Rail Network with Varying Demand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenliang Zhou

2015-01-01

Full Text Available For a better service level of a train operating plan, we propose an integrated optimization method of train planning and train scheduling, which generally are optimized, respectively. Based on the cost analysis of both passengers travelling and enterprises operation, and the constraint analysis of trains operation, we construct a multiobjective function and build an integrated optimization model with the aim of reducing both passenger travel costs and enterprise operating costs. Then, a solving algorithm is established based on the simulated annealing algorithm. Finally, using as an example the Changzhutan intercity rail network, as an example we analyze the optimized results and the influence of the model parameters on the results.

Review on Selection and Suitability of Rail Transit Station Design Pertaining to Public Safety

Science.gov (United States)

Akabal, Farah Mohd; Masirin, Mohd Idrus Haji Mohd; Abidin Akasah, Zainal; Rohani, Munzilah Md

2017-08-01

Railway has emerged as a fast, convenient, safe, clean, and low-cost alternative to air and road transportation. Many countries have invested in rail transportation. In America, Europe and Asia, large investments are planned for rail transportation. This is because congestion problems can be reduced with the introduction of rail transportation. Rail transportation involves several components which are important to ensure the smooth and safe delivery of services such as locomotives, rail stations and railway tracks. Rail transit stations are places where trains stop to pick-up and drop-off passengers. Stations are vital for many to enable them to engage in work and social commitments. This paper focuses only on the rail transit station as it is one of the important components in rail transportation. It is also considered as a key public meeting place and space for interactions in a community. The role of rail transit station and the requirements of a good rail transit station are also described in this paper. Steps in selecting the location of rail transit station include the function and facilities in rail transit station are discussed with reference to best practices and handbooks. Selection of the appropriate rail transit station locations may help users indirectly. In addition, this paper will also elucidate on the design considerations for an efficient and effective rail transit station. Design selections for the rail transit station must be balanced between aesthetic value and functional efficiency. The right design selection may help conserve energy, assure and facilitate consumers even thought a rail transit station plays a smaller role in attracting consumers compared to a shopping complex or a residential building. This will contribute towards better and greener building for a green transportation facility. Thus, with this paper it is expected to assist the relevant authority to identify important elements in the selection and determination of suitable

Electronic Freight Management (EFM) Governance

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-01

The Electronic Freight Management (EFM) initiative is a USDOT-sponsored project that applies web technologies to improve data and message transmissions between supply chain partners. This report describes a new EFM Governance Model and the necessary ...

Road freight and the environment

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Makamo, N

2015-07-01

Full Text Available freight transport are categorised as direct or secondary impacts. Externalities are an economic concept that refers to activities that have unintended consequences, positive or negative consequences. This review considers the different environmental links...

46 CFR 177.920 - Storm rails.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Storm rails. 177.920 Section 177.920 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) SMALL PASSENGER VESSELS (UNDER 100 GROSS TONS) CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT Rails and Guards § 177.920 Storm rails. Suitable storm rails or hand grabs must be...

46 CFR 127.320 - Storm rails.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Storm rails. 127.320 Section 127.320 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) OFFSHORE SUPPLY VESSELS CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENTS Rails and Guards § 127.320 Storm rails. Suitable storm rails must be installed in each passageway and at...

Rail abandonments in the South and their effect on NWPA rail shipments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-02-01

The railroad industry will have a very critical role in the eventual shipping of commercial spent fuel and defense high-level waste as provided under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 and the 1987 amendments. The transport of spent fuel is expected to be accomplished by rail from 19 of the South's 27 reactor sites to the proposed Yucca Mountain repository or possible monitored retrievable storage facility. The decline in total track availability, however, could significantly impact the federal government's transportation program. Particularly the situation of continuing abandonments may limit rail opportunities at numerous reactor locations. Commercial nuclear reactor sites have the unfortunate problem of not being located on Class I railroad mainline tracks. The reactor sites are generally located in areas with limited rail traffic and thus vulnerable to rail abandonment procedures. The general deregulation of the railroad industry under the Staggers Act of 1980 also assisted in making rail abandonment, through the Interstate Commerce Commission, a rather simple and quick process. The effects of deregulation, however, have provided alternatives to abandonment. In particular, the Staggers Act has led to an enormous surge in the growth of short line and regional railroads. Such railroads have been able to effectively operate rail lines which Class I railroads found unprofitable. The short lines and regionals were also encouraged to competitively negotiate contracts directly with shippers. While these railroads may help reduce the number of abandonment applications, they may also represent higher shipping costs. The South has experienced a great number of abandonments since the 1960's. Many of the abandonments have been significant in length and have affected areas near nuclear plants expected to ship by rail

76 FR 31679 - Saratoga and North Creek Railway, LLC-Operation Exemption-Warren County, NY

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-01

... that it is negotiating the terms of an agreement with the County to restore common carrier rail freight... operate approximately 39.07 miles of rail line owned by Warren County, NY (the County), a noncarrier... Class III rail carrier and a subsidiary of Permian Basin Railways, Inc., which in turn is owned by Iowa...

46 CFR 108.221 - Storm rails.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Storm rails. 108.221 Section 108.221 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) A-MOBILE OFFSHORE DRILLING UNITS DESIGN AND EQUIPMENT Construction and Arrangement Rails § 108.221 Storm rails. Each unit must have a storm rail in the following...

Urban distribution centers : a means to reducing freight vehicle miles traveled.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-01

The present study examines the model of freight consolidation platforms, and urban distribution centers (UDCs) in particular, as a means to solve the last mile problem of urban freight while reducing vehicle miles traveled and associated environmenta...

Grade Crossing Protection in High-Speed, High-Density, Passenger-Service Rail Corridors

Science.gov (United States)

1973-01-01

The report is a preliminary examination of special aspects of grade crossing protection for operation of high-speed passenger trains in rail corridors for which complete grade separation is not possible. Overall system needs and constraints are indic...

Price Analysis of Railway Freight Transport under Marketing Mechanism

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Ying; Fang, Xiaoping; Chen, Zhiya

Regarding the problems in the reform of the railway tariff system and the pricing of the transport, by means of assaying the influence of the price elasticity on the artifice used for price, this article proposed multiple regressive model which analyzed price elasticity quantitatively. This model conclude multi-factors which influences on the price elasticity, such as the averagely railway freight charge, the averagely freight haulage of proximate supersede transportation mode, the GDP per capita in the point of origin, and a series of dummy variable which can reflect the features of some productive and consume demesne. It can calculate the price elasticity of different classes in different domains, and predict the freight traffic volume on different rate levels. It can calculate confidence-level, and evaluate the relevance of each parameter to get rid of irrelevant or little relevant variables. It supplied a good theoretical basis for directing the pricing of transport enterprises in market economic conditions, which is suitable for railway freight, passenger traffic and other transportation manner as well. SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Science) software was used to calculate and analysis the example. This article realized the calculation by HYFX system(Ministry of Railways fund).

WHAT WAY DETERMINE THE CORRECT ALLOCATION AND LAYOUT FOR THE NEEDS OF PARKING FREIGHT DESIGN IN CONCRETE REGION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Straka

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In terms of building a network parking strategies for freight transport may be considered two variants: a building (completing car parks on abandoned of border crossings, respectively building a whole new network of parks. Creating a network of parks for freight is in the interest of the Slovak Republic as well as the European Union. The subsequent optimization is dependent on the quality of road infrastructure and the traffic intensity in the monitored sections. It is therefore important selection of suitable candidates, administrators and their subsequent assessment of the appropriateness and services provided in selected locations. Identification of parking in the SR enables to choose the effective solution for intelligent networking and secure parking.

49 CFR 214.523 - Hi-rail vehicles.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Hi-rail vehicles. 214.523 Section 214.523..., DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD WORKPLACE SAFETY On-Track Roadway Maintenance Machines and Hi-Rail Vehicles § 214.523 Hi-rail vehicles. (a) The hi-rail gear of all hi-rail vehicles shall be inspected for...

Improving freight crash incident management.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-06-01

The objective of this study was to determine the most effective way to mitigate the effect of freight : crash incidents on Louisiana freeways. Candidate incident management strategies were reviewed from : practice in other states and from those publi...

Rail-to-rail low-power fully differential OTA utilizing adaptive biasing and partial feedback

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tuan Vu, Cao; Wisland, Dag T.; Lande, Tor Sverre

A fully differential rail-to-rail Operational Transconductance Amplifier (OTA) with improved DC-gain and reduced power consumption is proposed in this paper. By using the adaptive biasing circuit and two differential inputs, a low stand-by current can be obtained together with reduced power...... consumption. The DC-gain of the proposed OTA is improved by adding a partial feedback loop. A Common-Mode Feedback (CMFB) circuit is required for fully differential rail-to-rail operation. Simulations show that the OTA topology has a low stand-by power consumption of 96μW and a high FoM of 3.84 [(V...

THE BAINITIC STEELS FOR RAILS APPLICATIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivo Hlavatý

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Actual trends of worldwide railway transport development are characterized by increasing speed and growth of railway’s axels load. Increasing load together with transverse, longitudinal wheel displacement and braking on the rails results into heavy surface tension. One of many applications for bainitic steel is in railway transport for highly strength and wear resistant rails. Rail steel must be designed to be able to resist plastic deformation, wear, rolling contact fatigue, bending stress and thermal stress during rail welding process and rails resurfacing.

49 CFR 231.31 - Drawbars for freight cars; standard height.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Drawbars for freight cars; standard height. 231.31... cars; standard height. (a) Except on cars specified in paragraph (b) of this section— (1) On standard gage (561/2-inch gage) railroads, the maximum height of drawbars for freight cars (measured...

The influence of service planning decisions on rail transit success or failure.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-06-01

Some United States metropolitan areas with rail transit systems enjoy ridership and productivity success while : others do not. This study examines the experiences of 11 U.S. metropolitan areas with between onr million and : five million persons to b...

Sustainable practices in urban freight distribution in Bilbao

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Esther Alvarez

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The objective of the present study is to select some feasible and sustainable logistic practices in order to improve the urban freight distribution in Bilbao city. Design/methodology/approach: After a thorough literature review and a benchmarking, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP techniques were used in order to support the decision making processes in order to select the most interesting practices. The criteria used for this selection were based on four factors: (1 improvement of the city freight distribution, (2 implementation possibility, (3 short and medium term applicability and (4 impact on the citizens of Bilbao. Findings: The paper identifies some specific problems that must be faced during the last stage of the logistics chain, where products are usually delivered to final customers in the urban environment. Research limitations/implications: Not all good urban freight distribution practices can be applied universally to all types of towns. Therefore, it is necessary to design some practices specifically to each particular city according to the physical characteristics of the city, the companies’ motivation and the citizens’ habits. Practical implications: All the agents involved in the city freight distribution should be aware of the benefits and problems that their actions cause. Originality/value: This study was carried out from a wide perspective that included researchers, logistics operators and local authorities.

Freight performance measures : approach analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-01

This report reviews the existing state of the art and also the state of the practice of freight performance measurement. Most performance measures at the state level have aimed at evaluating highway or transit infrastructure performance with an empha...

Corrosion prevention of the rail by thermal spray coating of Zn-Al alloy; Zn-Al gokin yosha hifuku ni yoru reru no boshoku

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mizoguchi, S. [Nippon Steel Corp., Kitakyushu (Japan)] Urashima, C. [Kyushu Techno Research Corp., Fukuoka (Japan); Itai, K. [Nippon Steel Corp., Kitakyushu, Fukuoka (Japan). Technical Research Inst. of Yawata Works; Ichiriki, T.; Nishiki, M. [Kyushu Rail way comdany, Fukuoka (Japan)

1997-03-30

Replacement of the rail in under-sea tunnel such as the Kammon Tunnel is carried out very five years because of the severe corrosion caused by the humid state due to the leakage of sea water or the mist of sea water swept up by the passing trains. In this study, salt water spraying or sea water spraying test is carried out using Zn-Al alloy with the corrosion resistance and thermal spray efficiency even higher than those of Zn or Al. A rail coated by thermal spray of Zn-15mass%Al alloy has been laid by trial in the practical rail road of Kammon Tunnel for 5 years and 3 months, the deterioration degree of the coating, pitting depth, actual fatigue strength, etc. are evaluated. Further, these factors of a rail re-coated by Zincrich Primer+Tar Epoxy and a bare rail laid at the same time are evaluated for comparison. It is presumed by the results of the examination about the service life of a rail coated by the thermal spray of Zn-Al alloy based on the pitting depth in the rail base that the service life of such coated rail is more than twice as that of the bare rails used currently. 5 refs., 14 figs., 3 tabs.

Chicago to Iowa City intercity passenger rail route : business plan.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-21

This business plan describes the methods by which the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT will partner with Iowa counties and cities to fund Iowas share of the operating and maintenance cost for the Chicago-Iowa City passenger-rail service, an ...

Long Term Land Use Effects of New Rail Investment: Lessons from San Diego

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David A. King

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In recent decades, U.S. cities have invested in rail transit for reasons beyond supplying alternatives to driving. Increasingly, rail investments are specifically promoted to reshape the built environment for property-led economic development. In these cases, new investment in rail transit is claimed to facilitate particular types of land use changes, mostly in the form of dense multi-family residential and mixed-use developments. Although rail’s effects on land use are widely claimed, scholarly evaluations offer mixed results. This paper examines two potential reasons for these mixed results. First, as most empirical examinations tend to be conducted shortly after new transit investment opens analysis is often criticized on the basis that short time frames may not allow land use changes to materialize. The second is that rail investment often includes changes to local zoning and land use regulations, creating opportunities for types of development that were previously outlawed. This paper evaluates these two critiques through an analysis of long-term land use effects associated with new rail transit service in San Diego, California. The results suggest that even after three decades of development cycles, rail transit has not led to consistent regulatory patterns of increased density or new mixed-use development.

A REVIEW OF HIGH-SPEED RAIL PLAN IN JAVA ISLAND: A COMPARISON WITH EXISTING MODES OF TRANSPORT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eko Hartono

2013-05-01

It can be concluded that journey time and fare of the high-speed rail is very competitive to the air transport in Jakarta-Surabaya corridor. The journey time to travel from Jakarta to Surabaya is 4 hours and 19 minutes by high-speed train and 4 hours and 40 minutes by air. Based on the benchmarking analysis, the suitable fare for the high-speed rail should be 70% of the air transport. This study predicted that 61% of air passenger, 18% of conventional rail passenger and 12% of bus passenger will switch to the high-speed rail service in 2020. In total, the high-speed rail will have 24% of market share for the passenger transport and becomes the second largest market share after road transport (52%. The conventional rail and air transport have 14% and 9% of total market share to travel from Jakarta to Surabaya and vice versa. The high-speed rail development reduces carbon emissions caused by transportation systems in Java Island. It has been calculated that there are 2.542 million tonnages of CO2 per annum without introducing high-speed rail, however, the CO2 emissions decrease to 1.694 million tonnages per annum if the high-speed rail is developed in Java Island. Generalized cost of the high-speed rail is higher than road and conventional rail. However, it is lower than air transport. Keywords: Java high-speed rail, HSR Comparison, modal share, journey time

Determination of rail wear and short-time wear measurements of rails applying radioisotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grohmann, H.D.

1981-01-01

An energetic model has been developed for calculating rail wear. Short-time wear tests on rails after surface activation and following activity measurements showed a good agreement with the calculated values

Crew Scheduling Considering both Crew Duty Time Difference and Cost on Urban Rail System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenliang Zhou

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Urban rail crew scheduling problem is to allocate train services to crews based on a given train timetable while satisfying all the operational and contractual requirements. In this paper, we present a new mathematical programming model with the aim of minimizing both the related costs of crew duty and the variance of duty time spreads. In addition to iincorporating the commonly encountered crew scheduling constraints, it also takes into consideration the constraint of arranging crews having a meal in the specific meal period of one day rather than after a minimum continual service time. The proposed model is solved by an ant colony algorithm which is built based on the construction of ant travel network and the design of ant travel path choosing strategy. The performances of the model and the algorithm are evaluated by conducting case study on Changsha urban rail. The results indicate that the proposed method can obtain a satisfactory crew schedule for urban rails with a relatively small computational time.

Fast rail corrugation detection based on texture filtering

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Jie; Lu, Kaixia

2018-02-01

The condition detection of rails in high-speed railway is one of the important means to ensure the safety of railway transportation. In order to replace the traditional manual inspection, save manpower and material resources, and improve the detection speed and accuracy, it is of great significance to develop a machine vision system for locating and identifying defects on rails automatically. Rail defects exhibit different properties and are divided into various categories related to the type and position of flaws on the rail. Several kinds of interrelated factors cause rail defects such as type of rail, construction conditions, and speed and/or frequency of trains using the rail. Rail corrugation is a particular kind of defects that produce an undulatory deformation on the rail heads. In high speed train, the corrugation induces harmful vibrations on wheels and its components and reduces the lifetime of rails. This type of defects should be detected to avoid rail fractures. In this paper, a novel method for fast rail corrugation detection based on texture filtering was proposed.

Active current management for four-rail railguns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beno, J.H.; Weldon, W.F.

1991-01-01

In this paper a system of auxiliary conductors designed to reduce current density peaks in railgun rails for four-rail, round-bore railguns is described. The effects on rail current density and projectile force are discussed. Railgun cross-sectional designs are presented for round-bore, four-rail railguns which operate at lower peak current densities and develop greater projectile forces than conventional two-rail, round-bore railguns

Future of energy efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions of Finnish road freight transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liimatainen, H.

2013-05-15

The targets to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions to mitigate climate change are as much applicable to the road freight transport sector as they are to all other sectors of society. The aim of this research is to support the initiatives of the Finnish government for improving the energy efficiency and reducing the CO{sub 2} emissions of road freight transport. This is done by forecasting the future development and giving the policy makers guidance on effective measures for promoting road freight energy efficiency and CO{sub 2} reduction. In the study a new method was introduced for connecting the fuel consumption data and goods transport data gathered from the official Finnish road statistics. This method enabled a detailed analysis of the interrelations between the economy, road freight transport, energy consumption and emissions. This analysis was conducted for the years 1995-2010 and the results were used as background information in the Delphi panel of experts. The experts estimated the development of the Finnish road freight sector to the year 2030. Furthermore, a web-based survey was conducted among Finnish road freight hauliers and shippers in order to explore the attitudes and measures related to the energy efficiency. Expert panel workshops were also organised to identify obstacles for the development of the energy efficiency of road freight transport as well as a wide selection of measures to overcome them. The results indicate that the economic development of different branches has a great effect on the energy efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions of road freight transport. Reaching the carbon emission target for the year 2030 is possible in the light of the scenarios which were formed based on expert forecasts. However, the target can be achieved with very different development paths, e.g. the structure of the national economy and the volume of transport seem to vary widely in the different scenarios. In the proposed recommendations on the measures

Rail projects gather steam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2010-01-15

The global recession hit rail companies hard, as demand for bulk commodities such as coal was affected. But green shoots of recovery are now appearing, with many rail companies announcing new haulage contracts. 3 figs.

Inbound freight: an untapped resource for saving money.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuehn, Kurt

2007-12-01

With all the responsibilities placed on materials managers, it is not surprising that some processes such as shipping are overlooked when it comes to cutting costs. But by taking a closer look at inbound freight costs, materials managers might discover an untapped resource for saving thousands, and in some cases millions, of dollars. Finding out how costs vary among vendors for shipping the same type of item can eliminate unnecessary freight charges. Initially, the process takes time, but the bottom line will be better for it.

Energy strategies for a sustainable development in India

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reddy, A K.N. [Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute og Science, Bangalore (IN)

1991-07-01

There must be an end-use orientation to energy planning. What is required therefore is a development-focused end-use-oriented service-directed paradigm such as DEFENDUS. The fundamental cause of India's current oil crisis is the country's unchecked appetite for diesel, kerosene and gasoline due to railway freight being de-emphasized, homes not being electrified and personal transportation being preferred. The DEFENDUS strategy for resolving India's oil crisis is implementing efficiency improvements in the use of petroleum products, shifting passenger traffic from personal vehicles to public transportation, shifting freight traffic from road to rail, and replacing oil with alternative non-oil fuels, particularly biomass-derived fuels. The proposed strategy is a massive programme of home electrification. When all homes are electrified, kerosene becomes unnecessary as an illuminant. Once this is done, the subsidy on diesel can be removed and its price can be brought on par with that of gasoline. The increase of diesel prices would create a favourable environment in which supporting policy measures can be adopted. For the railways to exploit the situation and increase their freight haulage, there must be substantial investments in the improvement of the railways' freight operations. These funds can come from the diversion of the implicit subsidies on kerosene and diesel. This strategy of shifting freight from trucks to rail can reduce drastically the diesel demand in the transport sector. The next component of the strategy consists of the provision of high-efficiency cooking fuels and/or devices in rural and urban areas and would make available large amounts of wood provided that all the firewood being used today for cooking can still be collected. This saved fuelwood can be converted into methanol. If diesel fuel in trucks and buses is replaced with methanol, then the only diesel demand from the transport sector will come from the railways. (author).

Uncovering document fraud in maritime freight transport based on probabilistic classification

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Triepels, Ron; Feelders, A. F.; Daniels, Hennie

2015-01-01

Deficient visibility in global supply chains causes significant risks for the customs brokerage practices of freight forwarders. One of the risks that freight forwarders face is that shipping documentation might contain document fraud and is used to declare a shipment. Traditional risk controls are

Uncovering Document Fraud in Maritime Freight Transport Based on Probabilistic Classification

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Triepels, Ron; Feelders, A.J.; Daniels, Hennie

2015-01-01

Deficient visibility in global supply chains causes significant risks for the customs brokerage practices of freight forwarders. One of the risks that freight forwarders face is that shipping documentation might contain document fraud and is used to declare a shipment. Traditional risk controls are

Longitudinal review of state-level accident statistics for carriers of interstate freight

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saricks, C.; Kvitek, T.

1994-03-01

State-level accident rates by mode of freight transport have been developed and refined for application to the US Department of Energy's (DOE's) environmental mitigation program, which may involve large-quantity shipments of hazardous and mixed wastes from DOE facilities. These rates reflect multi-year data for interstate-registered highway earners, American Association of Railroads member carriers, and coastal and internal waterway barge traffic. Adjustments have been made to account for the share of highway combination-truck traffic actually attributable to interstate-registered carriers and for duplicate or otherwise inaccurate entries in the public-use accident data files used. State-to-state variation in rates is discussed, as is the stability of rates over time. Computed highway rates have been verified with actual carriers of high- and low-level nuclear materials, and the most recent truck accident data have been used, to ensure that the results are of the correct order of magnitude. Study conclusions suggest that DOE use the computed rates for the three modes until (1) improved estimation techniques for highway combination-truck miles by state become available; (2) continued evolution of the railroad industry significantly increases the consolidation of interstate rail traffic onto fewer high-capacity trunk lines; or (3) a large-scale off-site waste shipment campaign is imminent

Protecting public health and global freight transportation systems during an influenza pandemic.

Science.gov (United States)

Luke, Thomas C; Rodrigue, Jean-Paul

2008-01-01

The H5N1 influenza threat is resulting in global preparations for the next influenza pandemic. Pandemic influenza planners are prioritizing scarce vaccine, antivirals, and public health support for different segments of society. The freight, bulk goods, and energy transportation network comprise the maritime, rail, air, and trucking industries. It relies on small numbers of specialized workers who cannot be rapidly replaced if lost due to death, illness, or voluntary absenteeism. Because transportation networks link economies, provide critical infrastructures with working material, and supply citizens with necessary commodities, disrupted transportation systems can lead to cascading failures in social and economic systems. However, some pandemic influenza plans have assigned transportation workers a low priority for public health support, vaccine, and antivirals. The science of Transportation Geography demonstrates that transportation networks and workers are concentrated at, or funnel through, a small number of chokepoints and corridors. Chokepoints should be used to rapidly and efficiently vaccinate and prophylax the transportation worker cohort and to implement transmission prevention measures and thereby protect the ability to move goods. Nations, states, the transportation industry and unions, businesses, and other stakeholders must plan, resource, and exercise, and then conduct a transportation health assurance and security campaign for an influenza pandemic.

Rail Access to Yucca Mountain: Critical Issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halstead, R. J.; Dilger, F.; Moore, R. C.

2003-01-01

The proposed Yucca Mountain repository site currently lacks rail access. The nearest mainline railroad is almost 100 miles away. Absence of rail access could result in many thousands of truck shipments of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. Direct rail access to the repository could significantly reduce the number of truck shipments and total shipments. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) identified five potential rail access corridors, ranging in length from 98 miles to 323 miles, in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for Yucca Mountain. The FEIS also considers an alternative to rail spur construction, heavy-haul truck (HHT) delivery of rail casks from one of three potential intermodal transfer stations. The authors examine the feasibility and cost of the five rail corridors, and DOE's alternative proposal for HHT transport. The authors also address the potential for rail shipments through the Las Vegas metropolitan area

The Critical Factors for Korean Freight Forwarders’ Purchasing Negotiation in International Logistics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soo Yong Shin

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The roles of freight forwarders as intermediaries continue to expand and become significant in international logistics. Purchasing negotiation is considered an important business process for freight forwarders and achieving a successful negotiation outcome should help forwarders to manage their business more effectively. This study used the analytical hierarchy process (AHP approach to identify the critical factors for successful purchasing negotiation for freight forwarders in Korea. A three-level AHP structure was constructed to examine the successful purchasing negotiation. The findings indicate that information (specifically quality of information is the most critical factor for a successful negotiation outcome for freight forwarders. This result turned out to be the same as the result found from the literature review. Literature review also indicated information as the most important factor.

Rail base corrosion and cracking prevention

Science.gov (United States)

2014-07-01

Rail base corrosion combined with fatigue or damage can significantly reduce rail life. Studies were done to examine the relative contribution of damage, corrosion, and fatigue on rail life. The combined effects can be separated into constituent fact...

49 CFR 210.9 - Movement of a noise defective locomotive, rail car, or consist of a locomotive and rail cars.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Movement of a noise defective locomotive, rail car, or consist of a locomotive and rail cars. 210.9 Section 210.9 Transportation Other Regulations... locomotive, rail car, or consist of a locomotive and rail cars. A locomotive, rail car, or consist of a...

America's container ports : freight hubs that connect our nation to global markets

Science.gov (United States)

2009-06-01

The U.S. marine transportation system continues to handle large volumes of domestic and international freight in support of the nations economic activities. The demand for freight transportation responds to trends in global economic activity and m...

Ruby on Rails for dummies

CERN Document Server

Burd

2007-01-01

Quickly create Web sites with this poweful tool Use this free and easy programming language for e-commerce sites and blogs If you need to build Web and database applications quickly but you don''t dream in computer code, take heart! Ruby on Rails was created for you, and this book will have you up and running in no time. The Ruby scripting language and the Rails framework let you create full-featured Web applications fast. It''s even fun! Discover how toInstall and run Ruby and RailsUse the RadRails IDECreate a blog with RubyConnect your Web site to a databaseBuild a shopping cartExplore Ruby'

Transportation Services Index

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Transportation — The TSI is a monthly measure of the volume of services performed by the for-hire transportation sector. The index covers the activities of for-hire freight carriers,...

A Current-Mode Common-Mode Feedback Circuit (CMFB) with Rail-to-Rail Operation

Science.gov (United States)

Suadet, Apirak; Kasemsuwan, Varakorn

2011-03-01

This paper presents a current-mode common-mode feedback (CMFB) circuit with rail-to-rail operation. The CMFB is a stand-alone circuit, which can be connected to any low voltage transconductor without changing or upsetting the existing circuit. The proposed CMFB employs current mirrors, operating as common-mode detector and current amplifier to enhance the loop gain of the CMFB. The circuit employs positive feedback to enhance the output impedance and gain. The circuit has been designed using a 0.18 μm CMOS technology under 1V supply and analyzed using HSPICE with BSIM3V3 device models. A pseudo-differential amplifier using two common sources and the proposed CMFB shows rail to rail output swing (± 0.7 V) with low common-mode gain (-36 dB) and power dissipation of 390 μW.

Measuring the economic contribution of the freight industry to the Maryland economy.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-05-01

Economic impacts of freight movement to Marylands economy were estimated by input-output analysis : using the 2010 IMPLAN data. A freight economic output (FECO) index was also developed based on the : historical payroll data and gross domestic pro...

Deformation and lifetime behaviour of cyclic loaded rail and wheel steels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Denne, B.; Lang, K.-H.; Loehe, D. [Karlsruhe Univ. (T.H.) (Germany). Inst. fuer Werkstoffkunde 1

2000-07-01

Corrugation, shelling and squats are some unexpected technical problems caused by increasing service tonnage, increasing load of the rails and increasing train speed at Deutsche Bahn AG lines since the last decades. As the complex phenomena of rolling contact fatigue in the rail / wheel system is difficult to understand extensive investigations have to be done to describe the multiaxial rolling contact fatigue processes and to develop and verify multiaxial fatigue criteria and lifetime predictions. To reach this aim a reliable fatigue data base of the utilised steels is required. To obtain such data, specimens were worked out of rails and wheels used in high speed traffic. With these specimens the lifetime behaviour and the endurance limit were estimated from push-pull tests. For the rail steel stress and total strain controlled fatigue tests were performed. The resulting lifetime behaviour is compared. In the wheel there are several regions with different microstructures due to the heat treatment at the end of the manufacturing process. Specimens were taken from the wheel rim representing these different microstructures. With these specimens stress controlled fatigue tests were performed. The influence of the different microstructures on the deformation and lifetime behaviour is showed. (orig.)

Rail transportation of Fernald remediation waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fellman, R.T.; Lojek, D.A.; Motl, G.P.; Weddendorf, W.K.

1995-01-01

Remediation of the Department of Energy (DOE) Fernald site located north of Cincinnati will generate large quantities of low-level radwaste. This volume includes approximately 1,050,000 tons of material to be removed from eight waste pits comprising Operable Unit 1 (OU-1). The remedial alternative selected includes waste material excavation, drying and transportation by rail to a burial site in the arid west for disposal. Rail transportation was selected not only because rail transportation is safer than truck transportation, but also because of the sheer magnitude of the project and the availability of bulk rail car unloading facilities at a representative disposal site. Based upon current waste quantity estimates as presented in the Feasibility Study for OUI, a fully-loaded 47-car unit train would depart the Fernald site weekly for five years. This paper illustrates the steps taken to obtain agency and public acceptance of the Record of Decision for the remedy which hinged on rail transportation. A preliminary, but detailed, rail transportation plan was prepared for the project to support a series of CERCLA public meetings conducted in late 1994. Some of the major issues addressed in the plan included the following: (1) Scope of project leading to selection of rail transportation; (2) Waste classification; (3) Rail Company overview; (4) Train configuration and rail car selection; (5) Routing; (6) Safety; (7) Prior Notification Requirements (8) Emergency Response. A series of three public meetings identified a number of issues of prime concern to Fernald stakeholders. Following resolution of these issues during the public comment period, a Record of Decision (ROD) approving implementation of the rail transportation strategy was approved pending incorporation of EPA and State of Ohio comments on December 22, 1994

Rail electrodynamics in a plasma armature railgun

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rolader, G.E.; Jamison, K.A.; Villecco, R.A.; Graham, F.R.

1991-01-01

A model is developed to investigate rail electrodynamics in a plasma armature railgun. This model describes the rail motion in response to the transitory Lorentz force and the compressive restoration force from the material which is between the rails and the containment structure. In this model the distance between the rails is found to oscillate with a frequency of β. The magnetic field and the dynamic behavior of the rails induce local electric fields. We investigate the significance of these electric fields in the laboratory frame and in the projectile frame. In the lab frame, rail electrodynamics induces local electric fields which have maximums spaced behind the projectile at locations where βt p is an odd multiple of π, where t p is the time since the projectile has passed an axial location on the rails. When the projectile is accelerating, rail dynamics induce electric fields in the projectile frame which have maximums where βt p is an even multiple of π. As the projectile velocity increases, the locations of the peak voltages move farther behind the projectile. For the CHECMATE railgun, calculations indicate that the rail displacement is on the order of 2 mm, the rail velocity is on the order of 50 m/s, and the voltages induced in the projectile frame are on the order of 20--40 V

A comparative analysis of several vehicle emission models for road freight transportation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Demir, E.; Bektas, T.; Laporte, G.

2011-01-01

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in freight transportation requires using appropriate emission models in the planning process. This paper reviews and numerically compares several available freight transportation vehicle emission models and also considers their outputs in relations to field studies.

76 FR 10086 - Petition for Waiver of Compliance

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-23

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Railroad Administration Petition for Waiver of Compliance In... restricted cars; as well as that of the Reflectorization of Rail Freight Rolling Stock, i.e. Sec. Sec. 224.3... prior to 1945, as well as a group of freight cars and locomotives built after 1945, in public excursion...

Examining the value of travel time reliability for freight transportation to support freight planning and decision-making.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-12-01

This report presents the findings of a valuation study recently conducted in Florida to quantify the : freight users willingness to pay (WTP) for the improvement of transportation-related attributes, : particularly reliability. A stated preference...

Superconducting augmented rail gun (SARG)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Homan, C.G.; Cummings, C.E.; Fowler, C.M.

1986-01-01

Superconducting augmentation consists of a superconducting coil operating in the persistent mode closely coupled magnetically with a normally conducting rail gun. A theoretical investigation of the effect of this system on a rail gun has shown that two benefits occur. Projectile velocities and launch efficiencies increase significantly depending on the magnetic coupling between the rail and augmentation circuits. Previous work evaluated an idealized system by neglecting energy dissipation effects. In this paper, the authors extend the analysis to include the neglected terms and show improved actual launch efficiencies for the SARG configuration. In this paper, the authors discuss details of projectile design in depth and present preliminary results of rail gun performance

The Migration of Railway Freight Transport from Command Economy to Market Economy: The Case of China.

OpenAIRE

Xie, R.; Chen, H.; Nash, C.

2000-01-01

In recent years, the Chinese railways freight transport has been facing great challenges from the transport market and economic expansion. The total freight volume has been increasing. But the market share of railway freight has decreased greatly, especially since the beginning of migration from command economy to market economy. In this paper, we make some insight into five aspects. Firstly, the historical and current situation of freight transport in China and the relationship between econo...

European intermodal freight transport network

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Saeedi, Hamid; Wiegmans, Bart; Behdani, Behzad; Zuidwijk, Rob

2017-01-01

The analysis of market structure and concentration measures for the Intermodal Freight Transport (IFT) market is important to avoid market failure and to find the areas for policy making to promote IFT market share. This analysis can be performed for separate segments, for example, the market for

46 CFR 72.40-10 - Storm rails.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Storm rails. 72.40-10 Section 72.40-10 Shipping COAST... and Guards § 72.40-10 Storm rails. (a) Suitable storm rails shall be installed in all passageways and at the deckhouse sides where passengers or crew might have normal access. Storm rails shall be...

Computation of wheel-rail contact force for non-mapping wheel-rail profile of Translohr tram

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Yuanjin; Ren, Lihui; Zhou, Jinsong

2017-09-01

Translohr tram has steel wheels, in V-like arrangements, as guide wheels. These operate over the guide rails in inverted-V arrangements. However, the horizontal and vertical coordinates of the guide wheels and guide rails are not always mapped one-to-one. In this study, a simplified elastic method is proposed in order to calculate the contact points between the wheels and the rails. By transforming the coordinates, the non-mapping geometric relationship between wheel and rail is converted into a mapping relationship. Considering the Translohr tram's multi-point contact between the guide wheel and the guide rail, the elastic-contact hypothesis take into account the existence of contact patches between the bodies, and the location of the contact points is calculated using a simplified elastic method. In order to speed up the calculation, a multi-dimensional contact table is generated, enabling the use of simulation for Translohr tram running on curvatures with different radii.

Analysis of rail welding methods for mine rail access with the use of modern technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Usoltsev, A. A.; Shevchenko, R. A.; Kozyrev, N. A.; Kriukov, R. E.; Shishkin, P. E.

2017-09-01

Welded joint zones are weak sections of the railway track for all traffic cases (in the case of high-speed traffic and heavy traffic). In the paper advantages and disadvantages of the basic ways of rails welding, which are widely used today, are considered: electrocontact and aluminothermic. Carefully selected mode of differentially thermally strengthened rails string will allow the process of correction after heat treatment to be minimized and internal residual compressive stresses to be kept. Particular attention should be paid to the method of rails welding, in which after rails welding during their cooling it is offered to perform quasi-isothermal exposure in the temperature range of fine structure formation by passing pulses of alternating electric current through the welded joint maintaining this temperature until the end of the transformation. The use of quasi-isothermal exposure at a temperature of 600 - 650 °C makes it possible to obtain a finely dispersed structure of the welded seam of rails without additional heat treatment.

Intermodal Freight Transport on the Right Track? Environmental and economic performances and their trade-off

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Nam Seok

2010-01-01

This dissertation aims to evaluate environmental and economic performances of an intermodal freight transport system and to estimate the trade-off between CO2 emissions, which is presented as an indicator of environmental performance, and freight costs, which indicate the economic performance of the intermodal freight system. The truck-only system is always regarded as the counterpart of the intermodal freight system in this dissertation. To examine the environmental performance of the intermodal freight system, CO2 emissions generated from all the processes in the intermodal chain, such as pre-haulage and post-haulage, long distance haulage, and transshipment, are estimated considering different sources that generate electricity and transmission loss of electricity (Chapters 3 and 4). To examine the economic performance of the system, two approaches are considered: (1) finding the intermodal breakeven distance for which the intermodal system is more competitive than the truck-only system (Chapter 5); (2) examining the economies of scale in the intermodal network and finding the route/system choice that minimizes the total freight transportation costs (Chapter 6). Finally, this dissertation attempts to find the trade-off between CO2 emissions (representing the environmental performance) and freight transportation cost (representing the economic performance) (Chapter 7)

Assessment of multimodal freight bottlenecks and alleviation strategies for upper Midwest region.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-01

The freight that passes through the Mississippi Valley Region is high volume and has a substantial impact on the economy of the : region. According to the BTS-sponsored Commodity Flow Survey, trucks carried almost 2.5 billion tons of freight across t...

Rail inspection using noncontact laser ultrasonics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Nak Hyeon; Sohn, Hoon; Han, Soon Woo

2012-01-01

In this study, a noncontact laser ultrasonic system is proposed for rail defect detection. An Nd Yag pulse laser is used for generation of ultrasonic waves, and the corresponding ultrasonic responses are measured by a laser Doppler vibrometer. For the detection of rail surface damages, the shape of the excitation laser beam is transformed into a line. On the other hand, a point source laser beam is used for the inspection of defects inside a rail head. Then, the interactions of propagating ultrasonic waves with defects are examined using actual rail specimens. Amplitude attenuation was mainly observed for a surface crack, and reflections were most noticeable from an internal damage. Finally, opportunities and challenges associated with real time rail inspection from a high speed train are discussed

The development of ISO freight containers as IP-2 packagings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janicki, M.C.; Vaughan, R.A.

1993-01-01

Design specifications were developed for ISO freight containers to meet the requirements of the transport regulations in the 1985 Edition of IAEA SS6, and to maximize the technical and commercial benefits offered to consignors by this type of container for the transport and handling of bulk LSA/SCO materials. A range of IP-2 ISO freight containers have been designed and built to these specifications and are in use in the UK. This paper discusses the regulatory considerations which had to be reviewed and interpreted in developing freight containers as Industrial Package Type 2 (IP-2) packagings and the development of performance standards to meet the regulatory requirements. Outline details of the packages developed are indicated together with examples of handling equipment developed to facilitate loading and unloading. (J.P.N.)

Model for predicting the frequency of broken rails

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Vesković

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Broken rails can cause train delays, trains cancelations and, unfortunately, they are common causes of accidents. This affects planning of a resources, budget and organization of railway track maintenance. Planning of railway track maintenance cannot be done without an estimation of number of rails that will be replaced due to the broken rail incidents. There are many factors that influence broken rails and the most common are: rail age, annual gross tonnage, degree of curve and temperature in the time of breakage. The fuzzy logic model uses acquired data as input variables to predict the frequency of broken rails for the certain rail types on some Sections.

Automation of calculation of fastening of non-standard freights on sea vessels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Андрій Валерійович Пархотько

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Correct positioning and fastening of freights are important safety conditions of navigation. Unreliable positioning and fastening of freights results in shipwreck and is the reason for injuries and losses of human lives both in the sea and during loading and unloading. To solve the above-mentioned problems, the International Maritime Organization publishes manuals in the form of either the Assembly resolutions, or the circulars approved by Maritime Safety Committee. The correct definition of necessary quantity of lashings and their positioning has the greatest impact on safe fastening of freights. The sea being rough, the vessel is accelerated both in longitudinal, and vertical and prevailing cross directions. The forces created by these accelerations generate the majority of the problems in fastening. The order of calculations of the force moments and forces acting upon the freights being shipped by sea vessels has been shown in the article. To know the proper number of lashings the calculations of the forces acting upon the freights being shipped as compared with the forces holding the freights and taking into account the strength, the number and the fastening angle of the lashings must be made. Оption of realization of algorithm of calculation with use of the а computer program to make these calculations has been offered. Some recommendations so that the program could be used by the management of the vessel, the surveyor companies and technologists of the port have been given as well as an example of such a calculation

Application of an Intelligent Fuzzy Regression Algorithm in Road Freight Transportation Modeling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pooya Najaf

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Road freight transportation between provinces of a country has an important effect on the traffic flow of intercity transportation networks. Therefore, an accurate estimation of the road freight transportation for provinces of a country is so crucial to improve the rural traffic operation in a large scale management. Accordingly, the focused case study database in this research is the information related to Iran’s provinces in the year 2008. Correlation between road freight transportation with variables such as transport cost and distance, population, average household income and Gross Domestic Product (GDP of each province is calculated. Results clarify that the population is the most effective factor in the prediction of provinces’ transported freight. Linear Regression Model (LRM is calibrated based on the population variable, and afterwards Fuzzy Regression Algorithm (FRA is generated on the basis of the LRM. The proposed FRA is an intelligent modified algorithm with an accurate prediction and fitting ability. This methodology can be significantly useful in macro-level planning problems where decreasing prediction error values is one of the most important concerns for decision makers. In addition, Back-Propagation Neural Network (BPNN is developed to evaluate the prediction capability of the models and to be compared with FRA. According to the final results, the modified FRA estimates road freight transportation values more accurately than the BPNN and LRM. Finally, in order to predict the road freight transportation values, the reliability of the calibrated models is analyzed using the information of the year 2009. Results show higher reliability for the proposed modified FRA.

46 CFR 116.920 - Storm rails.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Storm rails. 116.920 Section 116.920 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) SMALL PASSENGER VESSELS CARRYING MORE THAN 150... and Guards § 116.920 Storm rails. Suitable storm rails or hand grabs must be installed where necessary...

46 CFR 177.900 - Deck rails.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

...) high. (4) While engaged in big game angling, the minimum rail height may be reduced to not less than... section as applicable must be installed when big game angling is not being conducted. (e) Where the... that a higher rail would interfere with the fishing operation and the lower rail would not...

78 FR 22363 - Environmental Impact Statement for the All Aboard Florida Miami-Orlando Passenger Rail Project

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-15

... need and demand for safe, convenient, and reliable transportation through the development of a... objectives concerning the environment. AAF is a subsidiary of Florida East Coast Industries, Inc. (FECI... freight service. AAF is working to secure access to use the right-of- way of State Road 528 between Cocoa...

Examining the value of travel time reliability for freight transportation to support freight planning and decision-Making [summary].

Science.gov (United States)

2016-12-01

As consumers demand greater choice and availability of products, suppliers have responded with more just-in-time delivery and less centralized inventories. Keeping this supply chain working efficiently requires reliable freight transportation. Delays...

49 CFR 385.14 - Motor carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders delinquent in paying civil penalties: prohibition...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Motor carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders....14 Motor carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders delinquent in paying civil penalties: prohibition... commerce under 49 CFR 386.83. (b) A broker, freight forwarder, or for-hire motor carrier that has failed to...

Assessment of Rail Seat Abrasion Patterns and Environment

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-01

Rail seat abrasion (RSA) of concrete ties is manifested by the loss of material under the rail seat area and, in extreme cases, results in loss of rail clip holding power, reverse rail cant, and gauge widening. RSA was measured in several curves on t...

19 CFR 351.515 - Internal transport and freight charges for export shipments.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... shipments. 351.515 Section 351.515 Customs Duties INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE... Internal transport and freight charges for export shipments. (a) Benefit—(1) In general. In the case of internal transport and freight charges on export shipments, a benefit exists to the extent that the charges...

Parameters Studies on Surface Initiated Rolling Contact Fatigue of Turnout Rails by Three-Level Unreplicated Saturated Factorial Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaochuan Ma

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Surface initiated rolling contact fatigue (RCF, mainly characterized by cracks and material stripping, is a common type of damage to turnout rails, which can not only shorten service life of turnout but also lead to poor running safety of vehicle. The rail surface initiated RCF of turnouts is caused by a long-term accumulation, the size and distribution of which are related to the dynamic parameters of the complicated vehicle-turnout system. In order to simulate the accumulation of rail damage, some random samples of dynamic parameters significantly influencing it should be input. Based on the three-level unreplicated saturated factorial design, according to the evaluation methods of H, P and B statistic values, six dynamic parameters that influence the rail surface initiated RCF in turnouts, namely running speed of vehicle, axle load, wheel-rail profiles, integral vertical track stiffness and wheel-rail friction coefficient, are obtained by selecting 13 dynamic parameters significantly influencing the dynamic vehicle-turnout interaction as the analysis factors, considering four dynamic response results, i.e., the normal wheel-rail contact force, longitudinal creep force, lateral creep force and wheel-rail contact patch area as the observed parameters. In addition, the rail surface initiated RCF behavior in turnouts under different wheel-rail creep conditions is analyzed, considering the relative motion of stock/switch rails. The results show that the rail surface initiated RCF is mainly caused by the tangential stress being high under small creep conditions, the normal and tangential stresses being high under large creep conditions, and the normal stress being high under pure spin creep conditions.

A low power and low distortion rail-to-rail input/output amplifier using constant current technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Yan; Zhao Yiqiang; Zhang Shilin; Zhao Hongliang

2011-01-01

A rail-to-rail amplifier with constant transconductance, intended for audio processing, is presented. The constant transconductance is obtained by a constant current technique based on the input differential pairs operating in the weak inversion region. MOSFETs working in the weak inversion region have the advantages of low power and low distortion. The proposed rail-to-rail amplifier, fabricated in a standard 0.35 μm CMOS process, occupies a core die area of 75 x 183 μm 2 . Measured results show that the maximum power consumption is 85.37 μW with a supply voltage of 3.3 V and the total harmonic distortion level is 1.2% at 2 kHz. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

Florida intercity high speed rail passenger service

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Najafi, F.T.; Watford, S.; Moore, G.; Des, A. [Florida Univ., Gainesville, FL (United States). Dept. of Civil Engineering

1997-10-01

Plans for a new high-speed rail (HSR) transportation system in Florida were reviewed. HSR is believed to be the least expensive, most energy-efficient and least environmentally harmful alternative to air and highway travel. The system in Florida will be used as a case study to determine its overall impact on the environment, people and economy. The 300-plus mile system will move travelers at speeds of over 200 mph between Miami, Orlando, and Tampa. The study will identify the impacts of a HSR system on existing transportation networks, environment, energy, growth and growth distribution, safety, economy, travel time, and tourism. Transportation problems and the innovative mechanisms needed to realize the joint public and private venture approach to planning, locating, permitting, managing, financing, constructing and maintaining an inter-regional HSR line for the state were studied. The all-electric train would greatly help the environment in two ways: (1) zero emissions from the train itself, and (2) the reduction of trips by automobile and aircraft would reduce the amount of fuel and energy being used. 4 refs., 1 fig.

Rail gun powered by an integral explosive generator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, D.R.; Fowler, C.M.

1979-01-01

We propose the use of a rail gun powered by an explosive magnetic flux compression generator built into the rail gun itself in which the rails of the gun are driven together behind the projectile by explosives. The magnetic field established between the rails by an initial current supplied by an external source at the breech of the gun is trapped and compressed by the collapsing rails to accelerate the projectile down the bore of the gun

High-Speed Rail Train Timetabling Problem: A Time-Space Network Based Method with an Improved Branch-and-Price Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bisheng He

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A time-space network based optimization method is designed for high-speed rail train timetabling problem to improve the service level of the high-speed rail. The general time-space path cost is presented which considers both the train travel time and the high-speed rail operation requirements: (1 service frequency requirement; (2 stopping plan adjustment; and (3 priority of train types. Train timetabling problem based on time-space path aims to minimize the total general time-space path cost of all trains. An improved branch-and-price algorithm is applied to solve the large scale integer programming problem. When dealing with the algorithm, a rapid branching and node selection for branch-and-price tree and a heuristic train time-space path generation for column generation are adopted to speed up the algorithm computation time. The computational results of a set of experiments on China’s high-speed rail system are presented with the discussions about the model validation, the effectiveness of the general time-space path cost, and the improved branch-and-price algorithm.

Energy intensity in road freight transport of heavy goods vehicles in Spain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrés, Lidia; Padilla, Emilio

2015-01-01

This paper examines the factors that have influenced the energy intensity trend of the Spanish road freight transport of heavy goods vehicles over the period 1996–2012. This article aims to contribute to a better understanding of these factors and to inform the design of measures to improve energy efficiency in road freight transport. The paper uses both annual single-period and chained multi-period multiplicative LMDI-II decomposition analysis. The results suggest that the decrease in the energy intensity of Spanish road freight in the period is explained by the change in the real energy intensity index (lower energy consumption per tonne-kilometre transported), which is partially offset by the behaviour of the structural index (greater share in freight transport of those commodities the transportation of which is more energy intensive). The change in energy intensity is analysed in more depth by quantifying the contribution of each commodity through the attribution of changes in Divisia indices. -- Highlights: •We examine energy intensity of Spanish road freight transport over 1996–2012. •We employ single-period and chained multi-period multiplicative LMDI-II decomposition. •Energy intensity reduction is explained by the change in real energy intensity index. •This is partially offset by the behaviour of the structural index. •The attribution of Divisia indices changes gives the contribution of each commodity

Why does the energy intensity of freight transport rise?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scheele, D [Scientific Council for Government Policy (Netherlands)

1996-12-01

In advanced economies it is normal to observe declining energy intensities. Both improvements in conversion efficiency and in organisational efficiency of energy use cause energy demand to grow at a slower pace than the economy. In this context it is somewhat particular that in the vital sector of freight transport the energy intensity does not decline, but instead increases. The energy demand of this sector only takes a small share of the total energy demand. According to the World Energy Council the transport sector takes 30 percent of world energy demand and freight transport again takes 30 percent of the transport sector share, maritime transport excluded. Despite this small share some explanation is needed why the increase in energy demand form the volume growth of freight demand is not at least partly countered by a decline in the energy intensity. The purpose of this paper is to review some of the explanations that are given in the literature and to support these explanations with empirical evidence on the case of the Netherlands. (EG)

Momentum equation for arc-driven rail guns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batteh, J.H.

1984-01-01

In several models of arc-driven rail guns, the rails are assumed to be infinitely high to simplify the calculation of the electromagnetic fields which appear in the momentum equation for the arc. This assumption leads to overestimates of the arc pressures and accelerations by approximately a factor of 2 for typical rail-gun geometries. In this paper, we develop a simple method for modifying the momentum equation to account for the effect of finite-height rails on the performance of the rail gun and the properties of the arc. The modification is based on an integration of the Lorentz force across the arc cross section at each axial location in the arc. Application of this technique suggests that, for typical rail-gun geometries and moderately long arcs, the momentum equation appropriate for infinite-height rails can be retained provided that the magnetic pressure term in the equation is scaled by a factor which depends on the effective inductance of the gun. The analysis also indicates that the magnetic pressure gradient actually changes sign near the arc/projectile boundary because of the magnetic fields associated with the arc current

49 CFR 174.85 - Position in train of placarded cars, transport vehicles, freight containers, and bulk packagings.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Vehicles and Freight Containers § 174.85 Position in train of placarded cars, transport vehicles, freight... position in a train of each loaded placarded car, transport vehicle, freight container, and bulk packaging..., and other specially equipped cars with tie-down devices for securing vehicles. Permanent bulk head...

Electron emission at the rail surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thornhill, L.; Battech, J.

1991-01-01

In this paper the authors examine the processes by which current is transferred from the cathode rail to the plasma armature in an arc-driven railgun. Three electron emission mechanisms are considered, namely thermionic emission, field-enhanced thermionic emission (or Schottky emission), and photoemission. The author's calculations show that the dominant electron emission mechanism depends, to a great extent, on the work function of the rail surface, the rail surface temperature, the electric field at the rail surface, and the effective radiation temperature of the plasma. For conditions that are considered to be typical of a railgun armature, Schottky emission is the dominant electron emission mechanism, providing current densities on the order of 10 9 A/m 2

Macro scale models for freight railroad terminals.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-03-02

The project has developed a yard capacity model for macro-level analysis. The study considers the detailed sequence and scheduling in classification yards and their impacts on yard capacities simulate typical freight railroad terminals, and statistic...

Rail-guided robotic end-effector position error due to rail compliance and ship motion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Borgerink, Dian; Stegenga, J.; Brouwer, Dannis Michel; Woertche, H.J.; Stramigioli, Stefano

2014-01-01

A rail-guided robotic system is currently being designed for the inspection of ballast water tanks in ships. This robotic system will manipulate sensors toward the interior walls of the tank. In this paper, the influence of rail compliance on the end-effector position error due to ship movement is

Analysis of the Connectivity and Centralization of Regional Air Freight Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

1978-08-01

economic efficiency. Pegrum char- acterized the CAB’s ratemaking policy as thirty years of in- decision. In surveys comparing regulated and unregulated b...cipants in the air freight system are basically the shippers, the surface carriers, and the air carriers. Air freight forwarders are "indirect carriers...aircraft characteristics which I will raise the break-even load factor are its shape and design density. Aircraft fuselages are basically cylindrical

A cointegration approach to forecasting freight rates in the dry bulk shipping sector

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ph.H.B.F. Franses (Philip Hans); A.W. Veenstra (Albert)

1997-01-01

textabstractIn this paper, a vector autoregressive model is developed for a sample of ocean dry bulk freight rates. Although the series of freight rates are themselves found to be non-stationary, thus precluding the use of many modelling methodologies, evidence provided by cointegration tests points

Freight transport in 2010 : An exploration of future prices and quality of freight transport in three scenarios

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Runhaar, H.A.C.; Kuipers, Bart; Heijden, R.E.C.M. van der; Melody, W.H.

2001-01-01

Background Central to this report is the question what effects government policy can have on rates, transit times, and the reliability of freight transport. In this context, two policy scenarios were examined: one scenario where all social costs that are currently ‘external’, are passed on to

In-field implementation of impedance-based structural health monitoring for insulated rail joints

Science.gov (United States)

Albakri, Mohammad I.; Malladi, V. V. N. Sriram; Woolard, Americo G.; Tarazaga, Pablo A.

2017-04-01

Track defects are a major safety concern for the railroad industry. Among different track components, insulated rail joints, which are widely used for signaling purposes, are considered a weak link in the railroad track. Several joint-related defects have been identified by the railroad community, including rail wear, torque loss, and joint bar breakage. Current track inspection techniques rely on manual and visual inspection or on specially equipped testing carts, which are costly, timeconsuming, traffic disturbing, and prone to human error. To overcome the aforementioned limitations, the feasibility of utilizing impedance-based structural health monitoring for insulated rail joints is investigated in this work. For this purpose, an insulated joint, provided by Koppers Inc., is instrumented with piezoelectric transducers and assembled with 136 AREA rail plugs. The instrumented joint is then installed and tested at the Facility for Accelerated Service Testing, Transportation Technology Center Inc. The effects of environmental and operating conditions on the measured impedance signatures are investigated through a set of experiments conducted at different temperatures and loading conditions. The capabilities of impedance-based SHM to detect several joint-related damage types are also studied by introducing reversible mechanical defects to different joint components.

Research on Miniature Calibre Rail-Guns for the Mechanical Arm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ronggang Cao

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Rail-gun should not only be used to military applications, but also can be developed as applications in the civilian aspects of the market. With the development of the electromagnetic launch technology, based on the similarity theory, using the existing rail-gun model to guide the construction of more economical miniature calibre rail-guns, and apply it in some machinery and equipment, this idea will open up a wider rail-gun application space. This article will focus on the feasibility of application of miniature calibre rail-guns in the mechanical arm. This paper designs the schematic diagram, then theoretical analyzes force conditions of the armature in the mechanical arm, calculates the possible range of the current amplitude and so on. The existing rail-gun model can be used to guides design the circuit diagram of the miniature calibre rail-gun. Based on the similarity theory and many simulation experiments, designed the experimental parameters of a miniature rail-gun and analyzed the current, Lorentz force, velocity, and location of the existing rail-gun and miniature rail-gun. The results show that the rail-gun launching technology applied to robot arms is feasibility. The application of miniature calibre rail-guns in the mechanical arm will benefit to the further development of rail-guns.

Shared Freight Transportation and Energy Commodities Phase One: Coal, Crude Petroleum, & Natural Gas Flows

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chin, Shih-Miao [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Hwang, Ho-Ling [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Davidson, Diane [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2016-07-01

The Freight Analysis Framework (FAF) integrates data from a variety of sources to create a comprehensive picture of nationwide freight movements among states and major metropolitan areas for all modes of transportation. It provides a national picture of current freight flows to, from, and within the United States, assigns selected flows to the transportation network, and projects freight flow patterns into the future. The latest release of FAF is known as FAF4 with a base year of 2012. The FAF4 origin-destination-commodity-mode (ODCM) matrix is provided at national, state, major metropolitan areas, and major gateways with significant freight activities (e.g., El Paso, Texas). The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is interested in using FAF4 database for its strategic planning and policy analysis, particularly in association with the transportation of energy commodities. However, the geographic specification that DOE requires is a county-level ODCM matrix. Unfortunately, the geographic regions in the FAF4 database were not available at the DOE desired detail. Due to this limitation, DOE tasked Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to assist in generating estimates of county-level flows for selected energy commodities by mode of transportation.

A Rails / Django Comparison

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Ruby on Rails (“Rails” is the dominant web programming framework for Ruby and, even outside the Ruby community, is considered the epitome of the latest generation of high-productivity, open source web development tools. Django is one of many competing web development frameworks for Python. It is notable, first, for being highly regarded amongst Python programmers, and second, for being one of the few of the new generation of framework that does not ape Ruby on Rails. Both Rails and Django claim greatly enhanced productivity, compared with more traditional web development frameworks. In this paper, we compare the two frameworks from the point of view of a developer attempting to choose one of the two frameworks for a new project.

Analysis of Freight Transport Strategies and Methodologies

Science.gov (United States)

2017-12-01

Transportation agencies are often blind to freight flows at the last mile level of truck movements. New strategies, data sources, and analytics have the potential to provide an empirical understanding of last mile truck movements and their impa...

Excitation of Surface Electromagnetic Waves on Railroad Rail

Science.gov (United States)

1978-03-31

UMTA's Office of Rail Technology research programs aim to improve urban rail transportation systems safety. This rail-transit research study attempts to develop an onboard, separate and independent obstacle-detection system--Surface Electromagnetic W...

Future Parking Demand at Rail Stations in Klang Valley

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ho Phooi Wai

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Klang Valley, Malaysia is currently undergoing a massive development of rail transportation system expansion where the current integrated rail transit system will see new extensions of two MRT lines and an LRT line by year 2020. By year 2017, the first MRT line will be ready to run with 31 new rail stations connected to the current passenger rail network. The existing Park and Ride facilities in Klang Valley are commonly known as being unable to sufficiently cater for the current parking space demand. Therefore, with the expansion of many additional rail stations which are rapidly under construction, there are doubts that the future parking space at rail stations will be able to accommodate the sudden rise of rail passengers. Although the authorities are increasing parking bays at various locations, will the future parking demand at rail stations be sufficient? This paper studies the factors influencing parking demand in terms of population, car ownership, new car registrations and passenger rail ridership and estimating the future parking demand using Linear Regression method. Result shows that the forecasted parking demand at rail stations after the implementation of the first new MRT system in 2017 is 2.7 times more than in 2014.

Fleet servicing facilities for servicing, maintaining, and testing rail and truck radioactive waste transport systems: functional requirements, technical design concepts and options cost estimates and comparisons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watson, C.D.; Hudson, B.J.; Keith, D.A.; Preston, M.K. Jr.; McCreery, P.N.; Knox, W.; Easterling, E.M.; Lamprey, A.S.; Wiedemann, G.

1980-05-01

This is a resource document which examines feasibility design concepts and feasibility studies of a Fleet Servicing Facility (FSF). Such a facility is intended to be used for routine servicing, preventive maintenance, and for performing requalification license compliance tests and inspections, minor repairs, and decontamination of both the transportation casks and their associated rail cars or tractor-trailers. None of the United States' waste handling plants presently receiving radioactive wastes have an on-site FSF, nor is there an existing third party facility providing these services. This situation has caused the General Accounting Office to express concern regarding the quality of waste transport system maintenance once the system is placed into service. Thus, a need is indicated for FSF's, or their equivalent, at various radioactive materials receiving sites. In this report, three forms of FSF's solely for spent fuel transport systems were examined: independent, integrated, and colocated. The independent concept was already the subject of a detailed report and is extensively referenced in this document so that capital cost comparisons of the three concepts could be made. These facilities probably could service high-level, intermediate-level, low-level, or other waste transportation systems with minor modification, but this study did not include any system other than spent fuel. Both the Integrated and Colocated concepts were assumed to be associated with some radioactive materials handling facility such as an AFR repository

Freight advanced traveler information system : functional requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-01

This report describes the System Requirement Specifications (SyRS) for a Freight Advanced Traveler Information System : (FRATIS). The SyRS is based on user needs described in the FRATIS Concept of Operations (ConOps), which cover the essential : func...

Safeguarding Schiphol Airports accessibility for freight transport

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Heijden, Matthijs C.; van Harten, Aart; Ebben, Mark; Saanen, Y.A.; Valentin, E.C.; Verbraeck, A.

2001-01-01

Automated, underground freight transport should enable sustainable economic growth in the Amsterdam area in the Netherlands. An innovative transport system, which guarantees reliable logistics and which avoids congestion problems, is currently being developed. This logistics system will be highly

Recent progress in 3-D imaging of sea freight containers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuchs, Theobald; Schön, Tobias; Sukowski, Frank; Dittmann, Jonas; Hanke, Randolf

2015-01-01

The inspection of very large objects like sea freight containers with X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) is an emerging technology. A complete 3-D CT scan of a see-freight container takes several hours. Of course, this is too slow to apply it to a large number of containers. However, the benefits of a 3-D CT for sealed freight are obvious: detection of potential threats or illicit cargo without being confronted with legal complications or high time consumption and risks for the security personnel during a manual inspection. Recently distinct progress was made in the field of reconstruction of projections with only a relatively low number of angular positions. Instead of today’s 500 to 1000 rotational steps, as needed for conventional CT reconstruction techniques, this new class of algorithms provides the potential to reduce the number of projection angles approximately by a factor of 10. The main drawback of these advanced iterative methods is the high consumption for numerical processing. But as computational power is getting steadily cheaper, there will be practical applications of these complex algorithms in a foreseeable future. In this paper, we discuss the properties of iterative image reconstruction algorithms and show results of their application to CT of extremely large objects scanning a sea-freight container. A specific test specimen is used to quantitatively evaluate the image quality in terms of spatial and contrast resolution and depending on different number of projections

Rail-to-rail low-power fully differential OTA utilizing adaptive biasing and partial feedback

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tuan Vu, Cao; Wisland, Dag T.; Lande, Tor Sverre

consumption. The DC-gain of the proposed OTA is improved by adding a partial feedback loop. A Common-Mode Feedback (CMFB) circuit is required for fully differential rail-to-rail operation. Simulations show that the OTA topology has a low stand-by power consumption of 96μW and a high FoM of 3.84 [(V...

METHODOLOGICAL FUNDAMENTALS OF DETERMINATION OF UNPOWERED ROLLING STOCK MAINTENANCE CHARACTERISTICS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. A. Muradian

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The paper involves: 1 confirmation of the technical characteristics of cars and their modifications, as well as indicators of unfailing work probability during the time between overhauls or service hours; 2 improving the methodological approaches to assess the maintenance characteristics of new and modernized equipment of rail transport on the example of not self-propelled rolling stock, namely, railway freight cars; 3 solution of scientific and applied problems in assessment the maintenance characteristics of the new and modernized railway equipment. Methodology. The basic methodological approaches to the assessment of the maintenance characteristics on the example of not self-propelled rolling stock, namely, railway freight cars were considered. The analysis of the reliability of the car, which is considered as a complex mechanical system, where all system elements are connected in series, wherein each element includes m is serially connected parts. The failure of each part of the calculation will result in refusal of the car. Thus, the car is a system without redundancy. Findings. The evaluation technic of the maintenance characteristics of freight cars in controlled operation with taking into account the features of the new generation of cars was improved. Specified: the duration of the tests, the frequency of inspection of the control group of cars controlled by the parameters of the car, the reasons for the early termination of controlled operation. Identified failures in the process of controlled operation are divided according to their nature. Originality. The authors proposed a method of assessing the maintenance characteristics of railway equipment in trial operation as an example of a new generation of freight cars. Practical value. The results allow assessing the maintenance characteristics of new and modernized rail transport equipment during the maintenance test.

Vibroacoustical analysis of rail vehicle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Králíček J.

2007-11-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the vibroacoustical analysis of rail vehicle and is the extension of the previously presented work “Modelování podvozku kolejového vozidla s poddajným rámem”. The vibroacoustical analysis uses the outcomes of the dynamical analysis of rail vehicle bogie i.e. surface velocities of the bogie frame to compute the acoustic power radiated by the bogie frame and forces acting in the bogie-body interface. The radiated power and the force spectra are then used as the excitation to the rail body model in the environment Auto-SEA to compute the interior acoustic quantities.

Complex eigenvalue analysis of railway wheel/rail squeal

African Journals Online (AJOL)

DR OKE

Squeal noise from wheel/rail and brake disc/pad frictional contact is typical in railways. ... squeal noise by multibody simulation of a rail car running on rigid rails. ... system, traditional complex eigenvalue analysis by finite element was used.

Analyzing competition in intermodal freight transport networks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Saeedi, Hamid; Wiegmans, Bart; Behdani, Behzad; Zuidwijk, Rob

2017-01-01

To cope with an intense and competitive environment, intermodal freight transport operators have increasingly adopted business practices —like horizontal and vertical business integration—which aim to reduce the operational costs, increase the profit margins, and improve their competitive position

A Literature Review On Multimodal Freight Transportation Planning Under Disruptions

Science.gov (United States)

Rosyida, E. E.; Santosa, B.; Pujawan, I. N.

2018-04-01

This paper reviews publication that focuses on multimodal freight transportation planning under disruptions. In this paper, disruptions are specified by the level of the disruptions occurs and the scope of its effect. This becomes an important distinction since the cause and effect that may occur at different levels. The failure to make this distinction has implications for how we understand and manage. The reviewed papers include those that develop framework, model, and technical procedure for freight transportation. Finally, we provide an outlook of future research directions on the domain of transportation planning.

High Speed Rail (HSR) in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

2009-12-08

announced that it will expand the capacity on its aging high speed line between Tokyo and Osaka, the most heavily traveled intercity rail segment in the...United States, in most of these countries intercity rail travel (including both conventional and high speed rail) represents less than 10% of all...that is sometimes mentioned by its advocates. Intercity passenger rail transport is relatively safe, at least compared with highway travel . And HSR in

Measurement and evaluation of fuels and technologies for passenger rail service in North Carolina.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-01

The purpose of this project is to measure a baseline for fuel use and emission rates on the rebuilt or replaced engines on each locomotive in the NCDOT Rail Division fleet, using ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel; measure real-world, in-use over...

75 FR 60436 - Interim Change to the Military Freight Traffic Unified Rules Publication (MFTURP) No. 1

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-30

... Visibility (Rail ITV) Reporting, to Section C of the MFTURP No. 1. ADDRESSES: Submit comments to Publication and Rules Manager, Strategic Business Directorate, Business Services, 1 Soldier Way, Building 1900W.../Global%20Cargo%20Distribution/Domestic/Publications/ . Henry Brooks, Chief, SDDC, G9, Business Execution...

49 CFR 172.302 - General marking requirements for bulk packagings.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... rail cars; (2) Have a width of at least 4.0 mm (0.16 inch) and a height of at least 25 mm (one inch... with a proper shipping name, common name or identification number as required by this subpart must... “NITRIC OXIDE” need not be remarked “NITRIC OXIDE, COMPRESSED”. (g) A rail car, freight container, truck...

Incorporating Logistics in Freight Transport Demand Models: State-of-the-Art and Research Opportunities

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tavasszy, L.A.; Ruijgrok, K.; Davydenko, I.

2012-01-01

Freight transport demand is a demand derived from all the activities needed to move goods between locations of production to locations of consumption, including trade, logistics and transportation. A good representation of logistics in freight transport demand models allows us to predict the effects

Sectional Rail System as Base for a Plate Covering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2015-01-01

The present invention concerns a sectional rail system which is constructed with the known outer rails with U-shaped cross-section and intermediate rails with C-shaped cross-section, and which is peculiar in that each of the retention means of the outer rail includes at least one stop pin which i...

75 FR 17462 - Quarterly Rail Cost Adjustment Factor

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-06

... decision may be purchased by contacting the office of Public Assistance, Governmental Affairs, and...-2)] Quarterly Rail Cost Adjustment Factor AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board. ACTION: Approval of rail cost adjustment factor. SUMMARY: The Board has approved the second quarter 2010 Rail Cost...

The rail abandonment process: A southern perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-12-01

One factor in evaluating the desirability of rail transport for high-level radioactive wastes or spent fuels is the frequency, or lack thereof, with which railroad and railroad lines have been, and are, abandoned. If DOE makes a decision to use the rail option and a line is subsequently abandoned, the choice results in increased cost, time delays and possibly safety problems: Information is therefore needed prior to the decision-making process to evaluate the desirability of the rail shipping option. One result of the abandonments mentioned herein, as well as other later abandonments, is the creation of a US rail system undergoing an evolutionary process in the 1980s as far-reaching as the changes that occurred when the industry was in its infancy a century and-a-half ago. The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors leading to some of these changes by tracing the historical development of the rail abandonment process, with particular emphasis on the rise of regional railroads, their problems in the modern era and current trends in rail abandonments as well as their effects on the southeastern United States

49 CFR 37.79 - Purchase or lease of new rail vehicles by public entities operating rapid or light rail systems.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... entities operating rapid or light rail systems. 37.79 Section 37.79 Transportation Office of the Secretary... operating rapid or light rail systems. Each public entity operating a rapid or light rail system making a... system shall ensure that the vehicle is readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities...

Can urban rail transit curb automobile energy consumption?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Boqiang; Du, Zhili

2017-01-01

With the rapid development of China's economy and the speed of urbanization, China's automobile sector has experienced rapid development. The rapid development of the automobile sector has increased energy consumption. According to the results of this paper, automobile energy consumption accounted for about 10.73% of total energy consumption in China in 2015, about 3.6 times the proportion a decade ago. With the deterioration of urban traffic conditions, relying on expanding the amount of vehicles and city road network cannot solve the problem. Urban rail transit is energy-saving and less-polluting, uses less space, has large capacity, and secure. Urban rail transit, according to the principle of sustainable development, is a green transportation system and should be especially adopted for large and medium-sized cities. The paper uses the binary choice model (Probit and Logit) to analyze the main factors influencing the development of rail transit in Chinese cities, and whether automobile energy consumption is the reason for the construction of urban rail transit. Secondly, we analyze the influence of urban rail transit on automobile energy consumption using DID model. The results indicate that the construction of urban rail traffic can restrain automobile energy consumption significantly, with continuous impact in the second year. - Highlights: • Investigate the main factors influencing the building of rail transit for Chinese cities. • Analyze the influence of urban rail transit on automobile energy consumption by DID model. • The results indicate that the construction of urban rail traffic can restrain automobile energy consumption significantly.

Two-Dimensional Impact Reconstruction Method for Rail Defect Inspection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jie Zhao

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The safety of train operating is seriously menaced by the rail defects, so it is of great significance to inspect rail defects dynamically while the train is operating. This paper presents a two-dimensional impact reconstruction method to realize the on-line inspection of rail defects. The proposed method utilizes preprocessing technology to convert time domain vertical vibration signals acquired by wireless sensor network to space signals. The modern time-frequency analysis method is improved to reconstruct the obtained multisensor information. Then, the image fusion processing technology based on spectrum threshold processing and node color labeling is proposed to reduce the noise, and blank the periodic impact signal caused by rail joints and locomotive running gear. This method can convert the aperiodic impact signals caused by rail defects to partial periodic impact signals, and locate the rail defects. An application indicates that the two-dimensional impact reconstruction method could display the impact caused by rail defects obviously, and is an effective on-line rail defects inspection method.

Environmental impact assessment of rail infrastructure.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-29

This project resulted in three products: a comprehensive "Sustainable Rail Checklist," a rail planning GIS database, and a web GIS tool that integrates sustainability metrics and facilitates a rapid assessment before a formal NEPA process is implemen...

Three-dimensional rail-current distribution near the armature of simple, square-bore, two-rail railguns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beno, J.H.

1991-01-01

In this paper vector potential is solved as a three dimensional, boundary value problem for a conductor geometry consisting of square-bore railgun rails and a stationary armature. Conductors are infinitely conducting and perfect contact is assumed between rails and the armature. From the vector potential solution, surface current distribution is inferred

Profile parameters of wheelset detection for high speed freight train

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Kai; Ma, Li; Gao, Xiaorong; Wang, Li

2012-04-01

Because of freight train, in China, transports goods on railway freight line throughout the country, it does not depart from or return to engine shed during a long phase, thus we cannot monitor the quality of wheel set effectively. This paper provides a system which uses leaser and high speed camera, applies no-contact light section technology to get precise wheel set profile parameters. The paper employs clamping-track method to avoid complex railway ballast modification project. And detailed descript an improved image-tracking algorithm to extract central line from profile curve. For getting one pixel width and continuous line of the profile curve, uses local gray maximum points as direction control points to direct tracking direction. The results based on practical experiment show the system adapted to detection environment of high speed and high vibration, and it can effectively detect the wheelset geometric parameters with high accuracy. The system fills the gaps in wheel set detection for freight train in main line and has an enlightening function on monitoring the quality of wheel set.

Reforming the road freight transportation system using systems thinking: An investigation of Coronial inquests in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Newnam, Sharon; Goode, Natassia; Salmon, Paul; Stevenson, Mark

2017-04-01

Road freight transport is considered to be one of the most dangerous industries in Australia, accounting for over 30% of all work fatalities. Whilst system reform (i.e., change to policy and practice) is needed, it is not clear what this reform should be, or what approaches should be used to drive it. This article argues that road freight transportation reform should be underpinned by a systems thinking approach. Efforts to understand crash causation should be focused beyond the driver and identify contributing factors at other levels with the road freight system. Accordingly, we present the findings from a study that examined whether Australian Coronial investigations into road freight crashes reflect support appropriate system reform. Content analysis was used to identify the contributing factors and interrelations implicated in the road freight crashes described in publicly available Australian Coroner's inquest reports from the last 10 years (2004-2014; n=21). The results found evidence to suggest that the Coronial inquests provide some understanding of the complex system of factors influencing road freight transportation crashes in Australia. However, there was a lack of evidence to suggest an understanding of system-based reform based on the identification of reductionist-focused recommendations. It is concluded that researchers and practitioners (ie., government and industry) need to work together to develop prevention efforts focused on system reforms. Systems thinking based data collection and analysis frameworks are urgently required to help develop this understanding in road freight transportation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

77 FR 69769 - Solid Waste Rail Transfer Facilities

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-21

...] Solid Waste Rail Transfer Facilities AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board, DOT. ACTION: Final rules. SUMMARY: These final rules govern land-use-exemption permits for solid waste rail transfer facilities. The... Transportation Board over solid waste rail transfer facilities. The Act also added three new statutory provisions...

76 FR 80448 - Quarterly Rail Cost Adjustment Factor

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-23

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. EP 290 (Sub-No. 5) (2012-1)] Quarterly Rail Cost Adjustment Factor AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board. ACTION: Approval of rail cost adjustment factor. SUMMARY: The Board has approved the first quarter 2012 rail cost adjustment factor (RCAF...

76 FR 59483 - Quarterly Rail Cost Adjustment Factor

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-26

... the decision may be purchased by contacting the Office of Public Assistance, Governmental Affairs, and...)] Quarterly Rail Cost Adjustment Factor AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board, DOT. ACTION: Approval of rail cost adjustment factor. SUMMARY: The Board has approved the fourth quarter 2011 Rail Cost Adjustment...

The Rail Alignment Environmental Impact Statement: An Update

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sweeney, R.

2005-01-01

On July 23,2002, the President of the United States signed into law a joint resolution of the United States Congress designating the Yucca Mountain site in Nye County, Nevada, for development as a geologic repository for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. If the US. Nuclear Regulatory Commission authorizes construction of the repository and receipt and possession of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive at Yucca Mountain, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) would be responsible for transporting these materials to the Yucca Mountain repository as part of its obligation under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act. Part of the site recommendation decision included the analysis of a nation-wide shipping campaign to the proposed repository site. The ''Final Environmental Impact Statement for a Geologic Repository for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada'' (February 2002) (Repository EIS) evaluated the potential impacts of the transportation of 70,000 Metric Tons of Heavy Metal spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste from 77 locations around the nation to the potential repository in Nevada over a 24 year shipping campaign. In the Repository EIS, DOE identified mostly rail as its preferred mode of transportation, both nationally and in the State of Nevada. In December 2003, based on public comments and the environmental analyses in the Repository EIS, DOE identified a preference for the Caliente rail corridor in Nevada. On April 8, 2004, DOE issued a Record of Decision (ROD) on the Mode of Transportation and Nevada Rail Corridor for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada. In this ROD, the DOE announced that it had decided to select the mostly rail scenario analyzed in the Repository EIS as the transportation mode both on a national basis and in the State of Nevada. Under the mostly rail

49 CFR 37.81 - Purchase or lease of used rail vehicles by public entities operating rapid or light rail systems.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... entities operating rapid or light rail systems. 37.81 Section 37.81 Transportation Office of the Secretary... operating rapid or light rail systems. (a) Except as provided elsewhere in this section, each public entity operating a rapid or light rail system which, after August 25, 1990, purchases or leases a used rapid or...

Capistrano and the Rails Application Lifecycle

CERN Document Server

Mornini, Tom

2006-01-01

Learn how to make your Rails deployments pain-free with Capistrano! This Short Cut shows you how to use Capistrano to automate the deployment of your Rails applications. It teaches you the basics, but also goes far beyond. It shows you realistic deployment scenarios, including some with complex server farms. It includes a quick reference to Capistrano. As your Rails applications grow, it becomes increasingly important to automate deployment and to keep your development environment well organized. Capistrano is the right tool for the job, and this PDF shows you how to use it effectively.

Electromagnetic acceleration studies with augmented rails

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maruo, T.; Fujioka, K.; Nagaoka, K.; Okamoto, A.; Ikuta, K.; Nemoto, K.

1991-01-01

A comparative study of electromagnetic acceleration in the rail-type accelerators with two kinds of rail geometry was carried out experimentally. The accelerators were energized by 200kJ capacitor bank and the weight of loaded projectiles was about 1.3 grams with 10mm x 10mm square bore. The attained velocity was 4.3km/s in the augmented accelerator, while it was 3.8km/s in the classical device. In this paper these differences in attained velocity are briefly discussed. A theoretical understanding of the rail erosion is also described

Emissions of CO2 from road freight transport in London: Trends and policies for long run reductions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zanni, Alberto M.; Bristow, Abigail L.

2010-01-01

Freight transport has been receiving increasing attention in both literature and practice following the growing recognition of its importance in urban transport planning. This paper analyses historical and projected road freight CO 2 emissions in the city of London and explores the potential mitigation effect of a set of freight transport policies and logistics solutions. Findings indicate a range of policies with potential to reduce emissions in the period up to 2050. However, this reduction would appear to only be capable of partly counterbalancing the projected increase in freight traffic. More profound behavioural measures therefore appear to be necessary for London's CO 2 emissions reduction targets to be met.

RESIDUAL RESOURCE STUDY OF DEFECTIVE RAILS FOR TYPE P 50 CYCLE TEST OF ENDURANCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. M. Yosyfovych

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The paper is devoted to the study and evaluation of residual life for defective rails P50 operated on the roads of the Kyiv subway, which are taken out of service because of defects 11.1-2 on the side of the rolling surface of the rail head. Methodology. The studies were performed with the use of experimental methods: testing of samples of defective rails in the cyclical strength of the pulse machine and testing of defective rails in the static load limit on the hydraulic vertical press. Findings. The performed experiments indicate that on the tests basis in 2 million cycles is only a small development (increase in size 0.5-0.7 mm of existing code defects 11.2 as a result of shedding the particles of crumble out metal on the side of the rails head of working prototypes. The intensity and the catastrophic development of defects, such as 11.2, or transformation of these defects in defects such as 21.2 or 30G.2 did not happen in any case. Originality. For the first time in Ukraine with the theoretical calculations substantiated the greater possibility of defects formation of contact fatigue origin in the form of spall and jag of metal on the surface of the rail, at the edge of the head. It is the result of the creation of a high degree of stress nonequilibrium compression in this area, due to the high values of principal normal stresses and appearance of large shear stresses in the body of the head at a depth of 2.5-3.5 mm, exceeding the yield strength and metal endurance. The tests of experimental prototypes of defective rails on high cycle endurance (based № = 2,1h10 cycles with periodic defectoscopic control were conducted. Practical value. In experiments, the new data of the resistance ability to spall rail defects on the surface of the head of rolling on the code 11.1-2 long-term cyclic loading equal to operational magnitude at the wheel load test of 2 million cycles was obtained. That is, the defective rails can have residual life

75 FR 35877 - Quarterly Rail Cost Adjustment Factor

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-23

... available on our Web site, http://www.stb.dot.gov . Copies of the decision may be purchased by contacting...-3)] Quarterly Rail Cost Adjustment Factor AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board. ACTION: Approval of rail cost adjustment factor. SUMMARY: The Board has approved the third quarter 2010 rail cost...

76 FR 37191 - Quarterly Rail Cost Adjustment Factor

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-24

... our Web site, http://www.stb.dot.gov . Copies of the decision may be purchased by contacting the...)] Quarterly Rail Cost Adjustment Factor AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board, DOT. ACTION: Approval of rail cost adjustment factor. SUMMARY: The Board has approved the third quarter 2011 Rail Cost Adjustment...

75 FR 80895 - Quarterly Rail Cost Adjustment Factor

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-23

..., http://www.stb.dot.gov . Copies of the decision may be purchased by contacting the Office of Public...)] Quarterly Rail Cost Adjustment Factor AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board, DOT. ACTION: Approval of rail cost adjustment factor. SUMMARY: The Board has approved the first quarter 2011 Rail Cost Adjustment...

77 FR 37958 - Quarterly Rail Cost Adjustment Factor

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-25

..., http://www.stb.dot.gov . Copies of the decision may be purchased by contacting the Office of Public...)] Quarterly Rail Cost Adjustment Factor AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board, DOT. ACTION: Approval of rail cost adjustment factor. SUMMARY: The Board has approved the third quarter 2012 rail cost adjustment...

78 FR 37660 - Quarterly Rail Cost Adjustment Factor

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-21

..., http://www.stb.dot.gov . Copies of the decision may be purchased by contacting the Office of Public...)] Quarterly Rail Cost Adjustment Factor AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board, DOT. ACTION: Approval of rail cost adjustment factor. SUMMARY: The Board approves the third quarter 2013 Rail Cost Adjustment Factor...

78 FR 17764 - Quarterly Rail Cost Adjustment Factor

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-22

..., http://www.stb.dot.gov . Copies of the decision may be purchased by contacting the Office of Public...)] Quarterly Rail Cost Adjustment Factor AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board, DOT. ACTION: Approval of rail cost adjustment factor. SUMMARY: The Board has approved the second quarter 2013 Rail Cost Adjustment...

76 FR 16037 - Quarterly Rail Cost Adjustment Factor

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-22

..., http://www.stb.dot.gov . Copies of the decision may be purchased by contacting the Office of Public...)] Quarterly Rail Cost Adjustment Factor AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board, DOT. ACTION: Approval of rail cost adjustment factor. SUMMARY: The Board has approved the second quarter 2011 Rail Cost Adjustment...

75 FR 58019 - Quarterly Rail Cost Adjustment Factor

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-23

..., http://www.stb.dot.gov . Copies of the decision may be purchased by contacting the office of Public...)] Quarterly Rail Cost Adjustment Factor AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board, DOT. ACTION: Approval of rail cost adjustment factor. SUMMARY: The Board has approved the fourth quarter 2010 Rail Cost Adjustment...

Hard-driven rail-gun tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, D.R.; Adams, D.F.; Cummings, C.E.; Fowler, C.M.; Kerrisk, J.F.; Marsh, S.P.; Parker, J.V.

1983-01-01

A number of prototype rail-gun designs have been tested, powered by explosive magnetic flux compression generators. Peak currents as high as 1.3 MA were delivered. Rail guns with 50-mm-thick Kevlar fiberwound structural shells were able to survive these high currents with minimum mechanical damage and were refired after enlarging the bores 0.2 to 0.4 mm to remove arc damage. In some tests, mechanical damage occurred that was apparently caused by the rebound of the gun after firing. Although the Kevlar shells had more than adequate strength, they appeared to lack sufficient stiffness, allowing excessive deflections. The use of a steel structural shell with a Kevlar sleeve was an improvement. Intrusion into the seams of the rail guns and condensation of material from the plasma armature were observed. Improved sealing of seams is indicated. In some cases, we suspect maldistribution of current within the gun; that is, not all the current delivered to the breech of the gun seemed to reach the plasma armature. Experiments are being designed to quantify the effects discussed. Rail guns of advanced design are being fabricated. An 18-g titanium projectile was accelerated to 2.4 km/s in a 16-mm-round-bore, 0.6-m-long gun, 4-6 g polycarbonate projectiles were accelerated to 3.5 km/s in 13-mm-square-bore, 1.2-m-long rail guns. All tests were conducted at atmospheric pressure

Factors affecting commuter rail energy efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-02-17

The objective of this study is to develop a planninglevel model of commuter rail energy efficiency. The : environmental benefits of commuter rail are often cited as one of the key benefits and motivators for its rapid development as a public trans...

78 FR 71724 - Rail Depreciation Studies

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-29

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board Rail Depreciation Studies AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board, DOT. ACTION: Notice of OMB Approval of Information Collection. SUMMARY... collection, Rail Depreciation Studies. See 78 FR 18676 (Mar. 27, 2013). This collection, codified at 49 CFR...

Nuclear critical safety analysis for UX-30 transport of freight package

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quan Yanhui; Zhou Qi; Yin Shenggui

2014-01-01

The nuclear critical safety analysis and evaluation for UX-30 transport freight package in the natural condition and accident condition were carried out with MONK-9A code and MCNP code. Firstly, the critical benchmark experiment data of public in international were selected, and the deflection and subcritical limiting value with MONK-9A code and MCNP code in calculating same material form were validated and confirmed. Secondly, the neutron efficiency multiplication factors in the natural condition and accident condition were calculated and analyzed, and the safety in transport process was evaluated by taking conservative suppose of nuclear critical safety. The calculation results show that the max value of k eff for UX-30 transport freight package is less than the subcritical limiting value, and the UX-30 transport freight package is in the state of subcritical safety. Moreover, the critical safety index (CSI) for UX-30 package can define zero based on the definition of critical safety index. (authors)

77 FR 58910 - Quarterly Rail Cost Adjustment Factor

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-24

..., http://www.stb.dot.gov . Copies of the decision may be purchased by contacting the Office of Public...)] Quarterly Rail Cost Adjustment Factor AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board. ACTION: Approval of rail cost adjustment factor. SUMMARY: The Board has approved the fourth quarter 2012 rail cost adjustment factor (RCAF...

Analysis of minimum rail size in heavy axle load environment

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-15

The effects of increasing axle loads on rail integrity are examined in this paper. In the present context, rail integrity refers to the prevention and control of rail failures. Rail failures usually occur because cracks or defects develop and grow fr...

Guidance for Developing a Freight Transportation Data Architecture

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Public and private decision makers must understand the freight transportation system, its use, its role in economic development, its environmental impact, as well as other consequences in order to respond effectively to growing logistical requirement...

An Early Evaluation of Italian High Speed Rail Projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paolo Beria

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Italy has undergone, in the last 15 years, an exceptional public financial effort to build approximately 1,000 km of high speed rail lines. Further extensions are under construction or planned, especially in the most important international relations. This network is widely considered as fundamental to comply the European vision of a continental-wide transport system.The paper analyses the past and the future of such network, where possible from a quantitative point of view. The first part of the article reviews the history of the Alta Velocità scheme, particularly focusing on the issues related to the economic regulation of the investments and the financial troubles at first and then on the present issues related to the regulation of rail services.The analysis of the supply, the time gains, the demand and the costs allows to build a simple but independent evaluation of the past projects from an ex-post perspective, pointing out the successes, but also important critical issues.The second part of the paper analyses the future expansion plans looking at the costs, the existing and expected demand and derives some policy indications and cost reduction strategies capable both to control public expenditure in a period of crisis and not to abandon the idea of a modern and effective rail network.

Zero emission city logistics: current practices in freight electromobility and feasibility in the near future

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Quak, H.J.; Nesterova, N.N.; Rooijen, T. van; Deng, Y.

2016-01-01

This paper examines the feasibility of using electric powered vehicles in urban freight transport from a carrier’s perspective, including their attitudes towards electric freight vehicles (EFVs) and all relevant elements affecting this business case, such as: technological features, existing

The Extended Generalized Cost Concept and its Application in Freight Transport and General Equilibrium Modeling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tavasszy, L.; Davydenko, I.; Ruijgrok, K.

2009-01-01

The integration of Spatial Equilibrium models and Freight transport network models is important to produce consistent scenarios for future freight transport demand. At various spatial scales, we see the changes in production, trade, logistics networking and transportation, being driven by

The Homogeneity Research of Urban Rail Transit Network Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Fu-jian

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Urban Rail Transit is an important part of the public transit, it is necessary to carry out the corresponding network function analysis. Previous studies mainly about network performance analysis of a single city rail transit, lacking of horizontal comparison between the multi-city, it is difficult to find inner unity of different Urban Rail Transit network functions. Taking into account the Urban Rail Transit network is a typical complex networks, so this paper proposes the application of complex network theory to research the homogeneity of Urban Rail Transit network performance. This paper selects rail networks of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou as calculation case, gave them a complex network mapping through the L, P Space method and had a static topological analysis using complex network theory, Network characteristics in three cities were calculated and analyzed form node degree distribution and node connection preference. Finally, this paper studied the network efficiency changes of Urban Rail Transit system under different attack mode. The results showed that, although rail transport network size, model construction and construction planning of the three cities are different, but their network performance in many aspects showed high homogeneity.