Chicago Common Operational Picture (COP)

Chicago is the nation’s busiest rail hub. Each day, nearly 1,300 trains pass through the region. The Common Operational Picture (COP) is a secure, web-based system that receives real-time data on the locations of trains and the state of tracks, signals and switches from all rail carriers in the Chicago area and presents the data on graphic displays. The COP system will assist the Chicago Transportation Coordination office, train dispatchers, terminal superintendents and other rail transportation personnel to effectively coordinate train movements in order to better manage the movement of freight and passenger travel throughout the Chicago area. This system has potential value in a number of places where there are high-density, multiple railroad operations.

The COP project has been funded by the Federal Railroad Administration as a Cooperative Agreement in the amount of $654,570 and has been matched by the Class I railroads. The project is scheduled to run through 2011.

Clean Diesel Locomotives

Reducing emissions from diesel engines is an important air quality challenge in the United States. In 2009, nationwide diesel emission came from 11 million engines in the existing diesel fleet which contribute to the formation of ozone and additional fine particles in the atmosphere. To meet the challenge of reducing exhaust emissions from diesel engines, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established the National Clean Diesel Campaign (NCDC) to address emissions from new engines and the millions of diesel engines already in use. The NCDC created awareness of the urgency of the public health programs associated with diesel emissions and to accelerate the use of new technologies to reduce harmful emissions. The Railroad Research Foundation has received funding for two locomotive idle reduction programs.

• Funding has been provided by EPA to repower switch locomotives in EPA Region 3 to help reduce emissions and improve air quality. The project has been funded as a two-year Cooperative Agreement in the amount of $975,000 and has been match by CSX for $644,000.
• Funding has been provided by EPA to repower switch locomotives in rail yards in Shreveport, Louisiana (EPA Region 6) to reduce emissions through the installation of technology that reduces idling of the main drive engine of diesel vehicles in 40 switch locomotives. The RRF partnered with Kansas City Southern Railroad for the two-year grant project funded as a Cooperative Agreement in the amount of $531,614.

Positive Train Control

Positive Train Control (PTC) describes technology designed to automatically stop or slow a train before certain accidents occurs. In particular, PTC is designed to prevent train-to-train collisions, derailments caused by excessive speed, unauthorized incursions by trains onto sections of track where maintenance is taking place, and movement of a train through a track switch left in the wrong position. The Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (RSIA) requires Class I railroads to install PTC systems on their tracks that carry passengers or toxic-by-inhalation (TIH) materials by the end of 2015. Approximately 70,000-80,000 miles of rail miles will be affected by the PTC mandate. The Railroad Research Foundation currently operates two projects related to this federal mandate. One project relates to the development of the design for an interoperable train control “proof of concept.” Interoperability is an important concept in that it will allow PTC equipped trains to work seamlessly throughout the entire network. Part of this project involves the development of standard interfaces and interoperable messaging communication protocols. This portion of the work is currently funded by the FRA for $2,500,000 until 2012.

Additionally, the FRA has engaged the Railroad Research Foundation to research areas where some deficiencies in PTC design could be corrected to increase operating efficiency. Examples of these corrections include adaptive braking algorithms to reduce conservative enforcement, improvement of communication networks, broken rail detection, accurate train weight determination, and improved train positioning. The project has been funded as a Cooperative Agreement for two and a half years. The current award’s funding is in the amount of $2,250,000. This project is scheduled for completion in 2012