Amd 2_Questions for Parametric RFQ_Second Set_03042026.pdf

ID

Question to FRA Reason / What to Clarify Government Response

1 Past Performance If a completed CPARS is not available, will the Government accept a completed Past Performance Questionnaire or an equivalent questionnaire?

Yes. Please use attachment J.4.

2 Past Performance The solicitation documents include both a Contractor Performance Self‑Assessment Worksheet and a CPARS worksheet. Please clarify whether offerors are required to submit both for each project, or whether the Self‑Assessment Worksheet is intended as an alternative when a CPARS is unavailable.

J.4 may be used as a past performance questionaire if required.

J.5 is meant to be part of the information provideed with clause H.9 POSTAWARD

EVALUATION OF CONTRACTOR

PERFORMANCE. However, it was listed as J.4 rather than J.5. Please see Amendment 2.

4 Technical question Who is responsible for collecting and acquiring the data that will be used in rail operations simulation/modeling?

The quoter is primarily responsible for collecting and acquiring the data.

5 Staffing question Are there any restrictions regarding the use of support staff who reside in Canada, Australia, or the UK?

This would have to be determined on a case by case basis. However, given the nature of the work

6 Technical question Section 2.1 describes the validation of the model using “real world” data. Does the FRA have any data sets that one can consider using for validation purposes? Or would the contractor be expected to acquire and generate this data?

FRA will work directly with the contractor to review internal resources, including a limited inventory of Class I railroad track charts and freight flow data. Additional localized data resources will be needed to support validation, such as the physical characterisctis of the rail line (informed Class I railroad traffic charts);

traffic chaffic characteristics (e.g train lenghts, mix of traffic) and operating parametrics (dispatching, policy, operating speeds). It is anticipated that survey information will obtained through a collaborative effort with FRA staff to engage Class I railroad partners.

Government Response to Questions 03032026 - Updated

7 Technical question The same section also requires a peer review process. While it can be valuable, it also often requires a significant time investment, in particular responding to comments. If the contractor is expected to respond and implement reviewer comments, can this process be moved up to the initial stages of the work? And can the FRA designate reviewers upfront that are not expected to participate in this RFP?

FRA anticipates that input from external partners would provide value and could potentially coincided with more than one project milestone. It is anticipated that the most sigifncant peer review effort would occure upon the completion of the model (post -validation) to assess functionality and sufficiency of the model to support use by project sponsors and freight railroads. Many peer engagement activities may be conducted virtually, and not require in-person engagement. There may be additional opportunties to engage outside experts (not affiliated with this RFP) for input on tasks, such as the determination of capacity meausres and performance measures and model design/specification.

8 Technical question Objective 1.2 requires the development of baseline scenarios. Is there a specific number of geographic corridors or diverse operating environments (e.g., mountainous terrain vs.

flat prairies) the FRA expects to be included in the initial validation set?

The parametric model will be representative of a wide range of conditions and properly validated through sensitivity analysis and structured testing against independent data.

This ensures the model accurately captures the underlying physical or statistical behavior across different scenarios rather than fitting only a single dataset. While the SOO does not prescribe a set number of validation scenarios or specific corridor for validation, the number will be determined in consultation with FRA based on ‘reasonably’ available data for internal and third party sources. The 1975 Parametric report is a useful resource to review for additional context. It is anticipated that the number of validation test cases will be 5 or less.

9 Technical question The award date is noted as TBD. Can the FRA provide any detail on why a target date has not been set, and what is the likelihood of it being awarded in 2026?

It is anticipated that the award will be made within a couple of weeks of the completions of the oral presentations

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