Sample Task 2.pdf

HYPOTHETICAL TASK 2: Standardization of Passenger Rail Rolling Stock

Background‐

The over the next twenty years, much of the Amtrak Fleet will be replaced, new intercity passenger corridor operations will be established and substantial numbers of commuter cars will be placed into service. While the US freight industry is a model of standardization with benefits to lifecycle cost and performance, the US transit industry lacks such standards. Some transit properties even have non‐ standard gage. As the Federal Government and the States seek to establish new fleets of passenger rolling stock for intercity and commuter service across the nation, efforts are underway establish standards for the new fleet to help control life cycle costs, re‐establish the passenger rail rolling stock supply chain, create new American jobs, and improve efficiency in maintenance and operation of the fleet. There are some who argue against standardization because they believe it prevents innovation.

Others argue for it to reduce costs and improve safety.

Objective: This task is intended to identify the costs and benefits of standardization of some elements of the future passenger rail fleet and develop a plan for developing and implementing standards.

Offerors should describe their understanding of the different types of standards which could be developed, the advantages and disadvantages of each, the items which might benefit most from standardization, the potential benefits and downsides of establishing standards and the potential sources for standards, the barriers to the development and implementation of passenger rail standards and their approach to overcoming those barriers.

FRA seeks a proposal for this purpose, complete with required tasks, a well defined schedule, identifying all resources to be deployed, data sources to be tapped, and the proposed method for developing consensus on the standards. Respondents must provide a proposal complete with labor categories and rates, material costs, fees travel costs and a well defined schedule. The approach that the respondents plan to use and the rationale for using the selected approach, prior experience in undertaking similar projects within the rail industry. A full cost proposal must be presented.