BAA 2021 Appendix C Amended 4_16_2021.pdf

FRA BAA 2021 – April 2021

Federal Railroad Administration Office of Research, Development, and Technology

Broad Agency Announcement – BAA 2020

Appendix C – Research Topics

Note: Concept papers may be submitted at any time, through the closing date of the research topic.

Track Research

Topic Title Closing Date for Concept Papers

FRA-TR-001

Research in Response to Track Division Strategic

Priorities (see BAA Section 2.3) June 4, 2021

FRA-TR-002

Physics-based Predictive Modeling of Rail Failures due to Internal Defects June 4, 2021

FRA-TR-003

Automated Detection of Track Buckling Indicators

Using Change Detection June 4, 2021

FRA-TR-004

New Methods to Quantify and Manage Lateral

Track Resistance or Longitudinal Rail Force for Track Buckling Prevention

June 4, 2021

FRA-TR-005

Improving the performance of rail welds in track through new inspection technologies, stress-reducing support conditions, or improved welding technologies

June 4, 2021

FRA-TR-006

Vibration Measurements for Determining Lateral

Track Strength June 4, 2021

FRA-TR-007

Automated Broken Spike Detection (Amended

4_16_21) June 4, 2021

FRA-TR-008

Drone-based Technologies for Railroad Track

Inspection June 4, 2021

FRA-TR-009

Modeling 3-Dimensional Wheel-Rail Contact

Geometry June 4, 2021

FRA-TR-010 Modeling Changes in Rail Profile June 4, 2021

FRA-TR-011 Improved Freight Car Friction Wedge Model June 4, 2021

FRA-TR-012

Substructure Pore Water Pressure and Matric Suction Sensor Development and Assessment June 4, 2021

FRA-TR-013 Advanced Imaging for Roadbed Condition June 4, 2021

Rolling Stock and Equipment

Papers

FRA-RS-001

Research in Response to Rolling Stock Division

Strategic Priorities (see BAA Section 2.4) June 4, 2021

FRA-RS-002 Protecting Hazardous Material Tank Cars from Heat June 4, 2021

FRA-RS-003 Energy and Environmental Sustainability June 4, 2021

FRA-RS-004

Developing an Electrical Power System for

Individual Freight Car Application June 4, 2021

FRA-RS-005

Advanced On-Board Ride Quality Meter with Ultra

Low Power Consumption June 4, 2021

FRA-RS-006

Blockchain Technology for Automated Rolling Stock

Inspection and Maintenance Management, and Railway Operation Systems

June 4, 2021

Train Control

Papers

FRA-TC-001

Research in Response to Train Control and

Communications Division Strategic Priorities (see BAA Section 2.5)

Human Factors

Papers

FRA-HF-001

Research in Response to Human Factors Division

Strategic Priorities (see BAA Section 2.2) June 4, 2021

FRA-HF-002

Organizational Stressors and Risk Management in

Rail Operations June 4, 2021

FRA-HF-003

Cognitive and Behavioral Factors Influencing

Performance of Railroad Workers June 4, 2021

FRA-HF-004

Human Factors in Software for Automated Rail

Systems

Railroad Systems Issues

Papers

FRA-RSI-001

Research in Response to Railroad Systems Issues

Strategic Priorities (see BAA Section 2.1) June 4, 2021

FRA-RSI-002

Addressing Equity Challenges in Evolving Railroad

Workforce Training Trends and Best Practices June 4, 2021

FRA-RSI-003

Workforce Recruitment - Attracting and Retaining

Women in Rail June 4, 2021

FRA-RSI-004

Influencing Successful Practices in Knowledge

Management within the Railroad Industry June 4, 2021

FRA-RSI-005 Resiliency Planning for Rail Infrastructure June 4, 2021

FRA-RSI-006

Rail’s Contribution to CO2 Emissions and Modal-

Shift Impacts June 4, 2021

Track Research

Topic: FRA-TR-001

Title: Research in Response to Track Division Strategic Priorities (see BAA Section 2.3)

This topic is reserved for research projects that do not respond to one of the following topics, but are responsive to the strategic priorities detailed in BAA Section 2.3

Topic: FRA-TR-002

Title: Physics-based Predictive Modeling of Rail Failures due to Internal Defects

The goal of this research is to develop a new methodology based on the application of innovative artificial intelligence (AI) techniques for the prediction of rail failure due to internal defects. This effort will combine rail and track inspection data (including, but not limited to, track geometry and rail profiles information) to analyze how characteristics in the field defined by these data can affect the failure of a known internal rail defect using validated physics-based modeling (i.e., materials science and fracture mechanics). The resulting methodology from this effort should provide decision makers with critical information regarding the time (or, equivalently, tonnage) to failure based on the above-mentioned criteria to optimize maintenance strategies. Accurate geolocation of known defects as well as initial size estimations when discovered are of the utmost importance to the success of this research.

Furthermore, offerors must demonstrate (1) an established experience in the development of AI algorithms and physics-based modeling for railway-related applications, and (2) a confirmed partnership with a railroad and/or other rail-related entity for the relevant datasets necessary to progress the research described here.

Topic: FRA-TR-003

Title: Automated Detection of Track Buckling Indicators Using Change Detection

Locomotives are equipped with forward-facing cameras that provide a clear view of what is in front of the locomotive as it is in operation. The video obtained from these cameras can provide an opportunistic source of information regarding the current condition of the track in potentially unsafe environmental conditions (e.g., extreme heat). This topic seeks to determine the feasibility of an advanced machine-vision approach using commercially available AI-based technologies for inspecting track ahead of the locomotive for indications of lateral movement that may be indicative of imminent track buckling (e.g., application of change detection methods to detect noticeable movement of the track against a fixed point of reference). The objective is to apply such an approach to video footage from the locomotive forward-facing cameras to observe and report on the current state of the track (i.e., movement or no movement) during successive passes of trains in typical revenue service operations. It is expected that the technology will accurately and precisely geolocate areas of concern for reporting to decision makers.

The selected offeror(s) will have identified a single, high-value technology for further development and, based on this technology, will complete preliminary engineering activities necessary to assess the viability of the new technology for autonomous operation on locomotive-based platforms. Successful offeror(s) will demonstrate a clear understanding of the limitations and challenges associated with autonomous technology deployment in the railroad environment. The proof-of-concept report will include a feasibility analysis, including risk assessment, a conceptual system design and integration plan, and a refined plan for continued development. Offerors planning to utilize recorded video from locomotive-based forward-facing cameras must demonstrate a confirmed partnership with an operating railroad for access to such data for research purposes. Alternatively, other feasible means of safely and legally obtaining video footage necessary for successfully accomplishing the objectives of this project are acceptable.

Topic: FRA-TR-004

Title: New Methods to Quantify and Manage Lateral Track Resistance or Longitudinal Rail Force for Track Buckling Prevention

Lateral track resistance and stress state of rail are two key parameters that drive rail safety.

Effective management of these two parameters is critical to preventing track buckles.

For several years, the FRA has pursued research on a reference-free Rail Neutral Temperature measurement technology. This year, we have expanded our effort to include all technologies that can assistant in quantifying and managing lateral resistance or longitudinal forces in track.

FRA’s objective with this topic is to develop technologies that can quantify or measure one of these two important parameters to improve safety.

Requirements for the proposed projects are:

o Non-destructive to the track structure o Practical and economical for railroads and service providers to implement o Improves safety o Researchers demonstrate understanding of previous efforts and current state of the art.

Topic: FRA-TR-005

Title: Improving the performance of rail welds in track through new inspection technologies, stress-reducing support conditions, or improved welding technologies

This topic solicits projects that can lower the risk of this potential weak spot by one of the following approaches:

• developing a new technology to inspect welds better

• quantifying how different rail support conditions can increase or decrease the stress on a weld, and suggest practical solutions to lower this stress.

• developing a welding technology to improve the material properties and strength near and at the weld while being practical and cost effective for the railroads to implement.

Topic: FRA-TR-006

Title: Vibration Measurements for Determining Lateral Track Strength

Track buckling is one of the leading sources of track-caused derailments, so identifying locations that may be prone to this failure mode is a critical first step to improve rail safety. This topic will support research to determine whether direct, non-contact measurements of the lateral and longitudinal vibrations of each in-situ crosstie can identify areas where lateral track strength is weak. Proposed research must make these measurements from a moving vehicle.

The topic is not intended to rate the crosstie nor to characterize the ballast. Rather, the objectives are to determine whether the vibration measurements can act as a proxy measurement for the consolidation between the crosstie and ballast and whether that proxy measurement is related to lateral track strength.

Topic: FRA-TR-007 (Amended 4_16_21)

Title: Automated Broken Spike Detection

FRA RD&T is conducting research to identify the root cause(s) of spike failures (all types) in wood tie track. Publications highlighting this research are available here:

https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/investigating-prominent-failure-mode-cut-spikes-used-elastic-fastening-systems https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/timber-crosstie-spike-fastener-failure-investigation https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/timber-crosstie-spike-fastener-failure-investigation-field-evaluation-alternative-fastener https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/investigating-prominent-failure-mode-cut-spikes-used-elastic-fastening-systems https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/investigating-prominent-failure-mode-cut-spikes-used-elastic-fastening-systems https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/timber-crosstie-spike-fastener-failure-investigation https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/timber-crosstie-spike-fastener-failure-investigation-field-evaluation-alternative-fastener https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/timber-crosstie-spike-fastener-failure-investigation-field-evaluation-alternative-fastener

Many spike failures occur below the surface of the tie and are not identifiable with visual methods. It can be challenging to locate these failures in track. The objective of this topic is research and development of an accurate, non-destructive, and automated tool to detect broken spike fasteners in wood-tie track. FRA and TTCI have completed a preliminary investigation of ultrasonic techniques to identify cracked or broken spikes in track. Published results of this work are available here: Technical Report Link . Offerors may choose to advance the research of these ultrasonic techniques, or propose novel methods of detection. TTCI is pursuing a provisional patent covering the intellectual property developed in their work. Offerors pursuing research that uses these ultrasonic techniques may have to license intellectual property from TTCI should the offeror eventually develop a commercial product.

Topic: FRA-TR-008

Title: Drone-based Technologies for Railroad Track Inspection

FRA conducts research and development of applications for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, or drones) for improving the safety and efficiency of track inspection activities. In this topic, FRA seeks novel approaches to effectively leverage this new technology for track inspection at very low level altitudes (200 feet AGL or below). Research targets may include, but are not limited to the following:

• GPS-denied UAV navigation over railroad tracks, including track centering to ensure continuous navigation over the same rail when multiple rails are in the field of view

• Edge computing applications to improve data storage and processing on board UAV

• Machine Vision technologies for situational awareness, feature detection and classification – establishing performance requirements for UAV-based track inspection

• Special track work inspection, especially switch and frog point wear, missing fasteners, etc

• Advances in the use of UAVs to complete safety surveys of grade crossings, including technologies that enable limited beyond visual line of sight operations.

Research findings shall inform future FRA performance requirements for drone-based track inspections. Operations will be demonstrated in a relevant environment, corresponding to Technology Readiness Level 6 and above. Operations can be flown within visual line of sight (VLOS) initially, and the solution set may represent part of a future beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operational solution for railroad inspection. All research shall be compliant with FAA Part 107 regulations unless offeror’s have existing waivers or COAs established with the FAA.

https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/automated-broken-spike-detection-phase-i

Topic: FRA-TR-009

Title: Modeling 3-Dimensional Wheel-Rail Contact Geometry

Modeling of Vehicle-Track Interaction dynamics in multibody software packages requires accurate prediction of wheel-rail contact geometry. Vehicle-Track Interaction software packages typically represent a wheel as a 2-dimensional profile, or as a uniform revolution of a 2-dimensional profile in some cases. Consequently, 3-dimensional wheel-rail contact geometry is not accurately modeled, and codes are limited in their ability to predict contact locations that may occur in reality. The FRA seeks research to advance the state of the art in vehicle-track interaction modeling and simulation to more accurately and realistically represent the wheel/rail contact geometry. Our vision is to obtain a wheel-rail contact geometry algorithm that is based on examination of a full 3-dimensional wheel representation that allows for profile changes along the wheel radially, and is capable of predicting contact at any location along the wheel’s surface. FRA is interested in generic, non-code specific solutions with physical explanation that can be integrated into any of the commercially available vehicle-track interaction modeling packages.

Topic: FRA-TR-010

Title: Modeling Changes in Rail Profile

Modeling of Vehicle-Track Interaction dynamics in multibody software packages requires accurate prediction of wheel-rail contact geometry. Vehicle-Track Interaction software packages typically model longitudinal variations in rail profile as a series of discrete 2-dimensional profiles that often create discontinuities at their transitions. The FRA seeks research to advance the state of the art in vehicle-track interaction modeling and simulation to more accurately and realistically represent the rail profile. Our vision is the ability to obtain a wheel-rail contact geometry algorithm, based on an examination of a full 3-dimensional rail. The algorithm would be capable of representing longitudinal variations in rail profile, would treat the rail as a continuous surface, and will predict wheel-rail contact position at any location along the rail’s surface. The FRA is interested in generic, non-code specific solutions that can be integrated into any of the commercially available vehicle-track interaction modeling packages

Topic: FRA-TR-011

Title: Improved Freight Car Friction Wedge Model

Modeling of freight car dynamics in Vehicle-Track Interaction multibody software packages requires accurate modeling of friction wedges. Many Vehicle-Track Interaction software packages have implemented friction wedge models with various levels of model fidelity. To date, no implementation appears capable of capturing friction wedge behavior sufficiently to replicate vertical and lateral dynamics and stability of railroad freight cars. The FRA seeks research to advance the state of the art in vehicle-track interaction modeling and simulation to more accurately and realistically represent the friction wedge behavior. Our vision is to get a standard suspension element model that is capable of accurately representing the dynamic behavior of friction wedges, including stick-slip behavior, used in railroad freight car suspensions. The FRA is interested in generic, non-code specific solutions that can be integrated into any of the commercially available vehicle-track interaction modeling packages.

Topic: FRA-TR-012

Title: Substructure Pore Water Pressure and Matric Suction Sensor Development and Assessment

The pore water pressure in the track substructure is one of the key indicators of available strength to resist applied train loads. Increased pore water pressure due to inadequate drainage directly reduces available strength. The dynamic loading of the track can result in increased pore water pressure that could be problematic if not dissipated prior to the next wheel pass or train pass. Conversely, matric suction can increase available strength in partially saturated conditions, which are expected to be common. To support further evaluation of the impact of pore water pressure and matric suction on track performance and capacity, a sensor or group of sensors shall be designed for various critical track substructure conditions and tested in the lab and field. Particular focus on wireless technology and ease of installation are key elements to the success of these types of measurements to avoid excessive disturbance of the track structure that could change drainage conditions. The overall vision is the creation of a reliable, wireless sensor with combined pore water pressure, matric suction, and moisture level measurements.

Topic: FRA-TR-013

Title: Advanced Imaging for Roadbed Condition

The rapid deployment of cameras on most inspection systems has increased the number of views of the track structure. In this research, technology will be investigated to extract additional information including the use of infrared imaging, multispectral imaging, and advanced image processing. Focusing on the roadbed, this research will identify important detection targets and link the targets to available technology and processing schemes to identify applicable technology and analysis procedures. For instance, trapped moisture in track is a common cause of condition deterioration that is potentially detectable using infrared technology when the moisture affects the thermal conductivity of the track structure near the surface. Hyperspectral imaging is expected to be suitable to identify changes in the gradation of ballast and the presence of moisture. In these cases, a description of the detection scenario and data processing methodology will be required to demonstrate the potential for deployment on an inspection vehicle or as a tool used by an inspector.

Rolling Stock and Equipment Research

Topic: FRA-RS-001

Title: Research In Response to Rolling Stock Division Strategic Priorities (see BAA Section 2.4)

This topic is reserved for research projects that do not respond to one of the following topics, but are responsive to the strategic priorities detailed in BAA Section 2.4.

Topic: FRA-RS-002

Title: Protecting Hazardous Material Tank Cars from Heat

Increased volumes of hazardous material transport by rail (i.e.: LNG, crude oil, ethanol), observed consequences of corresponding derailment events, and current research on the ability of these tanks to survive post-derailment fire conditions have raised interests about the thermal protection levels needed to transport hazardous materials by rail. FRA is interested in research that can help address such interests, including research on the performance of tank cars involved in a fire, improvements in thermal protection, and improved techniques for modeling thermal behavior or other related research that can enhance the safety of hazardous material transport under fire conditions.

Topic: FRA-RS-003

Title: Energy and Environmental Sustainability

Investigate advances in alternative fuels (natural gas, hydrogen, etc.) and alternative propulsion systems for rail vehicles that are efficient, safe and suitable for intended applications.

Investigate technologies that can improve efficiency and emissions of locomotives.

Topic: FRA-RS-004

Title: Developing an Electrical Power System for Individual Freight Car Application

FRA is seeking concept papers focused on making available a power supply component or system that can be applied to individual freight cars for use in powering security, safety and operational improvement devices. These features are becoming increasingly more important to the safety of railroad operations. Currently there is a system in development that requires a power line down the full length of a train; and although it has proven promise, single car applications would be more easily adopted by the industry due to less upfront expenditures.

This is because the system could be applied to individual cars instead of relying on a train-length power line.

Topic: FRA-RS-005

Title: Advanced On-Board Ride Quality Meter with Ultra Low Power Consumption

Ride quality meters have been developed for various rolling stock measurement and inspection purposes. The FRA has historically supported research to advance this technology, and several systems have been adopted by the rail industry, to ensure the safety of passenger and heavy haul freight services in the US.

Recent advancements in sensor technologies have now produced accelerometers and other sensors that have ultra-low power consumption. In addition, advancements in telecommunications technology have improved the speed and bandwidth available for sensor communications. This research topic seeks to investigate the feasibility of applying new and emerging sensor technology to ride quality monitoring applications in rail that will result in more widespread use of these systems.

Another objective of this research topic is to investigate the feasibility of a new architecture for a smart phone App to act as a functional ride meter. In addition to GPS receivers, most modern smart phones are equipped with gyros and 3-D accelerometers. If proven successful, the proposed App agriculture will be defined to allow phone users to capture the roll and acceleration environment inside any moving rail vehicle. These data can be used for identifying unsafe conditions within the vehicle suspension system or for detecting rough track conditions.

The proposed App could also be configurable to trigger and record exceptions and their GPS locations based on thresholds set by the user. If the architecture is proven feasible, it can guide the future development of an App for wide-spread use by rail safety and performance practitioners. Furthermore, it may empower many FRA's safety inspectors to use their phones as advanced tools for detecting various unsafe conditions and for making timely recommendations for remedial actions.

Topic: FRA-RS-006

Title: Blockchain Technology for Automated Rolling Stock Inspection and Maintenance Management, and Railway Operation Systems

National freight transportation strategies emphasize a continued need to address safety, security and resilience, and increased global economic competition, particularly in transporting passengers or certain hazardous material goods. Conventionally, specialized train operation and rolling stock inspection and maintenance management systems are used to ensure safety and security. Railroad companies are near completing the implementation of advanced train control systems on their key rail routes, promising to greatly enhance safety, security, and productivity.

These systems with the additional investment in telecommunication capabilities promise to revolutionize train operation and rolling stock maintenance management. Such systems will increasingly rely on various electronic transactions reflecting various inspection, maintenance and operation orders. Applying blockchain technology offers dynamic flexibility and controlled decentralization to enable rolling stock inspection, maintenance and operation managers to make decisions which are safeguarded and protocolled in an auditable manner.

Blockchain technology offers features and capabilities with the potential to revolutionize train operation management by increasing operational autonomy while greatly improving safety, cybersecurity, resilience and auditability. They offer ways for dynamic operations management to overcome failures due to interference that is caused by accidental or deliberate attack, or a loss of communication nodes. Using blockchains for railway control creates decentralization while ensuring overall system safety and conflict free. Additionally, a blockchain-based approach may enhance billing-related transactions for train-to-train/machine-to-machine economy and life-cycle approaches for condition-based monitoring and predictive maintenance in train operations. A fundamental need related to these areas is the feasibility and effectiveness of such technologies in train operations to enhance safety, robustness, resiliency, efficiency and effectiveness, in addition to assessing technology maturity, suitability for integration with current practices, and its potentials not only freight but passenger trains.

Train Control

Topic: FRA-TC-001

Title: Research in Response to Train Control and Communications Division Strategic Priorities (see BAA Section 2.5)

This topic is reserved for research projects that do not respond to one of the following topics, but are responsive to the strategic priorities detailed in BAA Section 2.5.

Human Factors

Topic: FRA-HF-001

Title: Research In Response to Human Factors Division Strategic Priorities (see BAA Section 2.2)

This topic is reserved for research projects that do not respond to one of the following topics, but are responsive to the strategic priorities detailed in BAA Section 2.2.

Topic: HF-002

Title: Organizational Stressors and Risk Management in Rail Operations

Around-the-clock operations can have major effects on railroaders. Factors such as irregular hours of work, long shifts, and unpredictability of on-duty times can impact safety risk due to human errors. FRA is interested in identifying organizational safety risks and implementing mitigation strategies to address those risks.

Research proposals may address, but are not limited to:

(1) Shiftwork

(2) Effectiveness of predictive work schedules

(3) Workplace and organizational stress

(4) Organizational risk management

(5) Call times

Topic: HF-003

Title: Cognitive and Behavioral Factors Influencing Performance of Railroad Workers

Individuals and groups (teams) of workers perform safety critical jobs in the railroad industry under a variety of personal (age, sleep deprivation, motivation, memory, etc.), environmental (noise, temperature, vibration, etc.), and social (status, role, etc.) conditions. FRA seeks to understand the factors that have significant impacts on safety and job performance to enhance outcomes.

Research proposals may address, but are not limited to:

(1) Situational awareness

(2) Fatigue and impairment

(3) Training and new technology

(4) Cognitive and behavioral factors impacting performance of railroaders

(5) Risk mitigation strategies

(6) Railroad team dynamics and critical thinking

Topic: HF-004

Title: Human Factors in Software for Automated Rail Systems

Many human tasks are now being taken over by machines and automation. However, humans are still responsible for operational outcomes or task and job completion. FRA is interested in research that addresses the design, and testing of software that enables automation to occur and the extent to which human factors, or human system requirements are considerations in software engineering for rail automated systems.

Research concepts and proposals may address, but are not limited to:

• Requirements generation for the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning software that includes the human-machine interface.

• Risks of deskilling with the use of automation

• Potential human performance issues related to training and operations with the introduction of automated systems

• Human role changes with automated systems and job/task completion, considerations in software design

• Automated system software testing, evaluation, and validation that includes human-in-the-loop

RSI - Workforce Development Research

Topic: FRA-RSI-001

Title: Research In Response to Railroad Systems Issues Strategic Priorities (see BAA Section 2.1)

This topic is reserved for research projects that do not respond to one of the following topics, but are responsive to the strategic priorities detailed in BAA Section 2.1.

Topic: FRA-RSI-002

Title: Addressing Equity Challenges in Evolving Railroad Workforce Training Trends and Best Practices

Training the current and future rail workforce is rapidly evolving, partially resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Technologies and approaches to facilitate learning at all levels have been increasing. This evolution of training and educational delivery will impact learning methods and delivery dramatically and pose a challenge to ensure all trainees or students are given equitable opportunities to develop their skills. This comprehensive approach should place an emphasis on diversity, exploring training equity issues and opportunities in Minority-Serving Institutions, technical/vocational/trade schools, community colleges, and other underrepresented groups and locations. The objectives of this research are to:

• Identify the most effective methods for railroad training across the trainee/student spectrum.

• Identify learning barriers posed by new training practices (access, equity, diversity, inclusion).

• Identify training equity criteria and measures of successful implementation.

• Identifying inequities in certifying training and work experience and the transportability of credentials across the industry.

• Identify methods to provide academic institutions the ability to identify and rapidly adapt and respond to emerging workforce development requirements.

• Identify training institutions that have railway education programs and promote the reskilling/upskilling needed for trade and craft positions in the railroad industry’s workforce.

• Explore opportunities to build effective partnerships and networks with Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) which include historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to connect the needs of MSI in achieving training equity.

Topic: FRA-RSI-003

Title: Workforce Recruitment - Attracting and Retaining Women in Rail

The composition of women in rail transportation jobs is a challenge in the US and globally. A recent International Railway Journal cited that women traditionally comprise just over 20% of the workforce in the European railway sector (compared to roughly 7% in the US, according to 2019 Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Population Survey), although it indicates that this share is steadily increasing. Many countries even restrict women’s access to jobs in (rail) transportation. It is widely understood in the railroad industry that diversity is critical to a productive and innovative workforce. FRA seeks to identify the barriers and obstacles that exist in the rail industry’s ability to attract more women to careers in rail. In addition, we want to consider other industry’s practices and experiences in this area to create a more balanced, inclusive workforce. The objectives of this research are to:

• Identify historical challenges women have faced in becoming railroad employees.

• Identify the current attitudes, gender-specific barriers, cultural norms and beliefs

(written and unwritten) regarding women in traditionally male-dominated positions.

• Identify lessons learned, strategies, and practices that organizations are implementing to attract more women in the workplace.

• Identify sources of potential employment recruitment pools.

• Examine the potential role of rail- and/or transportation-specific organizations and the types of initiatives, programming, partnerships they have developed and recommend opportunities to build/expand bridges within the rail industry.

Topic: FRA-RSI-004

Title: Influencing Successful Practices in Knowledge Management within the Railroad Industry

This topic seeks to understand and identify standards and successful practices in knowledge management (KM) in the railroad industry. The industry has consistently identified KM as a major workforce issue as referenced in FRA’s research reports. As retirements and workforce shrinkages continue to negatively impact in-house knowledge, railroad leaders need to consider aggressive planning of a robust knowledge management strategy that captures their organization’s intellectual capital. Traditional methods of building successful career paths into and within the railroad industry need to be rethought and re-designed to accommodate new, diverse, and prepared/teachable talent (inclusive of those with or without previous railroad experience). The objectives of this research are to:

• Provide a foundation and/or framework that considers people, process, technology, and information/data.

• Identify appropriate measures of outcomes and impact, and other rail-specific factors necessary to transfer critical knowledge.

• Determine how KM should be integrated into other aspects of employee growth and development – including training, onboarding and developmental experiences, and other phases of the employee life cycle.

• Consider practices from other industries and their applicability, feasibility, and scalability with regards to railroads.

Topic: FRA-RSI-005

Title: Resiliency Planning for Rail Infrastructure

Rising sea levels and more frequent and intense storm events are examples of climate threats to the nation’s transportation infrastructure, including its railroad network. It is important to consider these threats to our infrastructure resiliency as the nation invests in railroad system rehabilitation, enhancement, and expansion activities. This topic seeks research to better understand the risks posed by extreme weather events on the US rail system and to improve the rail infrastructure investment process by accounting for these risks. The product of this research will educate and inform rail owners and operators of current and forecasted climate-related risks to critical infrastructure and will provide an architecture for rail investment planning that accounts for these risks. This is a broad area of research. FRA expects offerors to organize their work scopes into a prioritized series of case studies based on offeror-determined impact levels.

Topic: FRA-RSI-006

Title: Rail’s Contribution to CO2 Emissions and Modal-Shift Impacts

The decision process for rail infrastructure investments often includes a comparison between alternative modes of transportation, and the respective impact of each alternative on the environment. FRA seeks research to better estimate the total CO2 emissions impact of regional passenger and freight rail corridors and to more precisely compare this impact to other transportation modes, e.g. air, roadway, and marine. The research should include a comprehensive analysis of all sources of emissions, including construction, maintenance, and operational sources.