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    <title>Transport Research International Documentation (TRID)</title>
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    <copyright>Copyright © 2026. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright>
    <docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs>
    <managingEditor>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</managingEditor>
    <webMaster>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</webMaster>
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      <title>Transport Research International Documentation (TRID)</title>
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    <item>
      <title>Signal Wake Model (SWM)</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2675149</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Signal Wake Model (SWM) is a detailed computer simulation model which allows analysis of the effect of a signal system on the movement of following trains. Specifically, the simulation moves a fleet of trains over a given signal plant as close together as the signal system allows. Minimum train headways are determined at each signal location. SWM is often used in conjunction with the Route Capacity Model (RCM) for analyzing the capacity of a CTC rail line. Specifically, RCM implements a simulation of train movements based on the headways provided to it by the SWM. This report outlines the capabilities of the Canadian National Railways (CN) Signal Wake Model (SWM) and describes the design of the model from a user perspective.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 15 Mar 2026 17:52:28 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2675149</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Route Capacity Model (RCM)</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2675148</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Route Capacity Model (RCM) is a software tool for analyzing the capacity of a CTC rail line. Specifically, it implements a simulation of train movements that can be used to determine train delays under different plant, traffic and maintenance conditions. The RCM is often used in conjunction with the Signal Wake Model (SWM) that determines the minimum train headway input for the Route Capacity Model. This report outlines the capabilities of the Canadian National Railways (CN) Route Capacity Model (RCM) and describes the design of the model from a user perspective.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 15 Mar 2026 17:52:28 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2675148</guid>
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      <title>Meteorological risk assessment of Canadian transcontinental freight railway</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2453061</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Railway transportation, integral to Canada’s supply chain, is recognized for its reliability and safety, yet its complexity introduces various risks. In this study, a meteorological risk assessment of the Canadian transcontinental freight railway is performed using a comprehensive spatial analysis. Flood (areas prone to flood risk across the province), rain (maximum daily precipitation in mm), snow (maximum snowfall in cm), minimum temperature (minimum temperature in Celsius), and wind (maximum gust speed in Km/h) have been selected as factors to generate meteorological risk maps of the Transcontinental Freight Canadian National Railway (CN) for the Saskatchewan and Ontario provinces. The study generated five integrated risk maps, varying in factor weighting approaches, including equal weight, score-based weighting, expert opinion-based Analytical Hierarchy Process, and seasonal considerations for both warm and cold seasons. These risk maps demonstrate hotspots and hazardous areas that require more attention and planning to maintain the continuity of the supply chain. The results of this study can be used to enhance safety, reduce service disruptions, and ensure the smooth operation of the railway network.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 27 Nov 2024 13:43:15 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2453061</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Geotechnical Evaluation of Subdivision Setback from River Valley Slopes</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2190871</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This paper addresses a geotechnical study to determine the desirable setback of housing lots from the crest of a valley slope for a 160-acre subdivision bordered on its east by a 30 m deep river valley and a Canadian National Rail (CNR) track, and on its south by a 20 m deep ravine. This study was prompted by observations from aerial photos of past slope instability along the east valley slope above and below the rail track, and along the ravine slopes. Historic geotechnical reports from the CNR indicated significant instability with the east slope and railway track twenty-eight (28) years before and proved invaluable to the overall study.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 23 Aug 2024 16:53:43 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2190871</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>In- and Out-of-Plane Bending in Steel Through-Truss Bridges</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1927412</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Steel through-truss is a very common configuration for railroad and highway bridges. There is a large number of such spans in surface transportation infrastructure worldwide, especially in railway systems. In design and evaluation, these spans’ in- and out-of-plane bending have been either omitted or approximated. A fuller understanding of this effect will be able to assist in reliably designing and assessing these structures for longevity and/or increasing allowable service load to facilitate economic developments. A full scale load test is performed in this paper on five such bridges of the Canadian National Railway (CN) using train load. The main truss elements prone to in- and out-of-plane bending are identified and strain-gauged including the hanger (L1U1 or L’1U’1). Out-of-plane bending is seen to produce more significant flexural stress than in-plane bending. Three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulation is also verified by physical tests and covers other uninstrumented members of the tested spans. These results are used to evaluate the accuracy of a new and simplifying two-dimensional (2D) analysis method for the most significantly bent vertical hanger out-of-plane. The 2D method is shown to capture a significant portion of the bending but still underestimate flexural stress. An empirical and hybrid approach is therefore developed and recommended to address the inadequately accounted out-of-plane bending for routine practice of design and evaluation. It is needed when resources for detailed 3D analysis are not readily available, and/or when a quick and reliable method is needed, e.g., for verification or calibration of another method. These results are also useful for stress range estimation for fatigue analysis, although fatigue is not a concern to these bridges and is therefore not specifically addressed in this paper. CN has adopted the recommended method and the other research findings in load-rating their existing through-truss bridges.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 25 Apr 2022 15:51:04 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1927412</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>A time–space formulation for the locomotive routing problem at the Canadian National Railways</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1918714</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This paper addresses the locomotive routing problem, a large-scale railway optimization problem that aims to determine the optimal sequence of trains to be followed by each locomotive in a given fleet, while considering locomotive maintenance over a weekly planning horizon. By using commodity aggregation and flow decomposition techniques, the authors design a tractable integer linear program for the problem. The formulation is based on a time–space network representation of the problem that allows tracking of the maintenance status of specific locomotives over the planning horizon and to manage locomotive assignments to trains based on their current maintenance status. It also considers locomotive repositioning, train connections, and utilization of third-party locomotives (i.e., foreign power). Computational experiments on real instances from the Canadian National Railways show that the model is tractable despite its size and can be solved optimally within reasonable computing times. The authors' methodology performs favorably when compared to historical data supplied by the industrial partner. The solutions satisfy train schedules and locomotive maintenance while requiring fewer locomotives and less repositioning.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 28 Feb 2022 09:40:57 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1918714</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>The Locomotive Assignment Problem with Distributed Power at the Canadian National Railway Company</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1841187</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Some of the most important optimization problems faced by railway operators arise from the management of their locomotive fleet. In this paper, the authors study a general version of the locomotive assignment problem encountered at the tactical level by one of the largest railroads in North America: the Canadian National (CN) Railway Company. The authors present a modeling framework with two integer linear programming formulations and contribute to the state of the art by allowing decisions on each train?s operating mode (distributed power or not) over the whole (weekly) planning horizon without partitioning it into smaller time windows. Given the difficulty in solving the problem, one of the formulations is enhanced through various refinements, such as constraint relaxations, preprocessing, and fixed cost approximations. The authors thus achieve a significant reduction in the required computational time to solve instances of realistic size. The authors also present two versions of a Benders decomposition?based algorithm to obtain feasible solutions. On average, it allows a reduction of the associated computational time by two hours. Results from an extensive computational study and a case study with data provided by CN confirm the potential benefits of the model and solution approach.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 21 May 2021 10:55:12 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1841187</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Charting the Next Century</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1725435</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This article discusses CN's challenges and opportunities related to long-term growth. The importance of rail-centric supply chains and crude by rail is examined. CN's efforts to address infrastructure, safety, and a sluggish motor vehicles sector are also explored.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 31 Aug 2020 17:40:27 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1725435</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Emerging from a Deep Freeze</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1581927</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In this article, the author explores Hunter Harrison's  "precision railroading" business model that once proved successful for CN but, more recently, has been unable to meet the needs of the changing industry landscape. CN's approach to meeting its new challenges will be to still employ the best of precision railroad's efficiencies, but without turning away long-standing customers. The article profiles CN's upcoming and ongoing projects for the Western, Eastern and Southern Regions.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 01 Apr 2019 10:14:26 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1581927</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Railroad Accident Brief: Canadian National Railway Employee Fatality, Homewood, Illinois, July 25, 2015</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1435223</link>
      <description><![CDATA[On July 25, 2015, at 8:36 a.m. central daylight time, a Canadian National Railway Company (CN) yard conductor died after he tripped, slipped, or fell while trying to board a train. He was working at the CN Markham Yard in Homewood, Illinois. The crew included a locomotive engineer, a conductor (the deceased), a brakeman, and a utility man; train R96991-25 consisted of two locomotives and 12 cars. The weather was clear and sunny with a temperature of 76°F. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was that the conductor slipped, tripped, or fell during his attempt to board locomotive GTW 4927 as it passed at 12.5 mph, which is three times the maximum authorized speed to board moving equipment.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov 2016 14:53:20 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1435223</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Muscular Metrics</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1429447</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In this article, the author explores the successful operations of CN, which continues to be one of North America's best run railroads despite challenging economic times. The article highlights CN's investments in infrastructure, equipment and customer service; the company's financial outlook; and the leadership responsible for the company's success.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 21 Nov 2016 13:23:47 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1429447</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Color Vision and the Railways: Part 2. Comparison of the Canadian Railways and Railway LED Lantern Tests</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1345711</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Based solely on the current practices of the rail industry, there are two lantern tests available. They are the CN Lantern, which is used on the Canadian Railways and the Railway LED Lantern Test (RLLT) used on other railroads. The design of the lanterns differs in the same way that the signaling practices differ in the two jurisdictions. The Commission Internationale de l’Éclairage (CIE) recommends color vision standards for both lanterns. The study assesses the appropriateness of these lanterns in CIE Color Vision Standard 1, which is considered to be "normal color vision." However, some very mild anomalous trichromats may pass the specified lantern test, which presents a higher level of difficulty. The lantern tests were undertaken by 46 color vision-normal (CVN) and 37 color vision-deficient (CVD)subjects. Subjects made more errors on the RLLT, and the pattern of errors is different because there are blank presentations in the RLLT and "no light" is an acceptable response. The two lanterns showed agreement on the pass/fail categorization of 73 of the 83 subjects. The RLLT fails more color vision-normal subjects.  The RLLT and Canadian Railways Lantern have pass/fail levels that are comparable with the Holmes-Wright Type B lantern, which is nominated in CIE Color Vision Standard 1 but no longer commercially available. The article addresses the higher failure rate of color vision-normal subjects on the RLLT by changing the intensities of the two darkest red lights.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 28 Apr 2015 15:09:36 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1345711</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Assessing the Potential of a Technology to Map the Subgrade Stiffness Under the Rail Tracks</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1337901</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Canadian railways pass through a wide variety of terrains, with the most problematic foundation soils being the glacio-lacustrine clays and very soft muskeg. Soft subgrade materials are prone to sudden failure and large plastic deformation which are a safety concern for rail operations. The locations of soft subgrade are not known due to the lack of an economical method to map the extent of track stiffness. A new technology developed at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) (Greisen, 2010; McVey et al., 2005) allows for the measurement of the vertical deflection of the track structure under constant axle loads moving at normal track speeds. This paper presents the preliminary findings from testing of the technology to map the subgrade stiffness on Canadian National’s Lac la Biche subdivision (LLBS). The resultant data showed that the system is sensitive to the effects of track joints. This sensitivity obscures the larger scale variations in deflection due to soft subgrades. To mitigate the impact of the joints, a simple filtering procedure has been proposed to interpret the data at a large scale. The filtered data are used to map the relative stiffness of the subgrade along the LLBS. In addition, the historical track geometry defects data on the LLBS has been used to quantify the impact of soft foundations on degrading track geometry. The preliminary results show that the UNL system has the potential to be used as a measure of rail track performance.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 27 Jan 2015 11:22:56 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1337901</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Expanding Canadian National's Kirk Yard</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1335452</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This article discusses how the expansion of the Canadian National (CN) Railroad Kirk Yard will aid in the economic development of the Chicago area. The 350 acre yard is located in Gary, Indiana and can handle longer and more efficient trains with improved interchange and switching operations. The yard delivers a significant gain in productivity and creates new capacity for growth in the Chicago area with higher car velocity and throughput. The benefits to the area include multiple interchange points around the Chicago terminal, increased car velocity and decreased dwell time which will decrease travel time through the area by 4 to 6 hours.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 02 Jan 2015 10:15:27 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1335452</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Canadian Issue Study Final Project Report</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1323873</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This Canadian Issues Final Project Report presents the Final Project Report for the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA)-sponsored Canadian Issues Study. The Final Project Report is presented as an Executive Summary of previously submitted deliverables, with an emphasis on the overall applicable Study conclusions, findings, and recommendations. The Final Project Report draws information from the other deliverables prepared for the Study: Deliverable #1 – Regulatory Review Report: This report presents an in-depth legislative/regulatory analysis comparing Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) with the Canadian National Safety Code (NSC) for motor carriers, and the status of provincial implementation of the NSC. Deliverable #2 – Significant Issues Report: This report contains a summary of the major issues that are currently impacting the ability of the two countries to achieve harmony and reciprocity. Deliverable #3 – Past, Present, and Future Collaborative Issues Report: This report presents a detailed history of past, present, and planned future collaborative efforts between the two countries at the Federal, State, and provincial levels of government. Deliverable #4 – Regulatory Compliance Impact Analysis Report: This report analyzes the impact of compliance with FMCSRs on Canadian motor carriers. Deliverable #5 – US/Canadian Cross-Border Motor Carrier Web Page: This is an interactive Web page that provides motor carriers with access to operating and regulatory requirements in each country. Deliverable #6 – Outreach Brochure: This brochure presents information on Web page content, access and use and will be made available to the motor carrier industry in both countries. The report also describes the study objectives, provides a synopsis regarding the methodologies used to conduct study activities, and contains two appendices showing the resulting regulatory comparison between the FMCSA’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations with Canada’s National Safety Code, and a sample presentation of the Outreach Brochure that will provide information to US/Canadian drivers relating to commercial vehicle operations for both countries.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 29 Sep 2014 12:10:26 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1323873</guid>
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