RAILROAD RESEARCH: THE CHANGING EMPHASIS

When founded, the Federal Railroad Administration had the safety regulation functions of the ICC and the high-speed ground research mission of the Department of Commerce. New legislation in the past five years has given FRA a much broader research role. The general decision was made to concentrate efforts on near-or intermediate-term problems, rather than long-term advanced systems. Today there are four areas of emphasis: Rail safety, freight systems, passenger systems and "soft" research--as opposed to the hardware orientation of the preceding three missions. FRA has defined R&D goals and strategies to assure that all future R&D activities fit into an overall scheme.

• Corporate Authors:

  American Society of Mechanical Engineers

  Two Park Avenue
  New York, NY  United States  10016-5990
• Authors:
  • Parsons, R E
• Publication Date: 1976-4

Media Info

• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: p. 29-33
• Serial:
  • ASME Journal of Mechanical Engineering
  • Volume: 98
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: American Society of Mechanical Engineers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Development; Freight transportation; High speed ground transportation; Industry structure; Management; Operations; Passenger transportation; Research; Safety
• Identifier Terms: U.S. Federal Railroad Administration
• Uncontrolled Terms: Research and development
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Freight Transportation; Passenger Transportation; Railroads; Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00131755
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 3 1976 12:00AM