1. Home
  2. TRID
  3. View Record
https://www.nationalacademies.org/trb/events

United States Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) Summary of the Rail Shared Use Feasibility Study Report

This paper describes how, in 2006, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Joint Program Office (JPO), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), and Federal Transit Administration (FTA), jointly sponsored a study that examined the feasibility of commingled operations (concurrent shared track operations) of light rail passenger vehicles and low-volume conventional freight trains that would provide an equivalent level of safety as that of current operations. Specifically, this study explores and examines the concept, potential approaches (operating rules and procedures, existing and new technologies, and vehicle crashworthiness), market, and business case of commingled shared track operations in the United States. To keep the project scope manageable, the study was limited to short-line railroads and light rail transit (LRT) systems (i.e., it did not include Class I railroads, commuter rail systems, or heavy rail systems). The study was initiated because LRT agencies have expressed great interest in conducting commingled shared track operations with low-volume freight trains. LRT agencies have approached the USDOT on several occasions seeking guidance and assistance on shared use. Also, the USDOT wanted to explore and determine the applicability of ITS technologies as an enabler of rail shared use. The study was conducted in parallel with Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Project A-27, “Shared Use of Railroad Infrastructure with Non-FRA Compliant Public Transit Rail Vehicles.” The TCRP project was similar in scope but it was conducted at a more detailed, local level and focused on providing guidance to practitioners (e.g., transit agencies) on shared track operations. The federally sponsored Rail Shared Use Feasibility Study was conducted at a more general, national level and focused on providing input to the U.S. DOT for federal policy. The federal study was intended for research only; research results were not to be construed as a change in the joint statement of agency policy of the FRA and FTA concerning shared use. This paper provides a summary of the Rail Shared Use Feasibility Study report. The information in the paper is substantially from the federally sponsored study report including the figures, which are directly from the report. The authors of this paper would like to thank and acknowledge the researchers and writers of the study report for granting permission for the use of this information.

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Media Type: CD-ROM
  • Features: Figures; References; Tables;
  • Pagination: 10p
  • Monograph Title: 2007 Proceedings Rail Conference

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01051822
  • Record Type: Publication
  • ISBN: 1931594260
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Jun 19 2007 8:29AM