PI: Katherine A. Flanigan
University: Carnegie Mellon University
Industry Partner: Railroad Development Corporation
The interdisciplinary CMU research team, along with Pittsburgh-based transit provider Pop-Up Metro (Railroad Development Corporation), will investigate the use of low-cost onboard sensing technologies to assist railroads in verifying and identifying track defects and performance along US freight and passenger corridors. Specifically, the goal of the project is to test the feasibility of rolling stock-mounted accelerometers in determining the Federal Railroad Administration’s classification of track. Such a system would help increase the volume of railroads, increase the maximum operation speed of passenger systems, and increase safety across the US railroad network. Furthermore, the project could help to identify new segments of track that could be revitalized with passenger rail rather than become abandoned, a growing problem among rural and suburban tracks in the US. The team hopes that by identifying feasible PA rail corridors, railroads and PennDOT will be able to start passenger service in the near future.