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Rail Research at TRB
 The mission of the Transportation Research Board is to provide leadership in transportation innovation and progress through research and information exchange, conducted within a setting that is objective, interdisciplinary, and multimodal. This page highlights recently released TRB reports, meeting announcements, requests for proposals, and other announcements related to railroads. In addition, it includes links to selected railroad research-related activities taking place at the federal and state levels, and within the academic and international transportation communities. Finally, this page also highlights and provides links to TRB railroads-related programs and activities, which are the source of most of TRB’s railroad-related research products. |
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What's New
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TRB Railroad-Related Programs and Activities
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 2020 TRB Annual Meeting: Exhibit Space Still AvailableDecember 13, 2019 Act now to secure your exhibit space at the 2020 TRB Annual Meeting, January 12-16, 2020, in Washington, D.C. All indications are that attendance at the meeting will be the largest ever. Don't miss this opportunity to demonstrate your organization's support for transportation research and innovation, and to showcase your products and services to more than 13,000 transportation professionals. So... |
2020 TRB Annual Meeting: Thank You, PatronsDecember 13, 2019 The Transportation Research Board thanks its 2020 TRB 99th Annual Meeting Patrons who are showing their support for transportation research and innovation, and aiding TRB in its mission to provide leadership in transportation innovation and progress through research and information exchange. TRB 99th Annual Meeting will be held January 12-16, 2020, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center,... |
 “Tell Us ‘Our’ Story” - How has TRB enhanced the performance of your organization?December 13, 2019 TRB officially turns 100 on November 11, 2020. To help celebrate the centennial TRB is asking you to “Tell Us ‘Our’ Story.” The TRB “Tell Us ‘Our’ Story" centennial activity is designed to allow as many of you (TRB’s volunteers and friends) as possible to participate in the TRB Centennial Celebration through the submission of your stories, which are our stories. The “Tell Us ‘Our” Story” cente... |
 TR News has a new look and wants your storiesDecember 12, 2019 In a letter from the Editorial Board of TR News, the many changes and updates that TRB's official magazine is undergoing are detailed. The magazine is starting now to be available digitally to subscribers and members of TRB committees and panels. A free year-long subscription will also be available to people who submit articles that get published. So email us now to become a subscriber . And do... |
Featured Centennial Paper - Advancing Knowledge of the Marine Transportation SystemDecember 10, 2019 In 1863 the National Academy of Sciences, TRB's parent organization, took on two studies on ironclad ships. The Academies' presence in the marine industry remains strong to this day as detailed in part by TRB's Marine Group Centennial Paper - Advancing Knowledge of the Marine Transportation System. As part of TRB's Centennial Celebration, the Technical Activities Council invited all... |
 Managing Transportation Systems in a Fast-Changing WorldDecember 6, 2019 Self-driving cars, rising temperatures and sea levels, increasingly strong weather events, changing citizen preferences, and innovations in technologies that are revolutionizing purchasing behavior, social interaction, financial transactions, communications, and travel—the transportation world is changing very rapidly. Transportation Research Circular E-C256: Managing Transportation Systems in ... |
 Building a business case for increasing diversity in the transportation workforce December 5, 2019 Recent studies show that organizations with the most diverse workforces realize better decision-making and more efficiency, innovation, and profitability than do their less-diverse peers. This article in TR News Issue 323 (September/October 2019) details demographic trends shaping the nation’s workforce—the large millennial population, the rise of neurodiverse workers, and dramatically increase... |
 Which of Your Colleagues Have Contributed to TRB's Centennial Activities? Join Them Today!December 5, 2019 TRB turns 100 on November 11, 2020. You are invited to join your colleagues listed below who have contributed to the TRB Century Club to support activities that will mark the anniversary; promote the value of transportation research; and celebrate the achievements of TRB’s volunteers, sponsors, affiliates, and staff. Details on the Century Club and a link to contribute is available at https://... |
2020 TRB Annual Meeting: Sunday Group Centennial PhotoDecember 5, 2019 Be a part of TRB history! All 2020 Annual Meeting attendees are invited to participate in a group photo to celebrate TRB’s centennial. Come to Ballroom C in the convention center on Sunday, at 1:00 p.m., and the photo will be taken promptly at 1:15 p.m. Space in the ballroom is limited to about 2,000 and attendees will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis. Register and make hotel res... |
Featured Centennial Paper - Rural Public Transportation: History and ProspectsDecember 3, 2019 Before the mid-1970s, publicly-supported transportation services open to the general public were rarely available in rural communities. In TRB's Rural Public and Intercity Bus Transportation Committee's Centennial Paper, learn how over the last five decades, TRB’s Rural Public and Intercity Bus Transportation Committee and its members have helped document, research, and share through regular co... |
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Technical Activities Standing Committees
TRB's Technical Activities Division provides a forum for transportation professionals in all modes and functions to identify research needs and to share information on research and issues of interest. The Division's staff of specialists in each mode and discipline work with a network of volunteers to carry out activities on behalf of TRB sponsors and the transportation community, including the TRB Annual Meeting, conferences and workshops, publications, visits to each state, and responses to inquiries. This network includes members and friends of over 200 standing committees, supplemented by designated TRB representatives in each state, over 150 universities, and 35 transit agencies. |
Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2)
Congress established the SHRP 2 in 2006 to find strategic solutions to three national transportation challenges: improving highway safety, reducing congestion, and improving methods for renewing roads and bridges. Research was focused in four areas, which are described below. The program carried out 145 research projects and produced 130 products as well as 132 research reports. |
Safety Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (IDEA) Program
TRB's Safety Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (IDEA) Program is designed to provide an opportunity to investigate new and unproven concepts or to evaluate novel applications of technologies that have been tried, tested or used for safety systems practice.
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Research in Progress in this Subject Area
TRB's Research in Progress (RiP) Database now contains more than 11,900 current or recently completed transportation research projects. Most of the RiP records are projects funded by federal and state departments of transportation. University transportation research is also included. The RiP Database also serves as a clearinghouse of University Transportation Centers ongoing research. |
Research Needs in this Subject Area
An important function of TRB is to stimulate research that addresses concerns, issues, or problems facing the transportation community. In support of this function, TRB Technical Activities standing committees identify, develop, and disseminate research need statements (RNS) for use by practitioners, researchers, and others.
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Research Completed in this Subject Area
TRB's TRID is integrated database that combines the records from TRB's Transportation Research Information Services ( TRIS) Database and the OECD's Joint Transport Research Centre’s International Transport Research Documentation ( ITRD) Database. TRID provides access to over 900,000 records of transportation research worldwide. |
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