Rail Group On Air TRB Long Freight Train Consensus Study

In 2021, the U.S. Congress directed the Secretary of Transportation
to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine – Transportation Research Board (TRB) “to
conduct a study on the operation of freight trains that are longer
than 7,500 feet.” Railway Age reported on the 105-page study, “Long
Freight Trains: Ensuring Safe Operations, Mitigating Adverse
Impacts – TRB Special Report 353.” Sponsored by the Federal
Railroad Administration, the TRB convened a 12-member committee
“with experience in freight and passenger railroad operations,
state rail transportation, national rail safety oversight, and
freight and passenger rail research” that met 16 times (six in
person) to examine impacts of long trains and invited presentations
from individuals and organizations. Meetings focused on railroad
technology and highway-rail grade crossings. This Rail Group On Air
podcast features six of those members and TRB Senior Program
Officer and Study Director, Consensus and Advisory Studies David O.
Willauer, who coordinated their participation: • Debra L. Miller
(Chair), Former Secretary, Kansas Department of Transportation and
former Surface Transportation Board Vice Chair. • Gary F. Knudsen,
Locomotive Engineer, BNSF Railway (retired). • Allan Rutter,
Freight Analysis Program Manager, Texas A&M Transportation
Institute and former Federal Railroad Administrator. • Dr. John M.
Samuels (National Academy of Engineering), President, Revenue
Variable Engineering and retired Senior Vice President Operations
Planning and Budget, Norfolk Southern. • Peter F. Swan, Associate
Professor of Supply Chain Management, Emeritus, The Pennsylvania
State University. • Paul E. Vilter, Assistant Vice President
Planning, Commercial Services, and Sustainability, Amtrak
(retired).