US Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy has announced that the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Railroad Safety Board has officially approved a temporary new waiver that allows US railroads to expand the field testing of automated track inspection (ATI) technology.
The move aims to allow companies to collect data that will lead to the advancement of new safety technology.
Valid for a five-year period; the waiver will enable demonstrations on ways ATI technology may be used to assist safety inspectors by identifying defects or hazards that may otherwise be missed during routine visual inspections.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy, said:The new waiver will allow U.S. railroads to complement visual track inspections with innovative technology that will identify issues on our rail before they become a serious safety threat for rail passengers and crew.
Achieving the highest standards of safety is the top priority and this research can help our industry unlock the latest and greatest methods to get American families to their destinations as safely and efficiently as possible.
