advertisement

---

The Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) track inspection vehicle fleet now numbers five. The agency recently acquired two custom-built automated vehicles — designated the T-19 and T-20 — that will help the FRA triple annual track inspection capacity to about 100,000 miles.

Primarily used on high-volume lines that handle hazardous materials and passenger trains, the vehicles can detect rail flaws and record track geometry measurements in real time. The machines also identify problem areas via a Global Positioning System location and send data to the appropriate railroad to take corrective actions.

By June’s end, the T-19 is scheduled to inspect track in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio; and the T-20, in Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington.