MxV Rail completes loop track for FAST facility in Colorado

MxV Rail has marked the completion of a new loop track to support the Facility for Accelerated Service Testing (FAST®) facility at its multi-campus operation in Pueblo, Colorado.

The new FAST loop has capabilities similar to prior tracks, including the ability to balance between efficient tonnage accumulation and rail temperature concerns while maintaining a 40-mph test speed. It also features a reduced number of curves to provide a longer tangent, and a longer and sharper reverse curve, increased to 6 degrees.

Research and operations teams at MxV Rail — which is an Association of American Railroads (AAR) subsidiary — are accumulating tonnage and data on the FAST track.

“This could be the most impactful 2.8 miles of track in the industry in terms of advancing science and technology in railroading,” said MxV Rail President and CEO Kari Gonzales. “Being able to design and build out the new FAST loop, based on more than 40 years of institutional knowledge and expertise, was a unique opportunity."

MxV Rail is planning more than 30 experiments in 2024. By accumulating 140 million gross tons or more of heavy-axle load traffic per year, the FAST operation is a staple of the AAR’s Strategic Research Initiatives program and is considered the proving ground for new technologies tested in a real-world freight-rail environment, MxV Rail officials said.

Some of the research being conducted now includes technologies designed to detect defective wheels and broken rail; the longevity of new metallurgical formulations and processing techniques for wheels and rails; the performance and stability of new track structure through frequent assessments of strength, movement and loading; the performance of different ties and rail fastening systems; and the safety and longevity of new design bridge-deck components.