AAR explains reasons for FRA waiver request to allow ATI

The Association of American Railroads this week issued a public statement on why it's seeking a federal waiver for track inspection regulations.

In April, the AAR asked the FRA for a waiver to its track inspection regulations so that railroads could incorporate automated track inspection (ATI) into their track inspection practices. Railroads are not seeking to replace visual inspections, the AAR said in its public statement. Rather, they want to integrate ATI with manual inspections "in a way that puts inspectors and technology where they’re most effective — a modern, data-driven approach designed to catch more issues sooner and further reduce risk," AAR officials said.

ATI helps improve safety by using lasers and cameras mounted to locomotives or rail cars to inspect track at speed as trains move across the network, according to AAR. This would enable railroads to identify defects invisible to the human eye; assess track structural performance under the load of a train, which manual inspections cannot replicate; and gather data that can be analyzed for patterns or warning signs to develop a more predictive model for addressing track maintenance.

One pilot program that tested ATI identified 200 times more defects than visual inspections, while another showed an over 90% reduction in unprotected FRA mainline defects when ATI was employed, AAR officials said.

If the waiver is granted, the blend of ATI and manual inspections would speed up and expand safety inspections, enhance worker safety and make track inspection more efficient, according to AAR. 

To read the association's fact sheet on ATI, click here.