MPC
Project Details

Title:	Freight Railway Track Maintenance Cost Model
Principal Investigators:	Denver Tolliver, Doug Benson, and Pan Lu
University:	North Dakota State University
Status:	Completed
Year:	2010-11
Project #:	MPC-357
RH Display ID:	12625
Keywords:	economic development, freight traffic, freight transportation, maintenance of way, railroad tracks, sketch planning

Abstract

The objectives of the project are to: (1) assess the utilities of existing track models, (2) formulate track maintenance models for freight railways, (3) estimate the model from publicly available data, and (4) publish the models and equations, as well as the results, so they can be used for planning and comparison. The models will be estimated from Class I railway data reported to the Surface Transportation Board over a 25-year period with expenditures averaged over three-year intervals to control for variations in scheduled track maintenance. Maintenance expenditures will be modeled as a function of gross ton-miles, unit train frequency, speed, rail weight, class of track, and other key variables. Appropriate statistical techniques will be used to glean information from the cross-sectional/time-series (panel) dataset. A simple model will be developed that can be applied at a system level. More detailed models will be developed that can be applied in more specific situations when information about rail weights and trains speeds are available.

Project Deliverables

• [Final Report] Railroad Investment in Track Infrastructure — MPC-18-365
  • View Research Brief