TTCI: New Name, Same Aim
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
MxV Rail will continue to lead the Strategic Research Initiatives (SRI) program, “an important industry effort that aims to improve all aspects of rail transportation,” AAR President and CEO Ian Jefferies reported on March 15.
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) on March 15 reported that its wholly owned subsidiary, the Transportation Technology Center, Inc., has a new name: MxV Rail.
The aim remains the same: “to support the development and safe deployment of innovative technologies to increase the safety, reliability, and efficiency of the railroad industry.”
“The nation’s major railroads—both passenger and freight—enthusiastically support MxV Rail,” AAR President and CEO Ian Jefferies said during the announcement at the AAR Annual Research Review in Pueblo, Colo.
The new name, MxV Rail, “is based on the formula for momentum: mass x velocity, evoking our dedication to creating the momentum needed to move our industry forward,” MxV Rail President and CEO Kari Gonzales said. “Our experts are guided by the principles of rigor, innovation, collaboration and real-world applicability that are key to helping solve the industry’s most pressing challenges—immediate and long-term.”
The name, she added, “communicates our purpose and demonstrates that our value and industry contributions are not dependent on a single location.”
MxV Rail will continue to lead the Strategic Research Initiatives (SRI) program, “an important industry effort that aims to improve all aspects of rail transportation,” Jefferies reported. “This week’s Annual Research Review demonstrates that MxV Rail is the only organization equipped to conduct this essential work at the new facilities.” (Access to 30 years of SRI program research was recently made available online.)
This fall, MxV Rail will move to a new, larger facility in Pueblo County, located just south of the existing USDOT (FRA)-owned Transportation Technology Center, which MxV Rail has operated under contract for about 40 years. (MxV Rail’s contract ends in fall 2022, at which time ENSCO becomes the new contract operator.) Construction is already under way at PuebloPlex, which will feature a high-tonnage loop for accelerated service testing, curve negotiation loops, and additional track infrastructure to support AAR-certification testing.
