Professional development course in passenger rail
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief
The Railroad Engineering and Safety program at the University of Delaware is offering a new, interactive program focusing on the organization and fundamental operations of passenger railways, March 7-8, 2018, at the university’s Newark, Del., campus.
Designed for engineers and other railway professionals who work with regional/commuter rail and rail transit (light rail/streetcars and rapid transit), the two-day program provides comprehensive content that includes principles of efficient operation, measures of operating performance, scheduling, system safety, system assurance, and integration of various railway subsystems to optimize operating performance.
Among the topics:
• Basics of railway subsystems (track, vehicles, train control, right-of-way).
• Classification of railway modes and sub-modes by railway subsystems.
• Operational Characteristics of important sub-modes.
• FRA regulations
• FTA and state safety oversight.
• Transportation
• Engineering and maintenance-of-way.
• Rolling stock equipment.
• Customer service
• System safety and security
• Planning and scheduling, rules (operations support).
• Dispatch/management of movements.
• Scheduling and measures of capacity.
• Service philosophies and planning.
• Service concepts.
• Scheduling to meet or create demand.
Instructors:
• Allan M. Zarembski, Ph.D., P.E., FASME, Hon. Member of AREMA, joined the University of Delaware faculty as Research Professor and Founding Director of UD’s Railroad Engineering and Safety Program in 2012. An internationally recognized authority in the fields of track and vehicle/track system analysis, railway component failure analysis, track strength, and maintenance planning, Dr. Zarembski founded and served as President of ZETA-TECH Associates, Inc., a technical consulting and applied technology company in 1984, now an independent business unit of Harsco Rail. Prior to that, he had served in R&D positions with Pandrol, Inc. and Speno Rail Services Co., and was Manager of Track Research for the Association of American Railroads. He has also served as Deputy Director of the ASME’s Track Train Dynamics Program, and has presented numerous railroad engineering short courses throughout the U.S.
• Alfred Fazio, P.E., has 40 years experience in freight and passenger rail. Born in Brooklyn, his favorite transit system is the New York City Subway. He has worked for Amtrak, New Jersey Transit’s RiverLINE, and Twenty First Century Rail in Northern New Jersey, and has particular expertise in DBOM models. Fazio holds a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering from Villanova University, a Master’s in Environmental Engineering from Drexel University, a Master’s in Applied Mechanics from the University of Pennsylvania, and is a registered Professional Engineer. He is a member of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) as well as the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). He has also served as a member of the Engineering faculty at the U.S. Naval Academy and at Widener University.
The Railroad Engineering and Safety program at the University of Delaware is housed within the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, and is conducted by Dr. Zarembski. It offers courses to undergraduate, graduate, and professional and continuing education students.
