UIC honor bestowed to TTCI FAST program

Developed at TTCI in Pueblo, Colo., the FAST Program was created to fully assess the safety, technical and economic issues related to increased heavy axle loads. In the past 24 years, the FAST Program has continued to serve as a unique, world renowned testing facility used to evaluate countless rail research projects from around the world, AAR says. These projects, and the research work done by TTCI, have greatly enhanced the safety and efficiency of the railroad industry worldwide.

“The world’s scientific community has an enormous ability for finding breakthrough solutions to significantly raise the level of dependability, quality, safety and customer-friendliness of railways,” said Boris Lapidus, International Railway Research Board (IRRB) chairman at UIC. “Our aim is to establish conditions to discover the best solutions and growth of prestige of rail research organizations and individual researchers.”

“The work done at TTCI has helped to make railroads one of the world’s most innovative, safe, and efficient forms of freight transportation,” said AAR President and CEO Edward R. Hamberger. “UIC’s recognition of those efforts is an honor that is well-deserved and I congratulate all those who, over the years, have been involved in the transformational work that has been done through the FAST Program.”

“We are delighted that the outstanding results provided by the dedicated professionals at our world-class railroad research center at TTCI have been recognized by the receipt of this prestigious international award,” said AAR Senior Vice President Bob VanderClute. “For decades, our member railroads have utilized the research results to cultivate their operations in a more safe and economical manner.”

The UIC Innovation and Railway Research Award was presented in conjunction with the international rail organization’s 90th anniversary. This marks the first year that these awards have been presented for rail research leading to innovations in five categories: safety and security; sustainable development; rail system technology; rail freight services; and cost reductions. The FAST Program was one of 41 eligible submissions for the award.