1 / 12

William Browder Director of Operations, Association of American Railroads

WEATHER INFORMATION NEEDS / REQUIREMENTS RESULTS. Railway Perspective. William Browder Director of Operations, Association of American Railroads. OVERVIEW. Weather Information Needs / Requirements Results. PRECIPITATION TEMPERATURES VISIBILITY WINDS.

kermit
Download Presentation

William Browder Director of Operations, Association of American Railroads

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. WEATHER INFORMATION NEEDS / REQUIREMENTS RESULTS Railway Perspective William Browder Director of Operations, Association of American Railroads

  2. OVERVIEW Weather Information Needs / Requirements Results • PRECIPITATION • TEMPERATURES • VISIBILITY • WINDS

  3. WEATHER INFORMATION NEEDS / REQUIREMENTS RESULTS Precipitation • Frozen Precipitation - General ConditionAction*Lead-time • Frozen Precipitation Maintain safe Operator's transportation. Discretion • Freezing Rain/Icing Clear tracks and 2-hrs power rails/wires. • Inclement weather Rail schedules 1-2 hrs leading to early altered. Add release of commuters passenger cars. • Snowfall/Drifting snow Mobilize staff. 24 hrs (optimum) Icing/Freezing Rain Stage equipment. 8-hrs (minimum) *Accumulation and lead-time affect the decision process

  4. WEATHER INFORMATION NEEDS / REQUIREMENTS RESULTS Precipitation • Frozen Precipitation - Specific Condition(Preparation)Action*Lead-time • Snowfall 0-2" Mobilize staff. Stage 24-hrs equipment. 8-hrs min. • Snowfall 2-6" Initiate appropriate action 12-hrs plan. • Snowfall 6-8" Initiate appropriate action 12-hrs plan. • Snowfall > 8" Initiate appropriate action 12-hrs plan. *Accumulation and lead-time affect the decision process

  5. WEATHER INFORMATION NEEDS / REQUIREMENTS RESULTS Precipitation • Frozen Precipitation - Specific Condition(Execution)Action*Lead-time • Snowfall 0-2" Mobilize staff. Stage 24-hrs equipment. Maintain Ops. 8-hrs min. • Snowfall 2-6" Maintain Ops. Rail Real-time. restrictions optional. • Snowfall 6-8" Maintain Ops. Service Real-time. delayed or altered. • Snowfall > 8" Reduced operations. Real-time. Suspend operations. *Accumulation and lead-time affect the decision process

  6. WEATHER INFORMATION NEEDS / REQUIREMENTS RESULTS Precipitation • Liquid Precipitation - General ConditionActionLead-time • Heavy precipitation Speed reductions. Operator's Discretion • Heavy precipitation Maintenance checks for Operator's roadbed washout. Discretion • Flooding Protect trains. Warn Minimal engineers. Adjust schedules, re-route traffic, or cancel routes; as necessary.

  7. WEATHER INFORMATION NEEDS / REQUIREMENTS RESULTS Precipitation • Liquid Precipitation - Specific ConditionActionLead-time • Flooding Alter or delay rail schedule, 1-hr as necessary. Check pumps in flood prone areas. • Flooding Inspect bridges, trestles, 1-hr tunnels, and other structures for operational integrity.

  8. WEATHER INFORMATION NEEDS / REQUIREMENTS RESULTS Thunderstorms / Lightning • General ConditionActionLead-time • Severe Thunderstorm Delay routes, adjust Operator's schedules; as necessary. Discretion • Lightning Cease refueling operations. Operator's Cease switching operations. Discretion Curtail rail car inspections.

  9. WEATHER INFORMATION NEEDS / REQUIREMENTS RESULTS Temperatures • Air Temperature ConditionActionLead-time < 32 deg F Monitor personnel and 6-12hrs equipment stress, crew comfort and safety. > 85 deg F Catenary problems Operator’s in older railway Discretion installations--reduce speed. > 85 deg F Monitor personnel and 6-12hrs equipment stress, crew comfort and safety. > 90 deg F Track inspections. Slow or Real-time suspend operations.

  10. WEATHER INFORMATION NEEDS / REQUIREMENTS RESULTS Temperatures • Railway Temperature ConditionAction Lead-time < 32 deg F Track inspections. Slow Real-time or suspend operations. 32 - 85 deg F No maintenance action. N/A > 85 deg F Monitor personnel and Real-time equipment. > 90 deg F Track Inspections. Slow or Real-time suspend operations. • Extreme temperature gradients over time is critical to rail expansion and contraction.

  11. WEATHER INFORMATION NEEDS / REQUIREMENTS RESULTS Visibility • Type of obscuration to vision (fog, smoke, haze, glare) is not important. ConditionActionLead-time <3 mile Rail speed reductions. Operator's (depends on speed and Discretion length of train).

  12. WEATHER INFORMATION NEEDS / REQUIREMENTS RESULTS Winds • General ConditionActionLead-time Blown debris Clear routes. Delay Operator's operations. Discretion 60-65 mph, crosswinds Rail service delays, as Operator's necessary. Suspend Discretion operations, as necessary. • Sustained strong wind is more of a factor than gusts.

More Related