Safety is the principal driver of FRA RD&T. With that in mind, Dr. Maryam Allahyar Wyrick—Director of the Office of Research, Development and Technology (RD&T) at the Federal Railroad Administration—joins Railway Age and Parsons for Next-Gen Train Control 2024 (NGTC) to present on the expansion of the advanced technologies the industry is utilizing to improve efficiency and safety.
In her session, Dr. Allahyar Wyrick will cover recent FRA work in technological innovations to improve safety in train operations and the efficiency of track inspections. Among these are automated systems for train control such as PTC, autonomous inspection of railroad assets using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and AI (artificial intelligence) to process data. Allahyar Wyrick will explain how RD&T programs correspond to numerous aspects of railroad operation systems—human factors, track, rolling stock, equipment, signaling and train control, communications, and hazardous materials—and how research projects are prioritized based on FRA safety performance data and risk analyses.
“After prioritizing safety risks, RD&T undertakes two main types of research projects: theoretical and applied research,” Dr. Allahyar Wyrick notes. “The first acts as a catalyst to introduce new technology. FRA assumes the initial risk and, in some cases, the cost of proving a concept. Prototype development and demonstration is accomplished in collaboration with industry partners. Our research often leads to the adoption of patents for new technology by private industry.”
Meet the Speaker
Dr. Allahyar Wyrick is one of the phenomenal lineup of industry leaders and experts in rail communications, signaling and advanced technology to present at NGTC 2024. She has nearly 25 years of experience as a research scientist in academia, at the U.S. Department of Defense, the National Transportation Safety Board and the U.S. Department of Transportation. Prior to joining the FRA, Allahyar Wyrick worked as a senior research psychologist for the Chief of Staff of the Army at the Pentagon. Allahyar Wyrick has a Ph.D. in Cognition from the University of Washington.
The NGTC 2024 Conference
Railway Age’s Next-Gen Train Control (NGTC) Conference, presented jointly with Parsons, has been the global rail industry’s single-most important communications and signaling and advanced-technology event since 1995.
NGTC 2024 gives C&S and IT professionals an ideal environment for sharing lessons-learned with industry peers. Presentations from engineers, project managers and more will offer in-depth technical information and comprehensive updates on CBTC and PTC projects, as well as artificial intelligence-based technologies utilized to enhance efficiency and safety. Between sessions, participants can widen connections and develop business relationships during networking breaks. NGTC 2024 is an essential gathering for all those involved in signaling and train control—whether your focus is transit, main line passenger, or freight.
