Data analysis requires context, and data scientists likely will be coming to railroaders to get that context. Here are some terms they might hear.“Data analytics” can be separated into quantitative and qualitative data analysis. The former involves analysis of numerical data, quantifiable variables and comparing or measuring those values statistically. The qualitative approach is more interpretive. It seeks to understand the content of non-numerical data like text, images, audio and video.Railroads have long been involved in an advanced type of data analytics called machine learning. This artificial intelligence technique, often applied to locomotives, uses automated algorithms to churn through data sets more quickly than data scientists can do via conventional analytical modeling. Other advanced types of data analytics include data mining, which sorts through large data sets to identify trends, patterns and relationships; and predictive analytics, which seeks to predict customer behavior, equipment failures and other future events.Big Data analytics, which is the next advance in the science, applies data mining, predictive analytics and machine learning tools to sets of big data that often contain unstructured and semi-structured data.—
Railroad News
Data analysis requires context, and data scientists likely will be coming to railroaders to get that context. Here are some terms they might hear.“Data analytics” can be separated into quantitative and qualitative data analysis. The former involves analysis of numerical data, quantifiable variables and comparing or measuring those values statistically. The qualitative approach is more interpretive. It seeks to understand the content of non-numerical data like text, images, audio and video.Railroads have long been involved in an advanced type of data analytics called machine learning. This artificial intelligence technique, often applied to locomotives, uses automated algorithms to churn through data sets more quickly than data scientists can do via conventional analytical modeling. Other advanced types of data analytics include data mining, which sorts through large data sets to identify trends, patterns and relationships; and predictive analytics, which seeks to predict customer behavior, equipment failures and other future events.Big Data analytics, which is the next advance in the science, applies data mining, predictive analytics and machine learning tools to sets of big data that often contain unstructured and semi-structured data.—
At the 2016 Big Data in Railroad Maintenance Planning conference, Gary Carr, chief of the Track Research Division of the Office of Research and Development for the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), urged attendees to “embrace the data to improve safety and prevent derailments.”FRA’s Big Data R&D projects encompass large databases of track geometry inputs, wheel force data and more, combined with image processing, neural network and machine learning technologies, Carr said.FRA’s knowledge and skill is evolving just as the railroads are, and its projects reveal the challenges and the promise of Big Data.“Our early neural net system memorized the track security inputs well, but it didn’t interpret the real-world data well, and it didn’t predict anything,” Carr told attendees of the conference, held Dec. 15-16, 2016, at the University of Delaware in Newark, Del. “The second version of the neural net did a good job of learning the rules associated with the data.”In one project, FRA researchers inspected 50 miles of track. They recorded 15,000 “system recognitions” or images that resulted in 5,000 “boxed recognitions” or inspection areas to be further investigated. Analysis resulted in 500 possible “defects.” Ten of those possible defects were selected to receive additional hand tests, resulting in five hand-verified defects and five remedial actions taken. Then, a broken rail derailment occurred at the site of one of the other 500 defects identified.Said Carr: “Now the question is: Can we modify our processes to train neural nets to get the answers we need? A training data set plus a cross-validation data set equals machine-learning algorithms that can significantly improve the process.”— Renee Bassett
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Browse articles on U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration Big Data 2016 Big Data in Railroad Maintenance Planning conferenceThe job of a data scientist involves poring through huge quantities of often disparate data to find insights that may prove helpful in every aspect of a business, including marketing, logistics and human resources. It also includes cleaning data, dealing with gaps and sifting through incomplete or poor definitions. But, according to data consultant Thomas C. Redman, “the best data scientists get out and talk to people.”
Known as “the Data Doc,” Redman helps companies improve data quality. In a January 26, 2017, Harvard Business Review article, he described the challenges of adding context and assessing the quality of the sensor streams and images encompassed by Big Data.
2/17/2017
Rail News: Supplier Spotlight
Union Pacific Railroad was named the most admired among trucking, transportation and logistics companies by Fortune for the seventh consecutive year, the Class I announced yesterday.The designation also marked the 14th time in 18 years the company has been named No. 1, according to a UP press release.UP ranked first in eight performance areas identified by Fortune: innovation, people management, use of corporate assets, social responsibility, quality of management, financial soundness, long-term investment value and quality of products or services.The Korn Ferry Hay Group, Fortune's research partner, surveyed executives, directors and analysts to select companies they most admired from a list that began with 1,500 international and domestic companies."This recognition is a testament to Union Pacific's more than 40,000 employees, who commit daily to working safely and efficiently for the good of our customers, communities, shareholders and their fellow employees," said UP Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Lance Fritz.The magazine's annual "most admired" list will be published in the March edition. Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff. More News from 2/17/2017
2/17/2017
Rail News: Union Pacific Railroad
2/17/2017
Rail News: Union Pacific Railroad
2/17/2017
Rail News: Passenger Rail
Mantle Ridge LP responded yesterday to CSX's call for a special shareholders' meeting to discuss the hedge fund's proposals, which include installing former Canadian Pacific Chief Executive Officer E. Hunter Harrison as the next CEO of CSX.Mantle Ridge CEO Paul Hilal wrote to CSX's board to comment on a CSX press release reported earlier this week that described the state of negotiations between the parties and the railroad's call for the special meeting. In his letter, Hilal took issue with some of the railroad's views of certain issues discussed as part of the negotiations.CSX responded last night by saying the board will carefully review Hilal's letter. "As demonstrated by our recent actions, the CSX board of directors is always willing to engage in constructive dialogue with our shareholders and to consider their views on our company's business and strategy," CSX's latest press release stated. Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff. More News from 2/17/2017
2/17/2017
Rail News: CSX Transportation
2/17/2017
Rail News: CSX Transportation
The Illinois attorney general announced a settlement with BNSF over a 2015 crude-oil train derailment in Galena, Ill.Photo – BNSF.com
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has announced a settlement has been reached with BNSF Railway Co. regarding a 2015 train derailment in Galena that spilled a large amount of crude oil, which threatened to contaminate groundwater and nearby surface water.
Under the terms of the settlement entered in Jo Daviess County Circuit Court, BNSF will pay $50,000 in civil penalties, Madigan said in a press release issued Tuesday.
2/17/2017
Rail News: BNSF Railway
2/17/2017
Rail News: BNSF Railway
Three shortlisted teams have been invited to submit a Request for Proposals by Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and Metrolinx to design, build and finance the Highway 401 Rail Tunnel project.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) Board of Commissioners approved a $32.3 billion 2017-2026 Capital Plan on Feb. 16.
It is the largest capital plan in agency history and $29.5 billion in direct spending on PANYNJ projects and the $2.7 billion commitment to support debt service on the Gateway passenger rail tunnel project. PANYNJ expects it to result in the creation of 235,400 job years, $20 billion in total wages and $56 billion in overall economic activity.
Peter Gertler has rejoined HNTB Corporation as a senior vice president in a corporate and national strategic business development role, based in Oakland, Calif.
HNTB calls Gertler a nationally recognized rail and transit expert who brings three decades of infrastructure leadership to the firm's clients across the country. He previously worked at HNTB from 2004 to 2014 as rail and transit market service leader and principal project manager. During that time, he served as national thought leader and subject matter expert on high-speed and intercity passenger rail, as well as serving in leadership roles for projects with a total construction value of over $100 billion.
2/17/2017
Rail News: Safety