Railinc and Transportation Technology Center
Railinc is one of two wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Association of American Railroads. Located in Cary, North Carolina, Railinc is a leading provider of information technology and related service to North America's railroads. It has extensive databases that include, for example, an inventory of all rail freight equipment in North America. It also supports one of the world's largest Electronic Data Interchange networks, over which some 5.8 million messages are transmitted each day.
Railinc also operates Steelroads.com , the railroad industry's common web site where rail customers can track shipments, receive estimated time of arrival information, order equipment, discover shipping options and find out pricing information. Damage prevention and claim services are also operated by Railinc. E. Allen West is the president of Railinc.
Transportation Technology Center, Inc., is one of two wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Association of American Railroads. Located in Pueblo, Colorado, TTCI is a world-class intermodal research and test center that offers a wide-range of capabilities that are used by freight and passenger railroads from around the world. For example, Amtrak's new high-speed Acela Express trains were extensively tested at TTCI before entering service. Japanese railroads used TTCI facilities to test a gauge changing mechanism. Work at TTCI helped make it possible for freight railroads in the U.S. and Canada to operate freight cars that weigh as much as 286,000 pounds when fully loaded.
TTCI focuses on programs that will enhance railroad safety, reliability and productivity. It also operates the world's foremost training center for emergency personnel responding to transportation accidents involving hazardous materials. There are 48 miles of test tracks located at the facility. The track is used for track structure and vehicle performance testing, life-cycle prediction and component reliability, damage prevention tests, freight ride quality and passenger comfort. The facility is owned by the Federal Railroad Administration but has been operated by TTCI - which is responsible for all of its operating costs - since 1984. TTCI is led by Roy A. Allen, President.