To provide our associates and railroad affiliates with up-to-date, business-critical information, AAR offers special services in various areas of concentration.

Car Service & Care Hire

  • Agendas and minutes for the Equipment Assets Committee to keep equipment owners informed of discussion areas impacting car utilization and compensation

Communications, Signals & Train Control

  • Information relating to radio frequency spectrum, including frequency coordination, petitions to the FCC, response to petitions to the FCC, and the development and management of wireless communications standards
  • Complimentary copy of railway electronic standards and specifications-related publications:
    • AAR Manual of Standards and Recommended Practices Section K Series – These documents provide a compendium for the development of the system architecture, identifies the hardware and software components for Positive Train Control (PTC) communications, their functions and the nature of the interfaces between them
    • AAR Manual of Standards and Recommended Practices Section M – Standards and recommended practices covering design of locomotives and their components
  • One complimentary e-mail subscription to the AAR Circular Letters service (one per member)
  • Information on FRA activity in the signal, communications and train control area

Damage Prevention & Loading Services

(Topics Include: Closed Car and Intermodal; Open Top Loading Rules; & Automobile Damage Prevention)

  • Notification of new and revised publications for rules and standards.
  • Notification and registration information for the annual DP & FC Conference and other on-line events.
  • Notification of newsletters or industry updates on damage prevention.
  • Testing information available (non-proprietary), completed by Damage Prevention & Loading Services.
  • Information on automobile training and inspections services.
  • Access to statistics on railroad industry freight loss and damage trends.
  • Access to informational resources through AAR/TTCI – DP&LS staff.

Engineering & Track Maintenance

  • Dockets and updates from the Engineering Policy Committee
  • Quarterly newsletter on engineering and track issues including updates from FRA
  • News clips on the track and maintenance area
  • Liaison with federal agencies on engineering and track issues  

Environment & Tank Car

  • News clips with the latest developments in the areas of tank cars, environment, nuclear waste and hazmat issues
  • AAR comments on environmental and hazardous materials issues of significant impact to the rail industry
  • Information and updates from AAR Tank Car Committee meetings
  • Invitation to the Railroad Environmental Conference

Hazmat

  • News clips with the latest developments in the areas of hazmat issues 
  • AAR comments on environmental and hazardous materials issues of significant impact to the rail industry
  • Updates on federal activity affecting hazmat issues

Passenger Rail Service

  • Updates on coordination and implementation of PTC Systems between freight and passenger railroads
  • Invitations to special events hosted by TTCI

Safety

Railroad Affiliate Benefits

  • Liaison with federal agencies on rail safety matters
  • Participation in periodic teleconferences on benchmarking industry safety practices
  • Participation in regular teleconferences and meetings to shape industry positions on FRA rulemakings

Railroad Affiliate & Associate Benefits

  • Notice of regulatory activity via daily summaries of the Federal Register
  • Notice of pertinent Canadian regulatory activity
  • Notice of NTSB accident reports and summaries
  • Periodic summaries of industry safety performance
  • Work with international partners and maintain currency in operational issues

Security

 Railroad Affiliate Benefits (United States & Canada-Based railroads only)

  • Receive all editions of the Rail Awareness Daily Analytic Report (RADAR) via the Railway Alert Network (RAN)
  • Receive the focused security awareness messages and advisories produced and disseminated by the RAN
  • Receive communications relating to the priorities for the rail industry security program and the efforts undertaken to achieve them as derived from interaction amongst the members of the Rail Security Working Committee and the Rail Information Security Committee and between the Committees and interested US Federal government departments and agencies.
  • Invitation to participate in the periodic informational teleconferences held for affiliates
  • Invitation to participate in the monthly teleconferences of the Rail Security Working Committee
  • Invitation to participate in the annual Joint Rail Sector Security Exercise, typically held each Fall

 Railroad Affiliate & Associate Benefits

  • Overview presentations on the rail industry security program as part of the railroad affiliate or associate meetings
  • Associates in the security concentration area receive all editions of the Rail Awareness Daily Analytic Report (RADAR) via the Railway Alert Network (RAN)

Technical Services

  •  Waivers for a change from time-based regulations (such as renewing reflector panels after 10 years) to a performance-based requirement that is based on effectiveness.
  • Monthly summaries of Technical Services news and updates in the Rail News newsletter
  •  One complimentary e-mail subscription to the AAR Circular Letters service (one per company)
  •  One complimentary copy of the AAR Field Manual of the AAR Interchange Rules
  •  One complimentary copy of the AAR Office Manual of the AAR Interchange Rules