Technical Sessions

Monday, September 16

9:30 – 10:00 AM

Communications, Signals & Information Technology Presentation: Active Land Slump PNW, Ross M. Sterling and Mike Wimsatt, BNSF Railway

10:00 – 10:30 AM

Engineering Services Presentation: Environmental Review at the Federal Railroad Administration, Amanda Ciampolillo, Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)

10:30 – 11:00 AM

Passenger & Transit Presentation: CTDOT CP243 Interlocking & Danbury Dockyard, The WALK Bridge Program - Minimizing Disruptions to the New Haven Line During Major Construction, Jennifer E. C. Judge, PE and Alexander M. Atwater, PE, HNTB Corporation 

11:00 – 11:30 AM

Maintenance-of-Way Presentation: Electrification Upgrades in Active Rail ROWs, Joanna Pardini, Gannett Fleming Transit & Rail Systems and Galen Mull, Amtrak

11:30 AM – Noon

Track Presentation: Building Culverts Through Embankments to Last, Shawn R. Coombs, PE, Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. 

Noon – 12:30 PM

Structures Presentation: Improved Autonomous Rail Bridge Strike Detection and Characterization, Brett A. Story, Southern Methodist University and Hugh B. Thompson II, Federal Railroad Administration

Tuesday, September 17

Communications, Signals & Information Technology Technical Session

Session Chair: Jerry W. Specht, EIT, AREMA Functional Group Vice President
CPKC

Session sponsored by  

7:30 – 8:00 AM

Acoustic Bearing Detector Intelligent Alarm Settings
Fellipe Castro Barbosa Costa and Alexandre Lima de Carvalho, MRS Logistica SA

8:00 – 8:30 AM

Commuter Rail Seismic Interface (CRSI) Project
Dan R. Thompson, EIT, RailPros, Michael Bratcher, Railway Transportation Management Solutions and Luis Carrasquero, Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA)

8:30 – 9:00 AM

Technology Solutions for Grade Crossing Safety Prioritization
Danielle Pena, PE, TE, Ra James Perry, ASTERRA ilPros and Elizabeth Lun, PE, Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink)

9:00 – 9:30 AM

Railroad Resiliency Following an OT Cyberattack
Todd Ellis, RCDD, PMP, Hatch

9:30 – 10:00 AM

The Future of Railway Communications with 5G Technology
Eloy Fernandez, MEng. and Binky Paras, Kiewit Engineering Group, Inc. 

10:00 – 10:30 AM

Networking Break

10:30 – 11:00 AM

Connected Waysides (Edge Processing)
Carlos Aguilera and Timothy Wehland, BNSF Railway

11:00 – 11:30 AM

PTC 2.0 Technology Solutions for Railway Safety
John Hawkins, Lilee Systems

11:30 AM – Noon 

802.16t General Purpose Networks for the Rail Industry
Kevin C. Nichter, Ondas Networks

Noon – 12:30 PM

Interconnected Grade Crossing Cutover Best Practices
Steven Phillips and Travis C. Bailey, Olsson

Tuesday, September 17

Engineering Services Technical Session

Session Chair: Cassandra M. Gouger, PE, AREMA Functional Group Vice President
Union Pacific

Session sponsored by  

7:30 – 8:00 AM

Implementing Rail Operations Simulation Model to Evaluate Reserve Capacity and Plan Infrastructure Upgrades at the Port of Stockton
Arkaprabha Ghosh, JMA Civil and Jason Katindoy, Port of Stockton 

8:00 – 8:30 AM

Navigating Public Funding at the Gettysburg Battlefield – A History Lesson in Assuming a CRISI Grant Award for a Modern Rail Project
Rachael Gray Crandley, HDR and Derek Metts, Patriot Rail

8:30 – 9:00 AM

Sustainability and the Road to Carbon Neutrality with Low-Density Cellular Concrete (LDCC)
Nico Sutmoller, Aerix Industries

9:00 – 9:30 AM

Emporia Subdivision CM/GC Project – BNSF Railway Company | Emporia to Mulvane, KS
Michael Holesapple, PE, Wilson & Company, Inc., Kristopher Swanson, BNSF Railway and Tony Swedin, SEMA Construction, Inc.

9:30 – 10:00 AM

The Women Who Love Trains
Alanna Strohecker, PE, AECOM and Jaclyn Whelan, PE, Conrail

10:00 – 10:30 AM

Networking Break

10:30 – 11:00 AM

Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway Reconstruction
Jared E. Talbot and Brian Nelson, Stacy Witbeck

11:00 –11:30 AM

Innovative Structural Utility Protection Utilizing Micropile Design
Steven Bates, David Evans and Associates, Inc. and Craig Whiteley, Union Pacific Railroad 

11:30 AM – Noon

Water Hazard Monitoring Using Remote Sensing and Advanced Data Analytics for Railway Resilience Forecasting and Near Real-time Alerting
Brian Zaharko & Tom Bourgonje, CPKC and Dr. Darel Mesher, Tetra Tech TAS Inc.

Noon – 12:30 PM

A Tale of Two Yards: A Case Study on CSX Transportation’s Adaptive Approach to Facility Management in the Face of Growth and Decline
Lance E. Rasnake, PE, Clinchfield Consulting Group and Jacob Metcalf, CSX Transportation, Inc.

Tuesday, September 17

Maintenance-of-Way Technical Session

Session Chair: Matthew R. Porto, AREMA Functional Group Vice President
Amtrak 

Session sponsored by 
7:30 – 8:00 AM

When “Smart-Tamper” Meets “Smart-Rock”
Hai Huang, PhD, PE, Penn State University Altoona and Fabian Hansmann & Bernhard Antony, Plasser & Theurer

8:00 – 8:30 AM

Protran Technology Sentinel Collision Avoidance System
Brandon Negri, Harsco Rail

8:30 – 9:00 AM

A Comparative Study of New Ballast and Recycled Ballast Generated from Various Maintenance Activities
Erol Tutumluer, PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Stephen Wilk, PhD & DingQing Li, M x V Rail, Association of American Railroads

9:00 – 9:30 AM

Digital Imaging for Track Vertical Deflection and Inspection
Jeremiah Dzeble and Piero Caputo, University of Delaware

9:30 – 10:00 AM

Assessment of Contact Patch on Curving Forces in Two-point Contact Condition
Nikhil Kumar, Dr. Ahmad Radmehr and Dr. Mehdi Ahmadian, Center for Vehicle Systems and Safety

10:00 – 10:30 AM

Networking Break

10:30 – 11:00 AM

Smart Tamping Machines and the Rise of Automation
Fabian Hansmann, PhD & Bernhard Antony, Plasser & Theurer and Hakan Uzuner, Plasser American

11:00 –11:30 AM

Portable Laser Measurement Device
Peter M. Bartek, FTS Tools, LLC

11:30 AM – Noon

Implementing Risk-based Scheduling of Ultrasonic Rail Flaw Detection Inspections on CSX: A Success Story
Christopher M. Hartsough, Harsco Rail/Protran Technology

Noon – 12:30 PM

Implementation of Design Tamping on the Northeast Corridor
Amanda Kessler, PE, Daniel Olausen and Brian Bonar, Amtrak

Tuesday, September 17

Passenger & Transit Technical Session

Session Chair: Lucas A. Bathurst, PE, AREMA Functional Group Vice President
HDR

Session sponsored by 
7:30 – 8:00 AM

Cohabitation of Heavy-rail and LRT Trains: A Successful Safety Story in Montreal (Canada) 
Caroline Masson, P.Eng., Hatch

8:00 – 8:30 AM

Metrolinx Ontario Line Project: How to Handle Adding a Light Rail Metro to an Existing Heavy Rail Corridor; the Challenges, the Strategy, and the Changes 
Corey J. Johnston, P.Eng, Rishi Lukka, P. Eng and Rachel Jorritsma, HDR Corporation

8:30 – 9:00 AM

Passenger Rail Resiliency: Developing an Analytical Natural Hazard Risk Assessment for the Northeast Corridor 
Kara Oldhouser, Amtrak and Thomas Wagner, PE & Ana Moura-Cook, Arup

9:00 – 9:30 AM

Brightline Florida Project: Design and Construction of Higher-Speed Rail Infrastructure for a Shared Corridor 
Tom Roadcap, PE, Brightline and Joshua Bair, PE, HNTB

9:30 – 10:00 AM

Portland Union Station Revitalization: The Legacy and Future of an Iconic Passenger Terminal 
Randy Knapick, ARCADIS

10:00 – 10:30 AM

Networking Break

10:30 – 11:00 AM

Los Angeles Metro-Division 20 Rail Yard-A Case Study of Three-Dimensional Data Use in Construction 
Jacqueline L. Patterson, PE and Marc Canas, Zephyr Rail

11:00 – 11:30 AM

Hurontario LRT: A Case Study of Reducing Operational Impact Using Innovative Construction Methodology in an Active Rail Corridor 
Sonia Rahman & Stefan Linder, Stantec Consulting Ltd. and Sahand Jafarian, Metrolinx

11:30 AM – Noon

The Return of Passenger Service to North Ontario: A Strategic and Data Driven Framework for Accelerating Passenger Speeds in Mixed-use Corridors 
Shane Arnold, M.Eng., P. Eng. and Onella Narangoda, E.I.T., Gannett Fleming

Noon – 12:30 PM

Passenger Railway Operation in Extreme Canadian Climate 
Kevin Mackie, National Research Council Canada 

Tuesday, September 17

Structures Technical Session

Session Chair: Walter F. Bleser, II, PE, AREMA Functional Group Vice President
ARE Corporation 

Session sponsored by  

7:30 – 8:00 AM

Solutions During the Challenging Reconstruction of BNSF Br. 0047-53.5 
Temple Overman, PE, HNTB Corporation, Luke Sykora, PE, Advanced American Construction and Mike Herzog, PE, BNSF Railway

8:00 – 8:30 AM

Chapter 9 Updates 
Matt Bowers, PE, SC Solutions, Inc. and Sanaz Rezaeian, PhD, US Geological Survey

8:30 – 9:00 AM

Complex Geometry and Reuse of Existing Structure to Replace Bridge N-680.20 
Lisa Hoekenga, PE, SE & Edward Baznik, PE, Michael Baker International and Nick Bayer, PE, Norfolk Southern Railway

9:00 – 9:30 AM

Automated Bridge Inspection and Load Rating Using Low Cost Sensor Networks 
Hai Huang, PhD, PE, Penn State University Altoona and Rene Asuncion & Paul DelSignore, Amtrak

9:30 – 10:00 AM 

Brightline/Florida East Coast RR Loxahatchee River Bridge Reconstruction 
Scott Gammon, PE, Brightline Trains Florida LLC and Charles S. Davis, PE, Scott Bridge Company

10:00 – 10:30 AM

Networking Break

10:30 – 11:00 AM

Union Pacific Railroad Elkhorn River Bridge Replacement 
Adam Studts, PE, Union Pacific Railroad and Kyle Kauzlarich, SE, PE & Ben Dey, PE, HDR

11:00 – 11:30 AM

RJ Corman Railroad Cumberland River Bridge Rehabilitation and Automation Project 
David Pegram, Mott MacDonald, Edward Quillian, RJ Corman Railroad Company and Mike Tweet, Koppers Inc

11:30 AM – Noon

Davenport Diamond Rail Grade Separation Project in the City of Toronto 
Saman Rastgoo, Ph.D., P.Eng. & Shreedhar Thotapally, M.Eng., P.Eng., Metrolinx and Francesco Addario, M.Eng., P.Eng., Hatch Ltd.

Noon – 12:30 PM

Staged Replacement and Vertical Clearance Improvement of NS Bridge PC-1.20 
Solomon Brown, PE, SE, Michael Baker International, Chris Cawley, Norfolk Southern Corporation and Nic Manuppelli, Trumbull Corporation

Tuesday, September 17

Track Technical Session

Session Chair: David C. Clark, PE, AREMA Functional Group Vice President
CSX Transportation

Session Sponsored by   
7:30 – 8:00 AM

Climate Adaptive Slope Stabilization Using Vetiver Grass 
Sadik Khan, Md. Fahimuzzaman Khan and A Q M Zohuruzzaman, Jackson State University

8:00 – 8:30 AM 

Railway Tie Management in Ontario: Options and Considerations for Waste Wooden Railway Tie Disposal and Management Techniques 
Matthew Ian A. Schroeder, B.A.Sc., Hatch Ltd.

8:30 – 9:00 AM

Ballast Reuse and Recycling in Ontario; Options and Considerations for a Sustainable Approach to Management of Ballast Waste 
Keith Lesarge, M.Sc., P. Geo. QPESA, WSP Canada Inc.

9:00 – 9:30 AM

Automated Turnout Inspection 
Richard Fox-Ivey, Pavemetrics Systems Inc.

9:30 – 10:00 AM

AREMA Utilities Part 5 Rewrite 
Rick A. Friesen, Union Pacific, David Howell, Midwest Mole and Jeff Jones, PE, Burns & McDonnell 

10:00 – 10:30 AM

Networking Break

10:30 – 11:00 AM

Identification of RCF through Computer Vision 
Alexandre Lima Carvalho and Raphaela Moutinho, MRS Logistica SA

11:00 – 11:30 AM

Track Stiffness in a New Perspective: the Unrevealed Possibilities of Rail Fastening Systems 
Amy De Man, PhD, edilon)(sedra North America Inc.

11:30 AM – Noon

When Data Meets Doing 
Adam Bankston and Logan Serra, BNSF Railway

Noon – 12:30 PM

Electromagnetic Energy Harvester Tie: Design, Implementation, and Field Testing 
Yang Chen, Riju Chatterjee and Mehdi Ahmadian, Center for Vehicle Systems and Safety at Virginia Tech

Wednesday, September 18

8:30 – 9:00 AM

Maintenance-of-Way Presentation: Benefits and Challenges of Autonomous Track Inspection Technologies for a Higher-Speed Railroad Network, Nao Nishio & Charley Kegley, Brightline and Bernhard K. Metzger, ENSCO Rail, Inc. 

9:00 – 9:30 AM

Passenger & Transit Presentation: Utilization of Computer Vision for Pedestrian Data Collection at Grand Central Terminal: A Case Study in Improving Pedestrian Simulations and Planning at Rail Stations, James Rimington and Thomas John Wagner, PE, Arup

9:30 – 10:00 AM

Structures Presentation: Rapid Railroad Bridge Emergency Replacement with Filler Beams on NJ TRANSIT’s North Jersey Coast Line, Patrick D'Ambrosio, PE, HNTB Corporation and George Nickels, PE, NJ Transit 

10:00 – 10:30 AM

Networking Break

10:30 – 11:00 AM

Engineering Services Presentation: Music City Miracle: A CSXT Public Project Success Story, James A. Schonk, PE, STV, Jay Lanius, PE, TDOT and Todd Allton, CSXT 

11:00 – 11:30 AM

Track Presentation: A New 23-Mile Rail Alignment within a Greenfield in the Low Country of SC, David Ashworth, PE & Joe Olson, STV Incorporated and Patrick McCrory, Palmetto Railways

11:30 AM – Noon

Communications, Signals & Information Technology Presentation: Communications, Signals & Information Technology Presentation: Operational Technology (OT) Security to Protect BNSF Movable Bridges from Hackers, James B. Seals, PE, PMP & Jonathan A. Kohler, PE, HDR and Nicholas Novay, BNSF Railway