Qualification and acceptance testing and analysis for new passenger rail vehicles for transit systems have been specified by the receiving transit/ commuter agencies, and government entities.  Regulatory testing defined by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is currently only for passenger vehicles operating at 90 mph or greater.
    Transportation Technology Center Inc. (TTCI) was contracted by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to identify and document all of the requirements for qualification or acceptance testing of passenger rail vehicles and signal and control systems that may be performed prior to their deployment in service in the U.S. 
    This database is managed by TTCI at the request of the FTA. This database houses descriptions of all past and present qualification and acceptance tests for new passenger vehicles and signal and control systems for transit systems.  Tests listed here are regulatory, recommended, and/or transit specified.  The tests are conducted prior to the passenger equipment being implemented into the system.  Sources for these tests include:

• FRA regulations
• American Public Transportation Association recommended practices
• Proposals from transit agencies that have recently procured new passenger rail vehicles
• International specifications

The description information includes names of tests, modes of operation, vehicle types, sources of specifications, and more. Included in the database is information on if the test is required by the FRA for the specified mode of operation. Most tests are required only for Intercity, Regional, Commuter mode of transportation category and/or if passenger vehicle will be operating at speeds greater than 90 mph. This information may be viewed by downloading a PDF here or using the filtering function here. For more information on this project, including the final report please click here.

This page and the contents are funded by the FTA.