The Relationships of Climate and Terrain to Maintenance of Way on the Norfolk Southern Railroad between Norfolk, Virginia, and Portsmouth, Ohio

Abstract

The relationships of climate and terrain to maintenance of way on the Norfolk Southern railroad between Norfolk, Virginia, and Portsmouth, Ohio, are considered as environmental factors affecting maintenance-of-way costs for the railroad. A detailed analysis of the distribution of actual maintenance-of-way problems along the route is conducted, using 54 Railroad Study Units and 10 climate and terrain variables to develop Railroad Maintenance Factors (RMF;s). From these RMF's, Railroad Maintenance Zones (RMZ's) can be identified along the 540 miles of the study route. The maintenance zones range from a Very Low RMZ on the Gulf Atlantic Coastal Flats in Virginia to a Very High RMZ in the upper reaches of the Tug Fork River Basin in West Virginia. The relationships as manifested in the RMZ's can assist transportation planners in developing new routes or relocating existing routes to reduce long-term maintenance costs and to improve system efficiency. Keywords: Maintenance-of-way, Environmental factors.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 1990
Accession Number
ADA223587

Entities

People

  • Thomas B. Maertens Jr.

Organizations

  • United States Military Academy

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Ground and Sea Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Civil Engineering
  • Climate Change
  • Drainage Basins
  • Engineers
  • Geography
  • Groundwater
  • Land Transportation
  • Maintenance
  • Maintenance Management
  • Ridges
  • Terrain
  • Topography
  • Transportation
  • Transportation Infrastructure
  • United States
  • United States Military Academy
  • Water Resources

Readers

  • Coastal Oceanography
  • Logistics and Supply Chain Management.
  • Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.