Economic considerations of operating a train with electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brakes

Abstract

This study attempts to quantify the economic benefits that the electronically controlled pneumatic brake (ECP) technology can provide the operator of a unit coal train and the owner of the associated fleet. A controlled study over a fixed Northeastern US rail route was performed with two equivalent unit coal trains. The cars of the first train were equipped with the latest generation of an electronic air brake system (EABS), while the cars of the later train remained unmodified, and acted as the control. These two trains made round trips between Southwestern Pennsylvania coal fields and two electric utility plants in Eastern Pennsylvania. Incorporated in the data collection process was the compilation of dynamic train energy measurements from a sample of round trips for each of the two trains, and the collection of repair and service data associated with the cars of each train.