(The following story by Kathy Adams appeared on the Virginia-Pilot website on September 27.)
Norfolk Southern Corp. will study a new train braking system with a $200,000 grant from the Federal Railroad Administration, the Department of Transportation announced Friday.
Electronically Controlled Pneumatic brake systems simultaneously apply the brakes to all rail cars at once, as opposed to the current air brake systems that apply the brakes on each rail car one-by-one. The new brake systems can improve train handling, shorten stopping distances, save fuel and help prevent derailments.
Norfolk Southern is also contributing $250,000 to the project, which aims to determine the business benefits of the technology, according to the release.