Lance M. Fritz, Chairman, President and CEO, Union Pacific

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Lance M. Fritz

Combining a technology startup mindset with long-standing and proven operating practices, freight railroads constantly innovate to safely deliver the goods U.S. businesses and families need and use.

Innovation comes in many forms, ranging from ongoing continuous improvement initiatives for decades-long operating practices to identifying new ways to use lasers, ultrasonic testing and drones to make freight railroads even safer and more efficient.

Take how railroads utilize specialized track-evaluation equipment such as geometry cars. Using lasers and ultrasonic technology, these cars examine rail conditions such as wear, alignment and curvature. Licensed engineers evaluate that data to determine required adjustments to keep the railroad safe for employees, communities and customer shipments.

Wayside detectors are positioned along the rail to monitor wheel conditions on passing trains. Tens of millions of daily readings alert railroad experts to potential defects before a problem occurs.

The industry is working toward integrating drones into existing response protocols when a derailment does happen. Drones can be used for activities such as obtaining aerial images and testing air quality, as well as conducting certain inspections.

Railroads continue developing and testing Positive Train Control, the most complex system of technology in the industry’s history. Implementation requires creating software that decides when to slow or stop a train, and integrating thousands of components across the telecommunications spectrum. The system must work seamlessly among freight and passenger railroads.

We also are exploring leveraging predictive analytics. For example, they can help discern patterns in rail equipment incidents such as frequency and location of derailments. Understanding these patterns helps communicate with key audiences, reinforce effective rules and develop new techniques to better protect employees and communities.