1. APTA Rapid Rail Conference June 2000 - St. Louis
The Development of Standards for the Rail Transit Industry Project TCRP G-4
APTA Rapid Rail Conference
June St. Louis
Thomas J. McGean, P.E.

2. TCRP G-4 PROGRAM Project Begun in 1996
Sponsored by FTA, Administered by TRB and TDC (APTA)
Approach
establish an institutional framework for developing transit standards within IEEE and ASME engineering societies
demonstrate the process by developing one or more needed standards

3. WHY TCRP G-4 USES ENGINEERING SOCIETIES?
Automatic ANSI Certification
Complies with PL & OMB A-119
Rules, Procedures & Oversight already in place at no cost to transit industry
Professional standards experts available to assist at no cost
Large reservoir of existing case law
IEEE & ASME assume standards liability risk

4. CONSENSUS STANDARDS PRINCIPLES
Must be present to meet PL
Due Process
Openness
Consensus
Balance
Right of Appeal

5. PROJECT FACT SHEET FY 00 Budget $175K Facilitation/Management
$125K Transit Agency Travel
Number of Working Groups
IEEE 15 ASME 2
Transit Professionals involved - 300
90 transit agency 100 supplier 70 consultant 40 other
Leverage of TCRP Dollars - 7.6/1
Standards Published to Date - 7
Estimated Annual Savings - $1/3 billion

6. How Standards Save Money
rationalize procurement process
reduce “custom engineering”
simplify maintenance activities
reduce spare parts inventory
reduce training costs
Introduction of Microprocessors Makes All of These More Critical
IEEE 1473 Alone Estimated to Save NJT $420K/year

7. KEY STANDARDS PUBLISHED TO DATE
IEEE Communications Protocol
IEEE Communications Based Train Control Performance & Function
IEEE Event Recorder
IEEE Propulsion, Braking & Train Control IEEE Passenger Information
IEEE Software Verification
IEEE Auxiliary Power Interface
IEEE Electric Motors

8. Other TCRP G-4 Standards
Environmental - Being balloted
LRV Crashworthiness - Being balloted
Rail TCIP - Underway
Battery Physical Interface - Underway
Software Documentation - Underway
Electronic Control - Underway
Railcar Structural - Being formed
NiCad Battery Peformance - PAR stage
HRI - PAR stage
Central Control CBTC Graphic Interface - PAR stage
Vehicle/Wayside Communication Protocol - Proposal

9. Status of Standards Activity

11. CONCLUSIONS
TCRP G-4 has implemented a complete consensus standards system for rail transit
7 IEEE Standards Published, 8 IEEE and 2 ASME Standards Underway
Potential Savings of $1/3 Billion/Year
Leverages Public R&D Funds 8/1
Alternative to Federal Regulation

12. MORE INFORMATION