ZETA-TECH’s Rail Maintenance Management System (RailManage) is a track infrastructure asset management model specifically designed to provide short line and regional railroads with the ability to monitor the performance of their rail and track assets. RailManage was developed in conjunction with the American Shortline and Regional Railroad Association, with sponsorship from the FRA (FRA Grant/Cooperative Agreement No. DTFR53-01-H-00018401598-8102).

Since most short lines do not have the same level of computer sophistication as their larger Class 1 cousins, it is critical for any asset management tool designed for short lines be easy to understand and use. In order to accomplish this, RailManage was developed in the familiar Windows format, and structured to present its information in a traditional track chart type form. As a result, RailManage provides short lines and regional railroads with a comprehensive database of their track information, a complete set of track charts which can be readily updated and printed out, and a user friendly interface with which the user can easily access and update his track data. Furthermore, by keeping this information in a dynamic data base structure, the information is continuously being updated for the track charts, system map, and output reports.

RailManage provides short lines and regional railroads with a comprehensive database of their track condition and up-to-date track charts.

RailManage also provides short lines and regional railroads with an FRA compliant defect management system which allows them to record open defects, both "red" FRA violations and "yellow" warnings. This defect management system meets FRA requirements for security of data. In addition, it allows the railroad to close out open defects as they are repaired and provides reports of both open defects (red and yellow) as well as closed out defects. These FRA defects can also be plotted on the railway system map, together with other key information such as rail condition (wear and/or fatigue), HAL questionable/inadequate segments, etc.

Because rail represents the largest of the heavy axle load track upgrade costs, accounting for more than half of the upgrade dollars needed by the short line industry, RailManage places a major emphasis on the monitoring and management of this high cost asset. It should be noted that this emphasis is different from the traditional short line focus on ties and ballast and is more in line with Class 1 experience, where rail is the largest track maintenance cost area. Historically, smaller railroads, with lighter tonnage and more limited resources, have continued to use rail that would be removed from track by larger railroads. This lighter rail, which often includes significant amounts of non- control cooled rail, requires careful monitoring and management under heavy axle load operations. RailManage also provides a means for monitoring and management of other track defects, particularly FRA defects.

RailManage is designed to provide this needed management and oversight tool to short lines and regional railroads and allow them to:

• Monitor rail condition on an ongoing basis
• Providing rail replacement “warnings” based on defined wear and fatigue limits
• Provide excessive wear ("lubrication need") warnings
• Evaluate the suitability of rail sections for the traffic being carried
• Control "risk" of rail failure/accidents by improved scheduling of rail testing.
• Monitor track defects to include FRA defects and maintain FRA compliant defect records
• Maintain a comprehensive dynamic track data base
• Maintain up-to-date track charts

RailManage offers Class 1 railroad infrastructure management capability to short lines at a level most appropriate for their use.

In addition to the track charts, RailManage offers several different management reports to include:

• FRA defects
• Rail Wear Segments
• Rail Defect Segments
• Rail Testing Requirements
• HAL Segments
• Lubrication

Each of these reports provides the short line’s management with key information needed to monitor rail and track condition and determine maintenance or replacement needs. Thus, for example, rail fatigue defect and wear rates are determined and unacceptable conditions identified based on appropriately defined criteria. The resulting rail wear and defect segment reports can then be used in determining maintenance programs.