Mönchengladbach, Germany – Recently, researchers from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) participated in a railroad exercise aimed at strengthening transportation infrastructure resilience across NATO countries.
Dr. Abby Cisko, Jonathan Oldenburg and Gabriel Katzenmeyer from ERDC’s Railroad Research and Evaluation Team traveled to Mönchengladbach, Germany, to attend Ex Turnout 24. The purpose of this exercise was to provide cooperative training and interoperability trials on assessing and repairing large sections of damaged or degraded rail.
“It’s really exciting to have been a part of this and learn,” said Cisko.
More than 300 meters of rail were replaced, and a bomb-simulated damage site was inspected and repaired during the two-week exercise.
“We were there to observe and learn, but we really got in there and helped to repair the rail,” said Cisko.
The exercise was led by the 507 Specialist Team Royal Engineers (STRE), the British Army’s railway warfare and infrastructure experts, and consisted of multiple military command forces from the Netherlands, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom.
Exercises like this are vital to ERDC’s Railroad Research and Evaluation Team, since the group is actively working to improve railroad capabilities. Cisko added that the ERDC is also working to develop a rail repair kit and train Soldiers on rail repair.
While no rail repair kits currently exist in the U.S., the ERDC team has been collaborating with Applied Research Associates (ARA) to design one for small, basic repair needs such as replacing crossties or joint bars. Ideally, the kit would allow repairs to be made quickly and efficiently without having to close the track to traffic for long periods of time. The kits, which are currently in development, will be tested with the 46th Engineering Battalion later this fiscal year.
Additionally, for the first time in 20 years, ERDC researchers taught a rail repair class this year. The class was attended by the 46th Engineer Battalion, and while it was a success, the team is always looking for ways to develop and perfect a rail repair kit for Soldiers to have that can be deployed.
“The exercise gave us really good ideas, as well,” said Cisko. “That is one reason why this railroad exercise was so important for the ERDC, it gave us thoughts on how we can keep revamping and making our class better.”
Overall, the ERDC team’s participation helped jumpstart U.S. efforts to improve our railroad repair capability.