ALTRIOS - Advanced Locomotive Technology and Rail Infrastructure Optimization System

Details

• Corporate Creators:
  National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) (U.S.) ; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Rail Transportation and Engineering Center ; Southwest Research Institute ; BNSF Railway
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Cost Effectiveness Decarbonization Infrastructure Locomotives Rail (Railroads) Software Technology
• Resource Type:
  Presentations
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Corporate Publisher:
  National Renewable Energy Laboratory (U.S.)
• Abstract:
  The Advanced Locomotive Technology and Rail Infrastructure Optimization System (ALTRIOS) is an open-source modeling framework developed to evaluate strategies for decarbonizing freight rail transportation. Introduced at the 2023 FRA Workshop on Decarbonization of Rail Transportation, ALTRIOS simulates train dynamics, powertrain performance, energy consumption, and operational scheduling. Developed by a multidisciplinary team from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign RailTEC, Southwest Research Institute, and BNSF Railway, the tool integrates modules for train consist planning, meet/pass scheduling, and powertrain modeling. ALTRIOS calculates resistance forces, simulates locomotive architectures—including diesel, hybrid, and battery electric systems—and estimates greenhouse gas emissions and economic trade-offs using flexible life cycle and cost inputs. Field validation was conducted along a 375-mile California corridor, with over 6,000 miles of test data. Applications include single-train simulations, multi-train corridor analyses, and long-term fleet rollout scenarios. A simplified web-based version, ALTRIOS-Lite, further enhances accessibility for users who are interested in analyzing potential rail decarbonization pathways.
• Content Notes:
  Please cite as: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign RailTEC, Southwest Research Institute, & BNSF Railway. (2023, May 17). Advanced Locomotive Technology and Rail Infrastructure Optimization System (ALTRIOS). FRA 2023 Workshop on Decarbonization of Rail Transportation. https://www.nrel.gov/transportation/altrios.html
• Format:
  PDF
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:1a0c9e9127428ed0693789a010f93cb40fd717756b8fa70e73db57b793aac16164007902a86d09c0ea6ad68abd36368a157a20db053c93eb5c578580e1af4d74
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/84783/dot_84783_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 942.57 KB ]