Technology Digests / Building the New Facility for Accelerated Service Testing (FAST®)

TD24-028

June 25, 2025
Authors
  • Chris Johnson
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Key Findings

  • Over 140 MGT were accumulated in the first full calendar year of operation of the new 2.8-mile-long FAST loop.
  • Lessons learned from FAST operations over the past 45 years, as well as feedback from maintenance and test personnel and railroad industry partners, were used to guide the design of the new FAST loop.
  • The final concept for the new FAST was a balance between five focus areas: test capabilities, track length, track alignment and lubrication, train storage and turning, and train maintenance and access.
  • The design of FAST allowed for phased construction so operations could begin as soon as possible. Construction of the new FAST loop and access track were completed in less than a year and operations began in 2023.

Building the New Facility for Accelerated Service Testing (FAST®)

MxV Rail recently completed the first year of operations on the newly constructed test loop and support facilities for the Facility for Accelerated Service Testing (FAST®). This test loop serves as an industry testbed providing controlled testing of track and mechanical components under a 18,000-ton train of cars weighing up to 315,000 pounds, accumulating over 140 million gross tons (MGT) of traffic annually. MxV Rail operates FAST as part of the Association of American Railroads (AAR) Strategic Research Initiatives (SRI) test program.   BACKGROUND  First operating in 1976, FAST was conceived as a facility for evaluating conventional railroad track and equipment under controlled conditions with higher volume and faster mileage accumulation than was possible in revenue service testing.1 The initial FAST consisted of a 4.8-mile loop with five curves and 22 test zones. Trains consisting of four-axle locomotives and 60–70 cars and operated multiple shifts five nights a week, leaving daytime…