As part of the Association of American Railroad’s (AAR) Car and Truck Systems Strategic Research Initiatives project, MxV Rail (formerly TTCI) was tasked with determining whether it is sensible to include turnout negotiation as part of AAR Manual of Standards and Recommended Practices M-9761 freight car truck specification requirements. This question was raised due to the number of derailments that occur at turnouts. The evaluation included performing NUCARS®* simulations of a freight car with nominal and worn trucks negotiating American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) Number 8, 10, 15, and 20 turnout designs. Additionally, simulations of these trucks negotiating a Number 10 turnout at different speeds were used to evaluate turnout negotiation and its potential inclusion in the M-976 specification. The results showed that the lead truck axles performed the worst in the switch portion, with the Number 8 and 10 turnouts resulting in the worst vehicle performance. Vehicle…