U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration, Office of Acquisition and Grants Services, Mail Stop 50, 400 7th Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20590

M -- FACILITY CARE, CUSTODY AND CONTROL OF THE TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY CENTER SOL DTFR53-99-R-00024 DUE 100499 POC Robert L. Carpenter, TEL: 303/493-6153; FAX: 202/493-6171 E-MAIL: hubsmtp.hubsmtp:, robert.carpenter@fra.dot.gov. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is seeking proposals from qualified sources interested in assuming responsibility for the care, custody and control of management operations of the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) near Pueblo, Colorado effective October 1, 2002. The TTC is unique in the world as a railroad research and test facility. It occupies approximately 52 square miles of land 25 miles northeast of the city of Pueblo. The land is under long-term lease by the State of Colorado to the FRA. TTC buildings and most other surface structures and equipment are owned by FRA. The TTC has been in operation since 1971 and it consists of over 325,000 square feet of test facilities and administrative office space. The TTC includes a HAZMAT demonstration and training facility, 48 miles of various test tracks (including a newly upgraded high-speed rail track), and a variety of special test equipment. The TTC is currently staffed by approximately 275 employees of Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), a wholly owned, for-profit subsidiary of the Association of American Railroads (AAR), under a facility management contract with the FRA. FRA is interested in negotiating a new ten (10) year contract to be effective October 1, 2002 through September 30, 2012 as a successor to the existing contract which ends September 30, 2002. The terms of the new contract are expected to be similar to those now in effect under the existing contract which is not the usual Government Owned-Contractor Operated (GO-CO) type contract. The contractor will be responsible for the total operations, care, custody and control of the TTC facilities, including maintenance of buildings, grounds and equipment in accordance with good commercial practices, at no direct cost to FRA. The contractor is also responsible for performing a wide range of transportation research, development, and test projects for the FRA on a cost reimbursement basis under cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-sharing type task orders issued for specific research projects of interest to the FRA. Such task orders may include, but not be necessarily limited to research in the following areas: Laboratory and full scale testing, and engineering studies related to: Track, Bridges, and Components Assessing performance and safety aspects of new track and bridge components and materials, including turnouts and alternative track designs. Developing and assessing non-destructive methods to evaluate track and bridge condition, strength, and performance. Developing models to predict track deterioration rates and performance under load. Developing technologies for improving track safety inspection and detection including geometry, strength, and internal defects. Track-Train Interaction Developing analytical tools and test procedures to better predict conditions for adverse track-train performance. Evaluations of wheel-rail and track-train interaction, including potential derailment modes. Evaluation of advanced and alternate lubrication systems and technologies. Equipment Performance and safety evaluations of conventional and unconventional railroad equipment: locomotives, passenger and freight cars, high speed trainsets and their components, including crash worthiness, passenger and employee survivability, and equipment failure modes. Developing non-destructive evaluation techniques for railroad equipment components. Developing environmental mitigation practices for noise, vibration, and EMF exposure, etc. Operating Practices and Human Factors Policies and practices to increase safety of railroad operations. Human factors and ergonomic aspects of railroad operations and maintenance, including stress, fatigue and alertness issues. Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) Developing non-destructive evaluation techniques for freight cars and containers designed to carry hazardous materials. Emergency response guidelines for minimizing adverse human and environmental effects from HAZMAT releases and accidents involving cars containing HAZMAT. Providing training to government and state personnel on emergency response to HAZMAT releases and accidents. Train Control Implementation of site-wide vehicle tracking and communication systems. Development and evaluation of safety and integration standards for advanced train control systems. Development and evaluation of standards for integrating Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), and weather data with train control systems. Grade Crossings Evaluating performance and safety aspects of various components or systems for train and highway vehicle warning and presence detection at grade crossings. Human factors and risk assessments of crossing systems and safety enforcement strategies. General Railroad Education, Training, and Research Internships Providing specialized training and educational courses and materials on various railroad engineering, operation, maintenance, and safety programs to government designated personnel. Providing specialized railroad training and facilities for specialized on-site internships, such as visiting professors, graduate engineering students, and others, as designated by government. In consideration for its contractual commitment for a stated level of annual investment in TTC facilities, the contractor is permitted to perform revenue generating services for itself or third parties, including commercial clients, both foreign and domestic. FRA projects will be given priority scheduling whenever necessary and are to be accommodated at billing rates reflecting FRA's ownership of certain equipment at the TTC. The contractor is responsible for the financial risk of operating, maintaining, and making an annual investment of its own financial resources in the facilities at the TTC. Currently, less than 15 percent of the annual business volume is funded by the FRA through ad hoc task orders. Continued operation and management of the TTC will require the contractor to: (1) conduct passenger and freight railroad research and development activities; (2) interact with American freight, inter-city passenger, and commuter railroads; (3) be familiar with railroad operations and American railroad operating practices, policies and safety standards; (4) operate and manage a railroad HAZMAT training facility; (5) obtain quality certification under ISO 9000 or an equivalent procedure; and (6) market the railroad technology and safety research, testing and evaluation and safety training capabilities of the TTC to potential users. The tentative procurement milestones for this procurement are: Issue RFP -- 8/4/99; pre-proposal conference/site visit at TTC -- 9/2/99; proposals due -- 10/4/99; begin negotiations -- 11/30/99; contract award- 2/15/2000. The RFP will be available only electronically via the Internet on http://www.eps.gov or http://www.dot.gov/ost/m60/index.html. Posted 06/30/99 (W-SN349014). (0181)

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