ENSCO - Transportation Technology Center

News & Media

See how ENSCO and its team members are impacting their industries and delivering innovative solutions to meet today’s surface transportation challenges.

Tank Car Puncture Resistance Research

August 2026 – Railway Age

This article highlights decades of full-scale hazardous materials research conducted at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) to improve the crashworthiness and puncture resistance of railroad tank cars. Through controlled impact testing and advanced computer modeling, researchers have evaluated the performance of multiple tank car designs under realistic accident conditions, generating critical data that supports regulatory decision-making and safer tank car design. The article emphasizes TTC’s unique ability to combine full-scale testing with validated simulation models, helping industry and government partners better understand impact performance, improve hazardous materials transportation safety, and develop the next generation of crashworthy rail equipment.

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Rail Neutral Temperature: Moving from Research to Reality

July 2026 – Railway Track & Structure

This article explores how the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) is helping advance practical solutions for measuring Rail Neutral Temperature (RNT)—a critical factor in preventing track buckles and pull-aparts in continuous welded rail. It highlights an FRA-led industry initiative that brought together railroads, researchers, suppliers, and government agencies to evaluate emerging RNT measurement technologies and accelerate their transition from research to real-world deployment. By providing a collaborative environment for technical discussions and validation, TTC is helping the industry move toward scalable, field-ready solutions that improve infrastructure safety, maintenance practices, and operational reliability.

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Advancing Battery Safety Through Real-World Testing and Collaboration

June 2026 – Railway Age

This article highlights a battery safety summit held at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) that brought together representatives from rail, transit, emergency response, manufacturing, standards organizations, and federal agencies to address the growing challenges associated with battery-powered transportation systems. Through live full-scale battery fire demonstrations and facilitated discussions, participants examined emergency response strategies, fire suppression methods, operational considerations, and industry preparedness. The article emphasizes TTC’s unique ability to conduct controlled, full-scale testing and its role in helping stakeholders better understand battery-related risks, improve response procedures, and support the safe deployment of emerging battery technologies across the transportation industry.

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Modeling Vehicle-Track Dynamics and On-Track Testing at the TTC

May 2026 – RT&S

This article explains how advanced simulation tools and full-scale testing at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) are used to evaluate rail vehicle safety and performance before equipment enters service. The piece explores how engineers model vehicle-track interaction, wheel-rail forces, suspension behavior, and train dynamics using specialized software and detailed component characterization. It also highlights TTC’s on-track testing capabilities, where instrumented vehicles and controlled test environments provide real-world data to validate simulations, improve vehicle designs, and support safer, more reliable railroad operations.

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Understanding Vertical Split Rim Wheel Failures: What New Research Shows

April 2026 – Railway Age

This article explores the causes and prevention of Vertical Split Rim (VSR) wheel failures, a rare but potentially catastrophic wheel defect that can lead to derailments and costly equipment damage. Drawing on Federal Railroad Administration research conducted at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC), the article examines how braking heat, wheel wear, residual stresses, and hidden subsurface cracks contribute to crack growth and failure risk. It also highlights recent modeling advances and ongoing research aimed at developing practical inspection methods, improved wheel materials, and data-driven strategies to reduce wheel-related failures across the rail industry.

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Continuous Welded Rail: Managing Track Buckling and Stability

March 2026 – RT&S

This article examines the challenges of managing Continuous Welded Rail (CWR), the foundation of modern railroad infrastructure. It explains how temperature fluctuations create internal rail forces that can lead to track buckling, rail breaks, and other safety risks if not properly managed. The piece highlights the importance of rail neutral temperature (RNT), track resistance, maintenance practices, and decision-support tools in preventing failures. It also explores ongoing research at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) focused on improving CWR monitoring, risk assessment, and track stability under increasingly demanding operating conditions.

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Meet Our Keynote Speaker

Gerhard “Gery” Williams is Executive Vice President, Service Delivery & Operations, serving in this role since July 2022. Gery leads an organization focused primarily on safely and reliably delivering Amtrak services to customers, operating and maintaining the company’s core railroad assets – including infrastructure and rail car and locomotive fleets – and driving process improvement and efficiencies across the Amtrak network.

Service Delivery & Operations (SD&O) consists of the Transportation, Mechanical, Infrastructure Maintenance & Construction Services (IMCS), Customer Service Stations, Onboard Services and Food & Beverage, California Operations, Operations Integration and Network Support functions.

Gery had served as Senior Vice President, SD&O, since January 2022 and was responsible for the newly created IMCS group, which encompasses engineering production and maintenance functions. He also led day-to-day core service delivery across the SD&O organization, driving continuous improvement to safety, customer service and productivity. 

Prior to joining Amtrak in June 2017 as Vice President and Chief Engineer, he had spent almost three decades at CSX Transportation. Gery held a wide range of senior leadership roles, including Vice President, Mechanical Operations; Chief Mechanical Officer – Locomotives; AVP Network Operations – Locomotive Management; and Division Manager. In his last position at CSX as VP, Mechanical Operations, he reported to the Chief Operating Officer and directed a team of 3,800 employees responsible for the maintenance and repair of a combined fleet of 70,000 locomotives and rail cars. Early in his profession, Gery held various positions including trainmaster, manager of safety and terminal manager.

Across his long railroad career, Gery has consistently demonstrated collaborative and data-driven leadership and an ability to manage complex transportation, mechanical and engineering challenges successfully, with safety and efficiency.

Gery graduated from Drexel University with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Engineering. He also holds a Master of Business Administration with a specialization in Marketing from the Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management at Claremont Graduate University.

Gery M. Williams III

Gery M. Williams III

Executive Vice President,
Service Delivery & Operations