Railroad Engineering Group Offers New Services

Railroad engineering requires a unique skillset and is needed any time a railroad falls within your project’s limits. This is how the Affinis Rail Team can benefit municipalities, Departments of Transportation, and industries.

Why are these specialized services needed?
The railroads have their own unique structure and standards. Understanding how railroad personnel work with one another, as well as their roles and responsibilities, can be difficult. It takes years to build relationships with key individuals. Our background allows us to keep projects moving forward.

What kinds of services does Affinis’s Rail Team provide?
Affinis offers a variety of rail services to current and prospective clients. We work with municipalities, Departments of Transportation, and industries wherever a site involves railroad facilities. Below is a short list outlining the ways our team can help:

• Railroad engineering design and plan preparation.
• Green-field / brown-field industrial rail yard and terminal layouts.
• Rail served industrial park development.
• Exhibit A preparation to support industry track agreement approval with the serving railroad.
• Planning and design of utility installations through railroad right-of-way.
• Public at-grade railroad crossings improvements.
• Construction inspection services on or around a railroad right-of-way.
• Quiet Zone feasibility studies.
• Railroad bridge and culvert hydraulic
• Railroad right-of-way research and establishment
• Railroad surveying and construction staking.

What are some examples as to how clients are using these services?
Several clients have taken advantage of the rail team’s expertise. We have worked with the City of Merriam, Kansas on their Johnson Drive project. For this effort, we communicated with the BNSF flagging team to monitor activity on the railroad and increase safety. Working with the railroad to shut down the main line track for a week during construction was a critical component that helped keep the project on schedule. We supported the City of Kansas City, Missouri on their fiber optic installation, which went under a busy KC Southern rail yard. For a private industry, we designed a new rail yard to improve their efficiency and capacity.

What is the process for working with the Rail Team?
It starts with a conversation or short dialogue. We discuss the project’s needs and goals. Then, we make a site visit to study the existing site and potential layout of the project. With this information, we prepare a memorandum of understanding and begin working with the applicable railroad. From there, we develop engineering plans that reflect the approved path forward.

How can these services benefit Affinis clients?
Many firms offering railroad engineering are larger than Affinis. Our size allows us to be mobile and responsive. Internally, we regularly collaborate on projects across teams. This translates to a more streamlined and efficient experience for our clients. With our team, clients are accessing years of rail experience, along with personalized service.

To learn more about our rail engineering capabilities, visit our new Rail page.