The University of Delaware’s internationally known Railroad Engineering and Safety program will host the sixth annual Big Data in Railroad Maintenance Planning Conference on Dec. 11-12 in Newark.

UD’s Allan M. Zarembski, a pioneer in the use of big data in railroad engineering, is the conference director and lead faculty for the two-day preconference workshop, Application of Emerging Data Techniques in Railway Maintenance, set for Dec. 9-10.

The conference and workshop both address the trends and challenges surrounding big data in the railroad industry. With modern railway systems increasingly able to collect huge volumes of operating and inspection data, the industry faces a growing demand for converting that data into usable information to help plan maintenance and capital programs. Uses of such data include providing insights about the longevity of railroad tracks, predicting equipment failure and planning for preventive maintenance.

The preconference workshop focuses on data mining and analytics techniques applicable to railroad track engineering and safety planning and is aimed at railroad engineers, data experts and industry leadership. Led by Zarembski along with Nii O. Attoh-Okine and Joseph W. Palese, both key faculty in UD’s Railway Engineering and Safety program, the workshop features a practical, case-study approach.

The free two-day conference is supported by sponsors from across the railroad industry. The registration deadline is Dec. 5. The cost of the pre-conference workshop is $715.50 for registrations received by Oct. 28. Discounts are available for UD students, UD alumni, and UD employees as well as military personnel, veterans and groups. For more details or to register, visit the conference website: https://www.pcs.udel.edu/big-data-railroad/