TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Web-Only Document 52: Performance-Based Track Geometry explores ride quality literature, vehicle characterization and on-track ride quality testing, track geometry measures, and NUCARS' (a railway multi-body dynamics computer program) modeling and simulation capabilities.

The research highlighted in TCRP Web-Only Document 52 is the first phase of a two-phase project. Phase II of the project will apply the NUCARS simulations and data collected on transit systems during Phase I to train performance-based track geometry (PBTG) neural networks and will explore the PBTG model’s ability to predict ride quality.