Posted: July 26, 2022, 9:50 p.m. EDT
Fourth and final set of questions posted. Please see the attached. Note some previous responses updated
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Third set of questions posted. Please see the attached
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Second set of questions posted. Please see the attached
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First set of questions posted. Please see the attached.
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Updated to remove errata from Comments sheet.
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This draft is issued solely for informational purposes and does not constitute a solicitation. The government is requesting comments from Industry on this Automated Track Inspection Program (ATIP) draft. This draft does not constitute a Request for Proposals (RFP). The Government will not reimburse respondents for any costs incurred in responding to this draft. Responses to this draft are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract.
Please provide your comments to this draft on the attached Excel spreadsheet by 12:30 pm Friday May 6, 2022, by email to ATIP2022@dot.gov.
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The release date of the draft solicitation has been updated to April 14, 2022.
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Revised Information for Industry Day:
*****Due to the amount of interest in the ATIP Industry Day one on one meetings are being held onsite on October 28, 2021 and virtually October 29, 2021.
Date and Times :
October 28, 2021: 10AM 4:30PM
October 29, 2021: 10AM 12:30PM
ATIP Industry Day Location
Union Station/ Starbucks in the Claytor concourse
50 Massachusetts Ave NE,
Washington, DC 20002
Point of Contact: Matthew Carr at 202-738-8619
****Please arrive prior to 10:00AM to allow adequate time for parking/transit and security****
ATIP Industry Day Schedule
October 28, 2021 Union Station
10:00AM 10:45AM Welcome/Contracting Opening Statements/Safety Briefing
10:45AM 11:45AM Car Walkthrough
11:45AM 12:45PM Lunch
12:45PM 1:30 PM Main Presentation
1:30PM 2:00 PM One on One
2:00PM 2:30PM One on One
2:30PM 3:30PM Break
3:00PM 3:30PM One on One
3:30PM 4:00PM One on One
4:00PM 4:30PM One on One
October 29, 2021 Virtual Meeting
10:00AM 10:30AM One on One
10:30AM 11:00AM One on One
11:00AM 11:30AM One on One
11:30AM 12:00 PM Break
12:00PM 12:30 PM One on One
COVID-19 Protocols:
FRA is committed to a safe and secure Industry Day. Accordingly, FRA will follow current Federal and CDC guidance:
- All participants in the Industry Day shall be masked.
- Social distancing will be required.
- Only Registered Participants can attend
- There will be a limit of 2 participants per vendor from Industry
- The number of participants in cars will be limited.
- Hand sanitizer will be available
- Consistent with current guidance, an Attestation Form is Required (saferfederalworkforce.gov)[1]
- Participants who are not fully vaccinated, or choose not to disclose, must show evidence of a negative COVID-19 test.
[1] Contractors and visitors attempting to gain entry at GSA owned or leased facilities secured by Federal Protective Service (FPS) must complete the Certification of Vaccination form which is attached and available here: Certification of Vaccination (saferfederalworkforce.gov) and may be required to show the form upon entry. Contractors and visitors who are not fully vaccinated or who decline to disclose their vaccination status must also be prepared to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test from within the previous three days, in accordance with Safer Federal Workforce Task Force requirements and agency requirements, as applicable. (Note: Other than complying with building signage and instructions for masking and social distancing, no Certification of Vaccination form or accompanying COVID-19 paperwork is currently required for entrants seeking a public service or benefit.)
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Special Notice Automated Track Inspection Program (ATIP)
The U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) will be conducting an Industry Day for its Automated Track Inspection Program (ATIP) at 10:00AM on October 28, 2021 at Union Station in Washington, DC. THIS INDUSTRY DAY IS SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND PLANNING PURPOSES AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION. The Government will not reimburse respondents for any costs incurred in participating in the industry day. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Specific details regarding attendance are included at the end of this Special Notice.
ATIP Program
Generally it is the vision of the FRA to reduce track-caused derailments through the utilization of automated track inspection technologies.
The current ATIP program is made up of the following four basic parts: Administration, Operation and Maintenance of Manned Systems, Operation and Maintenance of Unmanned Systems, and Track Data Services (TDS). TDS is currently provided under a separate contract.
One of the missions of ATIP is to support Office of R&DT to collect data on new technologies like GPR, VTD, Vision systems, etc. The Office of R&DT utilizes data from all ATIP survey vehicles for various research activities.
Administration
The administration portion is for the management and oversight of a fleet of cars. This management consists of the handling of the contract funding and logistics. The contractor must provide to FRA a way of showing complete breakdowns of funding spent on the contract. The contractor must also establish a routine of communicating with the railroads about the operations schedule and billing. The team must be flexible to handle changes within the schedule and contract to meet the FRA's mission.
Operation and Maintenance - Manned Systems
Operation and Maintenance (O&M) of manned systems is currently the biggest portion of the ATIP contract. The operation and maintenance needs will be for the fleet to accomplish roughly 65,000 miles of manned operation. This could be accomplished using multiple platforms within the fleet, which consists of rail-bound geometry cars, a hi-rail geometry inspection vehicle, and a hi-rail ultrasonic rail integrity inspection vehicle. The ATIP vehicle systems must be properly calibrated and maintained in a state of readiness for compliance surveys with FRA and railroad personnel onboard.
Operation and Maintenance - Unmanned Systems
Operations and Maintenance (O&M) of the unmanned systems will be similar to the manned operations; however, the data will be collected with no personnel on board. These systems allow for unmanned operations from Amtrak revenue trains and via self-sustaining survey vehicles within freight service. Survey data must be verifiably accurate and reliable, and shall be analyzed and distributed in a timely manner to FRA and the appropriate railroad personnel.
Track Data Services (TDS)
TDS is the central location for all data collected by ATIP. The contractors operating the survey vehicles transfer data to the dedicated storage location and load it into TDS. The web-based TDS portal is the primary means in which the FRA safety personnel and railroads access survey data. Access may be limited based on the needs of the user.
Additional information regarding the ATIP program can be found at: https://railroads.dot.gov/track/automated-track-inspection-program-atip/atip-overview
On or about January 17, 2022, the FRA intends to issue a draft Request for Proposal (RFP) to solicit comments on the ATIP Statement of Work.
Industry Day
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is hosting an Industry Day on October 28, 2021 at 10:00AM at Union Station in Washington, D.C. to discuss the Automated Track Inspection Program (ATIP). The purpose of the Industry Day is to discuss the program "As-Is" and explore opportunities to achieve efficient and effective best practices in the future. The intent is to achieve and maintain this program competitively either in whole or in part. The Industry Day format will include:
ATIP Industry Day Attendance
Attendance is free and open to the public, however, pre-registration is required. Attendance is limited to two (2) persons per vendor. All interested parties must RSVP in order to attend ATIP Industry Day. Please RSVP by sending an email to the Contract Specialist, Matthew Carr, at Matthew.Carr@dot.gov by 3:00PM on October 15, 2021. Please include the names of all individuals planning to attend, each individual's job title and the company name each individual works for. Questions on this Industry Day Notice shall be addressed to Matthew Carr, at Matthew.Carr@dot.gov. Answers to questions received in advance of the Industry Day shall be shared with all participants during the event.
Please indicate whether your company plans to participate in the One on One Sessions that will be conducted in the afternoon. One on One Sessions are tentatively scheduled for a maximum of 30 minutes and will be available at the following times:
2:00PM
2:30PM
3:00PM
3:30PM
Please indicate a preferred time slot for the One on One Session as well as a secondary choice. Time slots will be filled on a first come, first served basis.
ATIP Industry Day Location
Union Station/ Starbucks in the Claytor concourse
50 Massachusetts Ave NE,
Washington, DC 20002
****Please arrive prior to 10:00AM to allow adequate time for parking/transit and security****
ATIP Industry Day Schedule
10:00AM 10:15AM Welcome and Safety Briefing
10:15AM 10:45AM Opening Comments
10:45AM 11:00AM Contracting Opening Statements
11:00AM 11:15AM Break
11:15AM 12:30AM Main Presentation
12:30AM 1:30PM Lunch
1:30PM 2:00PM Question and Answer Period
2:00PM 4:00PM One on One Sessions
COVID-19 Protocols:
FRA is committed to a safe and secure Industry Day. Accordingly, FRA will follow current Federal and CDC guidance:
- All participants in the Industry Day shall be masked.
- Social distancing will be required.
- Only Registered Participants can attend
- There will be a limit of 2 participants per vendor from Industry
- The number of participants in cars will be limited.
- Hand sanitizer will be available
- Consistent with current guidance, an Attestation Form is Required (saferfederalworkforce.gov)[1]
- Participants who are not fully vaccinated, or choose not to disclose, must show evidence of a negative COVID-19 test.
[1] Contractors and visitors attempting to gain entry at GSA owned or leased facilities secured by Federal Protective Service (FPS) must complete the Certification of Vaccination form which is attached and available here: Certification of Vaccination (saferfederalworkforce.gov) and may be required to show the form upon entry. Contractors and visitors who are not fully vaccinated or who decline to disclose their vaccination status must also be prepared to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test from within the previous three days, in accordance with Safer Federal Workforce Task Force requirements and agency requirements, as applicable. (Note: Other than complying with building signage and instructions for masking and social distancing, no Certification of Vaccination form or accompanying COVID-19 paperwork is currently required for entrants seeking a public service or benefit.)
