Rail

Advancing Rail Infrastructure Through Specialized Engineering Expertise, Customized Solutions, and Innovative Project Delivery

Leaders in Rail Bridge Inspections

ARE speaks the language of the shortline rail industry. We plan, design and engineer rail bridges, and we provide a full range of bridge services. Our project teams include experienced bridge engineers and designers as well as the ‘next generation of rising stars’. We train our staff to understand the challenges of bridge engineering, so we can develop solutions focused on improving your overall operation. Implementing projects reliably and safely is how we define excellence. Our team delivers inspection reports and assessments with in-depth details.

Get the Full Picture

This interactive point cloud was created using photogrammetry; 660 photos were used to generate this product. A measurement tool is included in this App, allowing for length and area measurements. Engineers used this data to analyze the interaction between the water quality of the creek and sediment from recent railroad construction. Traditional methods would have taken hours of time on the track, making it a hazardous survey for the crew. A drone equipped with a high-resolution camera surveyed this site in a few hours without any impact to the track.

VIEW FULL MAP

Rail Bridges

When it comes to Rail Bridges, ARE is an industry leader in:

Railroad Line
Assessment

As an extension of our client’s staff, we perform concept level review of potential track segments that are being considered for upgrade, acquisition or return to service.

Obtain and review available plans, inspection data and maintenance history
Field inspections
Prioritized capital assessment reports

Testimonials

"ARE has been crucial to the preventative maintenance, safe operation and FRA compliance of the Nebraska Central Railroad’s bridge structures. Their team is highly professional, efficient and accurate when performing annual bridge inspections and any other requested deliverables. The NCRC is always looking for efficiencies and innovations to enhance our operation and ARE’s technological advancements with the use of UAV/Drones as an inspection tool has far exceeded our requirements and expectations!"

Matthew Mattiza

Project Manager, Rio Grande Pacific Transit Group

"The inspectors from ARE, Steve Williams and Nick Ray did an excellent Job. They put in long hours and completed a very thorough inspection. They were great to work with and respected all of Amtrak’s safety rules. Also, the guys flying the drones, Nick Ray and Ian Ray did a great job and were very respectful of the No-Fly Zone due to the bald eagle in the area. They had a great work plan and completed it. Hope we can use these guys again in the future."

Oaty Frye

Amtrak

"ARE, under the management of Mr. Anderson and Ms. Lucero, has always completed its work on-budget and on-time. I highly recommend ARE for engineering and project management services based on a track record of honesty, integrity, competence, dependability and quality of work."

Mitch Stogner

Executive Director, North Coast Railroad Authority

"The Northwestern Pacific Railroad traverses some of the most rugged and difficult terrain in California, always facing track, bridge, tunnel, environmental issues. ARE consistently gives us high quality, reasonably priced service. They are truly our partners in every respect, and we depend on their expertise to solve difficult problems. In addition to being excellent engineers, they understand the many laws and regulations and work well with the regulators with whom we have to deal. They also invest in state-of-the-art technology such as drone deployment that increases their efficiency and reduces our cost. We highly recommend ARE for those wanting high quality service."

Douglas Bosco

Northwestern Pacific Railroad Company

"Our partnership with ARE has been crucial to the safe and efficient operation of our bridges at the NPBL, especially the 800 foot lift span bridge over the Elizabeth River. Their use of technology and detailed inspection reports aids us in capital planning and routine maintenance. ARE’s use of drone technology as an inspection tool has minimized interruptions to rail and water transportation in the region while providing excellent feedback for our bridge maintenance program. We are proud to have ARE as part of our team."

Donna Coleman

Vice President, Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line Railroad