The ARDA Newsletter               June 2023 
 
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*See Appendix C for Examples of Damage
Strategic Questions:
1. Can commercial satellites monitor the entire U.S. railroad network in real-time?
2. What imaging resolution/spectra is necessary to detect track damage from space?
3. Is satellite imaging cost competitive to maintenance tools like UAVs and ultrasound?
 
Overview
Commercial satellites have the potential to remotely detect rail damage (see Table 1) and other potentially dangerous conditions on railroad property (i.e. flooding, vegetation, trespass). Today there are multiple satellite vendors offering worldwide coverage, updated daily, as well as on-demand “tasking” for custom imaging requests. These types of remote sensing capabilities, previously restricted to national defense and military applications, create opportunities to reduce derailments while optimizing manpower though more efficient dispatching of maintenance crews. 
Any opinions in this article are expressly those of the author, David Christophersen, and may not represent those of the American Railway Development Association and/or its members.

2023 ANNUAL MEETING QUICKLY APPROACHING!
The Annual Meeting will kick off at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. on Sunday evening, July 9th, with a welcome reception and end on Wednesday, July 12th, with a private morning tour of Amtrak’s Union Station. Click the link below to register today and take advantage of early bird pricing! 
 
We are excited to see you there!
ARDA Leadership
2023 Annual Meeting Information
Event Registration: Click Here to register to attend the event. Please note that early-bird pricing ends June 9th. Register today to take advantage of discounted prices! 
 
Agenda: Click Here to view the current agenda. More details coming soon!
 
See you in Washington, D.C.!

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HOTEL INFORMATION
The Mayflower, A Marriott Hotel 1127 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 347-3000
 
The Mayflower Hotel is a capital classic, a landmark hotel and Washington, D.C. original since 1925. Exactly like nothing else, the Mayflower Hotel brings timeless elegance, integrity and contemporary style to its role as the city’s past and present-day social hub - for business or for pleasure. As Harry S. Truman said – it is “Washington’s second-best address”.
 
Phone Reservations 
Toll Free: 877-212-5752
Check-in: 4:00 PM
Check-out: 12:00 PM
 
Room Rate: $219 per night
Parking:
Valet: $63.00 per day
*plus tax
 
Nearby Airports:
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport - 4.3 miles
Washington Dulles International Airport - 28 miles
 
 Please reserve your room for the event via the link below. The room reservation link expires on June 16, 2023.
 

 
EVENT SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE!  
We invite you to take advantage of a unique marketing opportunity for your company by sponsoring one of the 2023 Annual Meeting events!
We have several open sponsorship options, as listed in the form below. If your company would like to sponsor an event for the 2023 Annual Meeting, please submit the form and payment by June 9th.
 
Renew Your ARDA Membership or Join Now

If you have not yet renewed your ARDA membership for 2022-2023, please visit our website at www.amraildev.com and log-in at the top right corner of the page. 

Your renewed membership allows ARDA to continue fostering the industrial, real estate, natural resources, market development activities and environmental concerns of the North American railroads through the advancement of ideas and education of its members.

If you are not an ARDA member and would like to join, please visit our registration page.
 

The  American Railway Development Association (ARDA) is a not-for-profit educational trade association founded in 1906 to promote Economic Development, Real Estate Development, Technology, and Environmental Activities of the North American Railroads.   The objectives of the Association are to foster the industrial, real estate, natural resources, market development activities and environmental concerns of the North American railroads; and through the advancement of ideas and education of its members, further promote the effectiveness of railway development and related work. For more information, visit the ARDA website at http://amraildev.com