Freight Rail

Faced with aging railways, freight rail is constantly working to meet increasing supply chain demands. Schnabel provides geotechnical, geophysical, geostructural, and construction engineering for upgrades to bridges, tunnels, and tracks and is experienced with traditional and design-build delivery of railroad clearance projects. We specialize in identifying geotechnical risks and providing cost-effective solutions.

We understand that when critical railroad infrastructure fails, trains stop running. We hold on-call contracts with Norfolk Southern and CSX Transportation. We respond with emergency site investigations, mitigation/remediation designs, and construction support services to get things back on track, fast. Our geotechnical design and construction solutions respect schedule criticality and limited budgets when dealing with emergency response issues.

Railroad projects have a reputation for their safety focus, and so do we. Schnabel personnel working on railroad sites maintain current Roadway Worker Protection training certifications. Prior to starting a project, they undergo personal background checks in accordance with e-VERIFY, and obtain e-RAILSAFE system badges. Our staff is experienced with enacting safety procedures for drilling and sampling on railroad right-of-ways, and their knowledge of railroad operations and attention to safety issues helps minimize disruptions to rail traffic.