Big Data Conference

Converting the Mountain of Data Collected by Railway Systems into Effective Maintenance Planning Information with a Focus on Railway Needs and Practical Applications

Conference Director — Dr. Allan M Zarembski, dramz@udel.edu, Professor and Director of the Railroad Engineering and Safety Program, University of Delaware

Co-Director – Nii Attoh-Okine, Professor, University of Delaware, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Co-Director – Dr. Joseph Palese; Senior Scientist and Program Manager: Railroad Engineering and Safety Program

This conference is organized by the University of Delaware’s Railroad Engineering and Safety Program, Big Data Center, and the College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

About the Conference

Modern Railways are making increasing use of new generation inspection and operating technology to obtain more and more data on the condition of the track, equipment, and operations. This extensive amount of data, which includes data of increasing complexity as well as volume, has led to a condition known as “Big Data”, where the volume of data is such that traditional analysis techniques are no longer viable to efficiently make use of all of this large volume of data. Thus, important information is often buried in this “mountain” of data. Since railways need to convert this data into useable information to help them plan their maintenance and capital programs as well as their ongoing operations, there is a need for the application of new and improved analysis techniques to make this conversion from data into information. One such area of improved data analysis is the use of “Big Data” or Data Analytics with its associated statistical analysis techniques which is the focus of this conference.

The 2021 conference is intended to expand on previous years’ conferences and introduce these new and emerging analysis techniques and to show how they can be applied to the large volume of inspection and operational data collected by railways to improve their planning of the critical capital and maintenance programs. This year’s conference focuses on new and emerging applications of “Big Data” analytics to include infrastructure and rolling stock maintenance planning and railroad operations. The program for 2021 will use a 1 ½ day format with a full day on Wednesday December 15, 2021 and a half day on December 16, 2021 with a reception the evening of December 15, 2021.

Call for Presentations

At this time, we are inviting presentations for the Big Data in Railroad Maintenance Planning conference. Presentations will be 20 minutes each and can be in the following areas:

• Big Data Problems and Issues in Railroad Engineering , Rolling Stock, and Operations
• Applications of Big Data Solutions to Railroad Engineering, Rolling Stock and Operations problems
• Big Data Theory as Applied to Railroad Engineering, Rolling Stock and Operations problems
• Problems and solutions; Case Studies in Big Data in Railroad Engineering. Rolling Stock, and

If you are interested in making a presentation, please submit by e-mail a one paragraph description of the presentation topic (200 words) to

Dr. Allan M Zarembski; Professor and Director of the Railroad Engineering and Safety Program, University of Delaware at dramz@udel.edu

Please submit your proposed presentation by July 16, 2021.

You will be advised of your selection and inclusion by September 30, 2021.

Call for Sponsors

The Big Data in Railroad Maintenance Planning conference is soliciting sponsorships for the 2021 conference.

Sponsorships are available in the following categories:

Reception Sponsors [Platinum] at $2000.

Reception sponsors will be acknowledged throughout the conference and Thursdays evening’s reception to include.

• Special reception sponsor posters at the Thursday evening reception
• Special announcement at Thursday evening reception
• Acknowledgement as Reception [Platinum] Sponsor on all Conference Program
• On Sponsors Posters in the Conference Hall and Conference Hall Lobby
• Recognition during the Conference

General Sponsorship [Gold Sponsors] at $1000

Sponsors will be acknowledged throughout the conference to include.

• Acknowledgement as General [Gold] Sponsor on all Conference Program
• On Sponsors Posters in the Conference Hall and Conference Hall Lobby
• Recognition during the Conference

If you are interested in being a Reception or General Sponsor please e-mail

Dr. Allan M Zarembski; Professor and Director of the Railroad Engineering and Safety Program, University of Delaware at dramz@udel.edu