FY'26 Licenses to Operate NUCARS Software

Summary (Newest Update)

Background The U.S. Department of Transportation, through the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) in Cambridge, MA, is supporting the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) with a requirement for the renewal of two licenses to operate NUCARS software. NUCARS is a proprietary simulation package developed by the Association of American Railroads (AAR), which has been validated to predict the nonlinear dynamic response of North American railroads under specified track conditions. The renewal is crucial for accessing results from decades of past simulation work conducted by Volpe Center engineers. The contract will be awarded to Transportation Technology Center, Inc., doing business as MxV Rail Software Products. Work Details The contract involves the renewal of two licenses for NUCARS software for the year 2026. The software is essential for rail dynamics studies and ongoing project demands within the Structures and Dynamics Division at Volpe Center. Market research conducted in December 2025 identified other vehicle track interaction dynamics software packages such as SIMPACK, VAMPIRE, and VI-Rail; however, none are compatible with Volpe's existing catalogue of vehicle models or past results. NUCARS is uniquely validated for its intended purpose and no alternative software can meet these specific needs. Period of Performance Year 2026 Place of Performance Cambridge, MA