DHS Project CHARIOT: Testing Rail Cybersecurity Resilience
DHS Project CHARIOT: Testing Rail Cybersecurity Resilience
https://dallasexpress.com/national/dhs-project-chariot-testing-rail-cybersecurity-resilience/
Publish Date: 2026-06-30 16:02:00
Source Domain: dallasexpress.com
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A train passes through grassland at the Pueblo, Colorado, test location | image by S&T/news release
The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is testing rail communications systems as part of an effort to strengthen cybersecurity and resilience across the nation’s freight rail network.The initiative, known as Project CHARIOT — short for Critical Infrastructure Hardening Achieved through Risk-reduction in Informational and Operational Technology — examines digitally controlled operational technology systems used in freight rail operations, as well as components supporting the oil and natural gas sectors.According to S&T, the United States’ rail system is an $80 billion industry spanning nearly 140,000 miles of track and serves as a critical part of the nation’s transportation and supply chain infrastructure.“Newer technologies are being integrated with legacy systems that have been in place for decades,” said Brannan Villee, S&T’s Director of National Resilience Solutions. “The goal of our program is to have industry and the U.S. government working side by side to develop an at-scale platform for testing cyber scenarios that could impact operations in oil and natural gas, freight rail operations, and provide a structure for evaluating both hardware and software in industrial control systems.”Field Testing Conducted in ColoradoS&T and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory conducted rail communications testing at the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, Colorado, last fall. The Federal Railroad Administration and industry partners from the Association of American Railroads participated in the testing.Researchers focused on Head-of-Train and End-of-Train (HOT/EOT) communications devices, which enable locomotive engineers to monitor and control trains through sensors and communication equipment.The field tests expanded on previous laboratory research by using full-size rail cars operating under real-world conditions. Researchers also simulated the loss of communications between HOT and EOT systems to evaluate how cyber-related disruptions could affect rail operations.“Throughout at-scale testing for Project CHARIOT, our team demonstrated how cyber events can impact on railroad operations,” said Erin Plemons, Director of the Center for Critical Infrastructure Protection at ENSCO, which operates the Transportation Technology Center. “This work underscores the importance of continued collaboration and investment in strengthening rail system resilience.”Findings Already Influencing Industry StandardsS&T said the testing has prompted industry groups to begin updating standards to address identified cybersecurity risks.The Federal Railroad Administration, working with Idaho National Laboratory, is also using the test data to develop an End-of-Train risk assessment and mitigation resource guide.“By identifying and testing these systems through programs like CHARIOT, we can reduce risks and proactively embed security into new standards, saving operational costs and improving safety,” said Dr. Matthew Rogers, an Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity Expert at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.Officials Emphasize CollaborationFederal officials said the project highlights the growing importance of protecting interconnected rail technology from cyber threats.“As rail technology becomes more interconnected, our approach to safety must be equally sophisticated,” said Jen Gallagher, the Federal Railroad Administration’s Operational Technology Cybersecurity Lead. “CHARIOT testing at the TTC demonstrates the importance of securing the digital links that move our freight. This project highlights the vital collaboration between the FRA, DHS, and our industry partners, turning research insights into resilient, real-world solutions that protect our infrastructure and the national supply chain.”Project CHARIOT is guided by an interagency working group made up of stakeholders from the U.S. Transportation Systems Sector. The group develops testing scenarios for rail, oil, and natural gas infrastructure and applies the findings across participating federal agencies to strengthen cyber resilience.S&T Director of Operations and Research Analysis Cynthia Spishak said the working group demonstrates how a single federal investment can support multiple government missions while bringing together public and private partners to improve rail safety and infrastructure security.
