6 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

Progressive Railroading, 8/6/12:

Caltrain will receive $3.2 million in U.S. Department of Transportation grant funds to install an advanced signal system to support modernized service and the eventual addition of high-speed rail, Caltrain officials announced yesterday.

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[KevinKorell]

Progressive Railroading, 9/19/13:

Caltrain has kicked off the first element of its "modernization program" with the installation of a communications-based overlay signal system (CBOSS) as part of the railroad's positive train control (PTC) project.

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[KevinKorell]

Progressive Railroading, 10/17/14:

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has approved Caltrain's plan to begin implementing and testing its positive train control (PTC) system, the agency announced yesterday.

This is the story.

[CNJRoss]

Caltrain news release:

 

Caltrain Terminates Contract with Parsons Transportation Group (PTG)

February 24, 2017

 

Termination was deemed necessary after lack of contractor’s progress threatened to delay implementation of the federally-mandated safety improvements to the railway

 

Caltrain announced today that it has terminated a contract with Parsons Transportation Group (PTG), the firm responsible for designing and implementing a Positive Control System or CBOSS.  This contract was designed to implement federally mandated improvements to the train control system that will enhance safety and reliability of the railway. 

 

The unusual action was deemed necessary after continued delays in delivering the project and an utter lack of progress in moving the project forward consistent with PTG’s contractual obligations.  This termination action was taken after repeated intervention, peer reviews and increased oversight of the Joint Powers Board failed to improve performance of the contractor.  It was deemed necessary to terminate this contract now to maintain schedule and to exercise cost control of the project.

 

“The Positive Train Control work being done is imperative to the safety and reliability of rail service on our right of way,” said Caltrain Chief Operating Officer Michelle Bouchard.  “Due to PTG’s continued failure to perform, combined with their potential to cause program delay, the decision to terminate was necessary to keep the program on schedule while also exercising cost control over its delivery.”

 

Caltrain has immediately begun the process of identifying a replacement party who has the demonstrated ability to perform.  While this action will complicate final delivery, it was done at this time to ensure that it does not impede progress on the Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project (PCEP) and will not jeopardize the significant progress being made by the Positive Train Control project.  That progress includes the now complete installation of wayside and onboard hardware, installation of a fiber optic backbone and the build out of a new backup control center facility.

 

In addition to its termination, Caltrain will be taking all actions necessary, including litigation, to secure the benefit of the bargained for contract with Parsons and access to the Performance Bond to pay for costs associated with procuring a new integrator and completing the CBOSS project.  Due to the pending litigation, Caltrain is unable to comment on the specifics of the conflict but is confident that it will prevail in any independent legal review of the facts.

 

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[CNJRoss]

Progressive Railroading, 2/27:

 

Caltrain nixes PTC contract with Parsons

Caltrain has terminated a positive train control (PTC) contract with Parsons Transportation Group following continued delays to deliver the project, the commuter railroad announced late last week.

The contract called for Parsons to design and implement a communications-based overlay signal system (CBOSS) for the railroad. However, there's been "an utter lack of progress in moving the project forward consistent with [Parsons'] contractual obligations," Caltrain officials said in a press release.

The decision to terminate the contract came after repeated intervention, peer reviews and increased oversight from the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (JPB) failed to improve the contractor's performance, according to Caltrain.

 

SNIP

 

Parsons officials maintain the contract was wrongfully terminated and that the Joint Powers Board "has no contractual or legal basis to consider Parsons in default of its contract," company spokeswoman Erin Kuhlman said in a statement.

 

More here.

[CNJRoss]

Caltrain news release:

 

Caltrain received $21 million federal grant to improve safety

June 4, 2017

 

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) today announced that Caltrain will receive a grant for $21.68 million to dual equip seven Caltrain trains with Positive Train Control (PTC) systems. The grant is intended to help commuter and intercity passenger railroads meet the December 31, 2018 deadline to implement PTC systems in order to improve safety.

 

This grant will be used to fund improvements to the Caltrain PTC system that will enable operations south of San Jose on Union Pacific dispatch territory.

 

“PTC is vitally necessary given how many people ride Caltrain every day,” said Caltrain General Manager & CEO Jim Hartnett. “This funding will ensure that our riders will continue to get to their destinations safely and securely.”

 

PTC systems are designed to prevent certain train-to-train collisions, over-speed derailments, incursions into established work zones, and trains routed to the wrong tracks because a switch was left in the wrong position. Caltrain’s PTC solution already in progress is a Communications-based Overlay Signal System (CBOSS). The grants under this program will be used to install PTC technology, including back office systems and wayside, communications, and onboard hardware equipment associated with railroads’ PTC systems.

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[CNJRoss]

Progressive Railroading 2/26/18:

 

Caltrain's board to consider PTC contract with Wabtec

 

The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board next month will consider approval of a contract with Wabtec Railway Electronics Inc. to complete a federally mandated project to roll out a positive train control (PTC) upgrade to Caltrain's signal system.


The new contract would complete Caltrain's PTC project after the railroad terminated a contract last year with Parsons Transportation Group for nonperformance "after many months of delay and repeated failure by the contractor to correct performance issues," Caltrain officials said in a press release.

 

Continue here.

 

Board presentation:  Caltrain PTC Program Status & Wabtec Contract Award