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Commuter railroads make progress installing PTC


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#1 KevinKorell

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Posted 03 June 2015 - 10:57 AM

<p>Photo: Steven Vance/Flickr</p>

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Many investigators say Positive Train Control (PTC), an automated safety system, could have prevented last month’s Amtrak train derailment. Amtrak officials have said they will have PTC installed throughout the northeast corridor by the end of this year, which is the deadline mandated by Congress, according to NPR.

But the vast majority of other commuter railroad systems, which provided nearly 500 million rides in 2014, won’t be able to fully implement positive train control for several more years, the report said.

Some commuter rail agencies will need another three to five years to complete PTC installations because of the scale and complexity of the systems and the resources needed, according to American Public Transportation Association President/CEO Michael Melaniphy.

For the full story, click here.

 

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#2 CNJRoss

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Posted 22 February 2017 - 06:15 PM

APTA news release, 2/21/17:

 

 

 

 

Commuter Rail Industry Continues to Make Progress on Positive Train Control

 

Industry is On Schedule to Meet Congressional Deadline

 
 
 
According to updated analyses done by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the commuter rail industry continues to make significant progress on implementing positive train control (PTC) and is on schedule to meet the congressional deadline of December 2018.  This analyses were based on information available as of December 31, 2016.
 
According to APTA’s analyses, some of the results are as follows:
23% of the 3,150 route miles are either in service or in full PTC demonstration mode, while awaiting Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) approvals;
30% of the 3,400 locomotives and cab cars are installed with PTC hardware;
40% of the 35 back office control systems are ready for operation;
70% of spectrum has been acquired and 50% of the 1,000 radio towers have been erected;
24% of the 13,000 employees have been trained in PTC; and
19% of commuter rail agencies were 100% PTC equipped by the end of 2016.
 “The commuter rail industry continues to make significant progress in implementing positive train control (PTC),” said APTA Acting President and CEO Richard A. White. “The progress on this complex safety technology demonstrates the industry’s relentless focus on safety.”
 
The delivery of PTC is highly complex, requiring the development of safety critical software; installations on 3,150 miles of track; 3,400 locomotives; 1,000 radio towers; and training more than 13,000 employees, according to APTA.
“The installation of PTC is challenging for a number of reasons, including from a technical perspective.  PTC was not a mature technology when Congress mandated it in the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008,” said White.  “Beyond the technological challenges that have to be addressed, there are significant issues in regard to the costs, scarce qualified resources, and adequate access to track and locomotives for installation and testing.”
 
The APTA analyses was based on surveying APTA members and assessing the quarterly reports submitted to the FRA for the last quarter of 2016.  It also showed that given the priority of PTC, there remains significant investment backlog for State of Good Repair (SOGR) and expansion projects, including
 upgrades and replacement to track, bridges, rolling stock and facilities.  Since APTA’s last quarterly report, the Federal Transit Administration has updated the SOGR for the public transit industry which has increased to $90 billion.  
Positive train control implementation is expected to cost the commuter rail industry more than $3.5 billion in capital expenditures, which includes more than $16 million in spectrum acquisition, as well as $100 million annually in additional maintenance costs.  
 
Funding remains a critical concern for the commuter rail agencies, all of which are publicly funded. Currently, $75 million has been awarded to commuter rail agencies through federal grants designated specifically for PTC implementation.  Additionally, $199 million was authorized by Congress but has yet to be appropriated.  Finally, a $967 million loan from the U.S. Department of Transportation was made available to one commuter rail agency for PTC implementation.  
 
“On behalf of the commuter rail industry, I urge Congress to quickly make available the $199 million authorized by the Fast Act for FY 2017 and consider providing additional resources to support industry efforts to meet the congressional deadline,” said White.  
 

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#3 CNJRoss

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Posted 23 February 2017 - 12:32 PM

The Hill, Washington, DC 2/21/17:
 

Commuter railroads make progress installing life-saving tech

 

 

Commuter railroads have made some progress installing a potentially life-saving train technology, though they still have a long way to go, according to new analysis from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).

The improvement comes as the commuter railroad industry has lagged behind the efforts of freight railroads in implementing positive train control (PTC), which automatically slows down a train that is going over the speed limit and will eventually be required by law.

 

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