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NEW YORK — The Federal Railroad Administration has certified that Port Authority Trans-Hudson’s system-wide signal upgrade has met the federal regulatory requirements for positive train control, achieving formal completion ahead of the FRA’s Dec. 31 deadline and providing vital safety enhancements to the railway. PATH is the first railroad system in the region and one […]
MISSOULA, Mont. — Montana Rail Link will install positive train control technology along more than 600 miles of its main line in Montana and Idaho by 2022, company officials say. Vice President of Operations Stacy Posey tells Trains that MRL will be one of the first railroads of its size to voluntarily install the safety […]
A Metra Rock Island District train curves from the main line onto the Beverly Branch in August 2018. Metra has released a proposed schedule for the Rock Island District including adjustments for operation with positive train control. TRAINS: David Lassen CHICAGO — Metra has unveiled its proposed schedule revision for the Rock Island District, incorporating […]
A NJ Transit contract crew installs conduits for positive train control cables in New Jersey this week. NJ Transit NEWARK, N.J. — When NJ Transit completely shut down the Atlantic City Rail Line on Sept. 5, gloom and doom prevailed. Speculation ran among riders and the railfan community that the 60-mile line would be either […]
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – BNSF Railway engineers who are prevented by positive train control from passing a stop signal or exceeding a speed limit may face an investigation and discipline similar to if the system had not prevented an incident. Aaron Ratledge, BNSF’s general director of operating practices, explained the practice during a seminar at the […]
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In written testimony at last week’s congressional hearing on positive train control, Amtrak backed away from earlier statements indicating it would not operate on lines without PTC. The written testimony by Scot Naparstek, Amtrak’s chief operating officer, was offered at the Sept. 13 hearing of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s […]
BNSF’s Rich Wessler, left, and Amtrak’s Joe McHugh address stakeholders assembled on the first inspection train of the Chief route, west of Garden City, Kan., on Jan. 10, 2013. Bob Johnston LA JUNTA, Colo. — Following the Aug. 21 meeting between Amtrak officials and Southwest Chief stakeholders in Raton, N.M. — which provided the first […]
Metra commuter and Norfolk Southern freight trains meet at tower A2 northwest of Union Station. Steve Sweeney Trains tracks the evolution of positive train control technology from the 1980s to present! August 1985 – Burlington Northern executives approve testing a PTC prototype system, ARES, in Minnesota’s Iron Range. May 1, 2007 – U.S. Rep. James […]
A Southwest Chief inspection special pauses at Garden City, Kan., on July 11, 2014, to pick up city officials. Bob Johnston RATON, N.M. — Amtrak will not operate passenger trains on lines without positive train control after Dec. 31, 2018, a top official for the passenger railroad says — a decision which could lead to […]
A partial screen image capture from the Federal Railroad Administration’s quarterly update on railroads’ progress implementing positive train control. Federal Railroad Administration website WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration today released the 2018 Quarter 2 status update on railroads’ self-reported progress toward implementing positive train control systems. The latest data, current […]
This odd-looking signal serves to warn motorists. Sherman Cahal Q What can you tell me about this signal? – Carl Lehman, San Antonio A The photo was taken along the Baltimore & Ohio’s line in Greenfield, Ohio, and faces Baltimore Avenue, which runs parallel to the tracks through the city. The single top light will […]
No. 261 crosses the Kettle River at Sandstone, Minn., on a June 2016 excursion. Steve Glischinski MINNEAPOLIS – The Friends of the 261 will operate a steam excursion from Minneapolis to Duluth over BNSF Railway June 9-10, 2018, to raise funds for the installation of the positive train control system on Milwaukee Road steam locomotive […]
