MISSOULA, Mont. — BNSF Railway expects to complete installation of positive train control on the former Montana Rail Link by December, concluding a long-running project that predates BNSF’s acquisition of the regional railroad.
BNSF said on social media that PTC was implemented on 36 miles of its MRL Subdivision in June, with work in progress on another 570 miles.
Montana Rail Link said in 2018 it would voluntarily install PTC on five subdivisions between Billings, Mont., and Sandpoint, Idaho [see “Montana Rail Link to install …,” Trains.com, Nov. 5, 2018]. MRL received a $3.5 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements grant toward the project in 2019 [see “Montana Rail gets $3.5 million federal grant …,” Trains.com, June 28, 2019].
