An analysis by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) found that progress is being made on installation of Positive Train Control (PTC) technology, leading to the potential of a safer environment.
The complex signaling and communications technology, known as PTC, is meant to be progressed throughout commercial ventures by Dec. 31, 2018, under current law. That includes installation of hardware, acquisition of necessary spectrum for its implementation, completion of employee training on the new technology, testing and a submitted plan for the Secretary of Transportation. Full implementation must be completed no later than Dec. 31, 2020.
Jeffrey Knueppel, general manager of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA), said that PTC is a critical enhancement for commuter rail safety.
“Implementing PTC at SEPTA, during a challenging period of capital funding, has been an Authority-wide commitment,” Knueppel said. “Throughout this effort, our in-house team has been working continuously with Amtrak, our freight partners, and third-party contractors to address technical and interoperability challenges.”
Though deadlines loom near, the industry has already neared completion on numerous aspects of the change. According to APTA, 91 percent of the spectrum has been acquired, 85 percent of the necessary onboard equipment have been installed, 79 percent of on-track equipment have been established, 78 percent of back-office control systems are ready to go, and 74 percent of employees have completed training. The most serious area remaining is the actual testing of PTC. Only 34 percent of the industry is currently testing or has already completed PTC testing.
“Every year, 30 commuter railroads across America safely carry passengers on 501 million trips,” Paul Skoutelas, APTA president and CEO, said. “With safety as our number one priority, the commuter railroads are making strong and continuous progress in implementing Positive Train Control.”
Such implementations come at a time when the industry is also struggling to meet a transit repair backlog of around $90 billion. Implementing PTC will, in and of itself, cost more than $4.1 billion to implement. Since Congress mandated PTC, however, the federal government has provided $272 million in PTC grants. An additional $250 million was made available in May 2018.