Positive Train Control
PTC Statement
Safety is the number one priority of the freight railroad industry. Positive train control is a catch-all term that describes systems designed to help prevent collisions between two or more trains, to enforce speed limits and to protect employees engaged in track maintenance. Railroads, on their own initiative, began developing positive train control systems years ago and have invested several hundred million dollars towards research, development and testing of this emerging technology. There are several types of positive train control technologies being tested; compatibility of these systems is a key component to successful implementation.
Positive train control is not a single technology; it is a term used to describe a number of different technologies that have different capabilities. Positive train control is not an “off the shelf” system or software that can be implemented overnight. To be effective, a PTC system must be “interoperable.” That is, it must be able to operate over a vast 140,000 mile network that trains travel, pieces of which are owned by various freight railroads, Amtrak and commuter railroads. Braking issues also remain to be resolved in terms of the distance requirement posed by variables such as train length, weight, grade of track and track curvature. This is a safety critical issue as improper braking can cause derailments and accidents.
The railroad industry remains committed to the safety of their employees and communities they serve. The freight railroads will continue to work closely together, as well as with Amtrak, commuter systems and the Federal Railroad Administration to develop, test and implement this technology and to ensure that it meets the challenge for which it is being created: to enhance safety and reduce accidents.
Read the information packets from AAR in the left-hand bar.
Click on the links below to see what others are saying and doing about PTC and and other railroad safety programs.