Tag: Federal Railroad Administration

PTC railroad projects receive $46M in grants

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has awarded $46,301,702 in grant funding for 11 projects in 10 states to assist with deploying positive train control (PTC) systems.

This marks the second selection of PTC systems deployment projects under the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act and via the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program, collectively totaling $250 million in funding.

Photo: gabriel12/Shutterstock.com

“These $46 million in grants will speed up the deployment of positive train control systems, a key element in strengthening safety for both passenger and freight railroads,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao said. “Each recipient will be held accountable for achieving specific, measurable outcomes.”

The CRISI Program was authorized by the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act to provide funding to improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of intercity passenger rail and freight rail transportation systems. The FY 2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act provided $592,547,000 for the CRISI Program, with $250,000,000 to be made available for PTC system deployment. On August 24, 2018, FRA announced $203.7 million in grant awards for PTC implementation to 28 projects in 15 states.

“These grants not only help railroads continue to make progress implementing positive train control, but they also show that we’re steadfast in our commitment to make investments in passenger rail and rural communities,” said FRA Administrator Ronald L. Batory.

In this second round of FY 2018 PTC CRISI grants, 100 percent of the funds will benefit passenger rail, with about 31 percent — or $14 million — benefiting rural projects. The CRISI grant program directs much-needed critical investment — at least 25 percent of available funds — to rural America.

The awards will fund many aspects of PTC system implementation for intercity passenger or commuter rail and freight rail transportation, including back office PTC systems; wayside, communications, and onboard PTC system equipment; personnel training; PTC system testing; and interoperability.

In 2008, Congress mandated implementation of PTC systems on the main lines of Class I railroads and entities providing regularly scheduled intercity or commuter rail passenger transportation over which hazardous materials are transported, or over which intercity or commuter rail passenger transportation is regularly provided.

In October 2015, Congress extended the original PTC system implementation deadline from Dec. 31, 2015, to Dec. 31, 2018. In addition, Congress requires FRA to approve a railroad’s request for an “alternative schedule” with a deadline for full implementation beyond Dec. 31, 2018, but not later than Dec. 31, 2020, if the railroad demonstrates it has met the congressionally mandated criteria for an alternative schedule.

FRA awarded grants in the approximate amounts below to the following programs and entities:

AK – GPS Precision Upgrade for PTC (Up to $2,530,618)
Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC)

For this rural project, ARRC will procure a platform with software to improve the accuracy and functionality of the global positioning system (GPS) in ARRC’s locomotives and on-track equipment, and implement the vital functions for its Interoperable Electronic Train Management System (I-ETMS).

CA – PTC Configuration Management and Office Segment Failover (Up to $3,976,560)
Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (Caltrain)

To implement Caltrain’s I-ETMS PTC system, this grant will fund the completion of a Caltrain PTC Configuration Management (CM) Plan and PTC Data Management Procedure; development of a CM tool that generates an audit trail for changes to configuration data and CM training on the configuration control and CM process; completion of the backup central control facility (BCCF) and Central Control Facility Failover Design and Test Plan; and completion of the design, test results, and as-built system for an Emergency Operation Center at the existing BCCF in Menlo Park, Calif.

CA – Leveraging PTC to Increase Capacity and Reduce Headways and Alternative Vendor Analysis (Up to $3,150,000)
Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA or Metrolink)

This project will include a study for leveraging PTC to increase capacity and reduce headways, software development, PTC component upgrades, and/or corridor infrastructure upgrades to support the future implementation of Higher Reliability and Capacity Train Control (HRCTC) along Metrolink’s congested Orange County Line from Los Angeles Union Station to Oceanside, Calif.

CO – PTC Installation for the Amtrak Southwest Chief on BNSF Railway Through Colorado and Kansas (Up to $9,157,600)
Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT)

This rural project from CDOT, in collaboration with the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) and BNSF, includes the design, installation, and testing of I-ETMS PTC wayside technology on approximately 179 miles of a predominantly single-track route between Dodge City, Kan., and Las Animas, Colo.

IL – PTC Kits and Spare Parts for 24 Additional Locomotives at Metra (Up to $2,058,163)
Commuter Rail Division of the Regional Transportation Authority (Metra)

The project includes purchasing and installing onboard I-ETMS PTC equipment on Metra’s 24 recently purchased locomotives.

MA – MBTA PTC Implementation (Up to $7,548,335)
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)

This project on the Needham Branch, Franklin Branch, and Worcester Line, includes two components: 1) Testing of Automatic Train Control (ATC), where the previously installed PTC/ATC equipment on each line is already wired, and the software is loaded, connected to the signal system, and activated. The testing is intended to confirm the equipment functions as designed and is ready for testing with a test train. 2) “Completion of Commissioning for the ATC Lines,” where final acceptance testing is performed, including interoperability and ATC system testing.

NC – NCDOT Rolling Stock PTC Commissioning (Up to $584,080)
North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT)

The project includes installing, testing, commissioning, and certifying I-ETMS PTC onboard technology on three NCDOT locomotives for operation in the Piedmont intercity passenger rail service, which operates between Raleigh and Charlotte, N.C.

NJ – PTC Installation on Multi-level Cab Cars (Up to $6,542,353)
New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJT)

This project will install and test Advanced Speed Enforcement System II (ASES II) PTC onboard equipment on 33 new NJT multilevel cab cars for deployment along the Northeast Corridor, Montclair-Boonton, and Morris & Essex Lines in New Jersey.

NM – New Mexico Rail Runner Express PTC/Wi-Fi Integration Project (Up to $2,496,842)
Rio Metro Regional Transit District (Rio Metro)

This rural project will restore the New Mexico Rail Runner Express (NMRX) system’s Wi-Fi network from an end-of-life, proprietary WiMAX system to a cross-compatible Long-Term Evolution (LTE) system, providing a redundant path of communication for its I-ETMS PTC system. The project will install 26 towers along the 96 miles of the NMRX system between Belen, N.M. and Santa Fe, N.M., including approximately 74 miles of the Albuquerque Subdivision and 22 miles of the Santa Fe Subdivision. Nine NMRX cab cars, 13 coach cars, and 15 NMRX stations will be equipped with the Wi-Fi technology necessary for its PTC system.

NY – MTA Metro-North Railroad PTC Communications Testing (Up to $2,300,000)
NY Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)

This project will involve PTC system testing to measure communications system performance to predict, identify, and replicate communications issues affecting MTA’s Metro-North Railroad’s operations, as well as develop and validate mitigation approaches to address communications challenges along the Northeast Corridor.

TX – Capital Metro E-ATC PTC Wayside Installation Project (Up to $5,957,151)
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Capital Metro)

This project includes the design, installation, and verification of the Enhanced Automatic Train Control PTC wayside system on the new tracks along Capital Metro’s Red Line in the cities of Austin, Cedar Park, Leander, and the surrounding Texas communities. The new project spans a 21-mile section along the Red Line on Capital Metro’s commuter rail corridor.

More information about PTC systems can be found at the following links: https://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0358 and https://www.fra.dot.gov/ptc.

January 25, 2019
FRA awards $203 million in grants for positive train control systems
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) awarded $203,698,298 in grant funding for 28 projects in 15 states to assist with the deployment of positive train control (PTC) systems.

The $203 million in grants is part of the total $250 million specifically appropriated under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 for the implementation of PTC systems, via the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program.

“These $200 million in grants will help the railroads continue to implement positive train control, a technology that could help reduce accidents and save lives,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.

The awards fund many aspects of PTC system implementation for intercity passenger or commuter rail and freight rail transportation, including back office PTC systems; wayside, communications, and onboard PTC system equipment; personnel training; PTC system testing; and interoperability.

Second-quarter PTC data

In addition, FRA released its second-quarter update on railroads’ self-reported progress toward implementing PCT systems. As of June 30, 15 railroads have installed 100 percent of the PCT system hardware that must be installed for implementation, based on a review of the railroads’ PTC Implementation Plans and quarterly progress reports for the second quarter of 2018. Twelve other ailroads have installed between 95 and 99 percent of the PTC system hardware identified in their PTC Implementation Plans.

According to FRA, this marks improvement from December 2016, where freight railroads had PTC active on just 16 percent of required tracks, while passenger railroads were at 24 percent.

In addition, second quarter data shows a 25 percent drop in the number of “at risk” railroads from 12 to nine. FRA considers any railroad that installed less than 90 percent of its PTC system hardware as of June 30 to be at risk.

“The railroads have achieved some significant improvements over the past year implementing this safety technology,” said FRA Administrator Ronald Batory. “While we are seeing progress among a majority of railroads, we want to see everyone meet their requirements.”

Awards Granted

When choosing the recipients of the grants, the FRA considered a number of factors, including supporting economic vitality; leveraging federal funding; using innovative approaches to improve safety and expedite project delivery; and holding grant recipients accountable for achieving specific, measurable outcomes.

Under the CRISI Program, at least 25 percent of funds are available for rural projects, the FRA said. In addition, federal funds awarded for CRISI grants must not exceed 80 percent of the total cost of a project, and the required 20 percent non-federal share may be composed of public sector (state or local) or private-sector funding, or both.

Agencies that received grants are:
- Alaska Railroad Corporation
- California Department of Transportation
- Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board
- Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit
- Southern California Regional Rail Authority
- Florida Department of Transportation
- Iowa Interstate Railroad
- Iowa Northern Railway Company
- Belt Railway Company of Chicago
- Chicago Rail Link
- Commuter Rail Division of the Regional Transportation Authority
- Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad
- Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District
- Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
- Springfield Terminal Railway Company (ST)/Pan Am Railways
- Maryland Transit Administration
- Nebraska Central Railroad Company
- Rio Metro Regional Transit District
- Middletown and New Jersey Railroad
- New York & Atlantic Railway Company
- Allegheny Valley Railroad Company
- North Shore Railroad Company
- Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority
- Dallas Area Rapid Transit
- Denton County Transportation Authority
- Utah Transit Authority
- Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad
August 24, 2018
FRA working to help railroads meet congressional PTC requirement

The U.S. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) released a status update on its efforts to assist railroads in implementing positive train control systems (PTC), along with the railroads’ self-reported progress for the fourth quarter of 2017.

The FRA said in a press release that it is taking a proactive approach to ensure railroads acquire, install, test and fully implement certified PTC systems in time to meet the congressional interim deadline of Dec. 31.

“It is the railroads’ responsibility to meet the congressionally mandated PTC requirements,” said FRA Administrator Ronald L. Batory. “The FRA is committed to doing its part to ensure railroads and suppliers are working together to implement PTC systems.”

Between Jan. 2 and Feb. 14, FRA’s leadership hosted face-to-face meetings with executives from each of the 41 railroads subject to the statutory mandate to evaluate each railroad’s PTC status and learn what remaining steps each needs to take to have a PTC system fully implemented by the December deadline or, at a minimum, to meet the statutory criteria necessary to qualify for an alternative schedule.

The FRA is now meeting with PTC suppliers to learn more about their capacity to meet the high demands for railroads’ implementation of PTC systems in a timely manner.

PTC systems are designed to prevent certain train-to-train collisions, over-speed derailments, incursions into established work zone limits, and trains going to the wrong tracks because a switch was left in the wrong position.

All railroads subject to the statutory PTC implementation mandate must implement FRA-certified and interoperable PTC systems by the end of the year.

Under the Positive Train Control Enforcement and Implementation Act of 2015, however, Congress permits a railroad to request FRA’s approval of an “alternate schedule” with a deadline beyond Dec. 31, 2018, but no later than Dec. 31, 2020, for certain non-hardware, operational aspects of PTC system implementation.

The congressional mandate requires the FRA to approve a railroad’s alternative schedule with a deadline no later than Dec. 31, 2020, if a railroad submits a written request to FRA that demonstrates the railroad has met the statutory criteria set forth under 49 U.S.C. § 20157(a)(3)(B).

The fourth quarter data, current as of Dec. 31, 2017, shows PTC systems are in operation on approximately 56 percent of freight railroads’ route miles that are required to be governed by PTC systems — up from 45 percent last quarter and 16 percent on Dec. 31, 2016. Passenger railroads have made less progress, with PTC systems in operation on only 24% of required route miles, unchanged from the previous quarter.

The latest data confirms that railroads continue to make progress in installing PTC system hardware, with 15 railroads reporting they have completed installation of all hardware necessary for PTC system implementation and another 11 railroads reporting they have installed over 80% of PTC system hardware. In addition, all but three railroads report having acquired sufficient spectrum for their PTC system needs.

For more key implementation data for the fourth quarter, see the infographics here.

To view the public version of each railroad’s Quarterly PTC Progress Report (Form FRA F 6180.165, OMB Control No. 2130-0553) for Quarter 4 of 2017, visit each railroad’s PTC docket on https://www.regulations.gov/. Railroads’ PTC docket numbers are available at https://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0628.

March 20, 2018
Most Railroads Will Miss Positive Train Control Deadline
Most railroads will miss the Dec. 31, 2015, deadline for implementing positive train control (PTC), according to a report submitted to the U.S. Congress by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Congress established the deadline in 2008.

An automatic train control system — many of which use GPS — was not installed on the commuter rail route where an Amtrak train left the track in May.

The FRA sent its “Status of Positive Train Control Implementation” report to Congress this week. The report is mandated by the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee.

“Positive train control is the most significant advancement in rail safety technology in more than a century,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said. “Simply put: it prevents accidents and saves lives, which is exactly what we seek to do at the Department of Transportation every single day. We will continue to do everything in our power to help railroads install this technology.”

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) began calling for train control systems like PTC in 1969, and the FRA was involved in establishing PTC standards with stakeholders for more than a decade before the 2008 mandate. Three years before Congress passed the PTC mandate, the FRA issued its final rule that established uniform PTC standards for railroads willing to voluntarily install the technology.

Positive train control prevents train-to-train collisions, over-speed derailments, incursions into established work zone limits and a train going to the wrong track because a switch was left in the wrong position.

In 2008, Congress passed the Rail Safety Improvement Act, requiring all Class I railroads transporting poisonous-by-inhalation hazardous (PIH) or toxic-by-inhalation hazardous (TIH) materials, and all railroads providing passenger service, to implement Positive Train Control by Dec. 31, 2015.

The FRA has provided assistance and support to railroads to help them become PTC compliant. Those efforts include:
- Providing more than $650 million to passenger railroads, including nearly $400 million in Recovery Act funding.
  Issuing a nearly $1 billion loan to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to implement PTC on the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North.
- Building a PTC testbed in Pueblo, Colo.
- Working directly with the Federal Communications Commission and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation to resolve issues related to spectrum use and improve the approval process for PTC communication towers.
- Dedicating staff to continue work on PTC implementation in March 2010, including establishing a PTC task force.
“The Federal Railroad Administration will continue to use its resources and expertise to help railroads achieve the critical goal to have Positive Train Control implemented,” FRA Acting Administrator Sarah Feinberg said.

Read the full report.
August 13, 2015