The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) released third quarter 2016 data submitted by railroads on their progress in implementing Positive Train Control (PTC), which shows uneven progress toward activating the technology. The 2016 third quarter status update includes data as of September 30, 2016.
Freight railroads reported 12 percent of their tracks have active PTC, an increase from 9 percent reported last quarter. Passenger railroads have 23 percent of their tracks with PTC compared to 22 percent last quarter. Progress on implementing PTC by passenger railroads has taken place predominately on the West Coast. East Coast railroads, other than SEPTA and Amtrak, have remained relatively stagnant.
Railroads submit data including track segments completed, locomotives equipped, employees trained, radio towers installed, route miles in PTC operation, and other implementation data.
“In order to achieve full PTC implementation, everyone has to do their part – railroads must make implementation a priority, and Congress must make funding for commuter railroads a priority,” stated FRA Administrator Sarah E. Feinberg.
Since 2008 the FRA has provided more than $716 million to passenger railroads, including nearly $400 million in Recovery Act funding. The agency has also built a PTC testbed at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) in Pueblo, Colo., and established a PTC task force.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx stated, “Passenger and freight railroads must continue their progress implementing Positive Train Control and work to beat the deadlines Congress set – because PTC saves lives.”
The FRA’s website includes an interactive graphic of PTC implementation by freight and passenger railroads, an interactive graphic of an individual railroad’s PTC implementation, and each railroad’s full quarterly PTC Progress Report.