Metra, the operator of the Northeast Illinois commuter rail system, has applied for a federal grant to help the railroad fund $25.2 million for installation of Positive Train Control (PTC) on its Milwaukee North and West lines.
PTC prevents certain types of train-to-train collisions, helps avoid derailments and other accidents caused by excessive speed and increases worker safety. PTC is federally mandated on main lines where railroads transport hazardous materials or any line where a railroad provides regularly scheduled passenger service. The deadline to implement PTC has been extended by Congress to at least December 31, 2018.
PTC is expected to cost Metra more than $350 million to implement, and once up and running is expected to add $15 million to $20 million annually to Metra’s operating costs.
“The costs of carrying out the PTC mandate are tremendous, especially given Metra’s financial constraints,” said Don Orseno, Metra executive director and CEO. “Grant programs like this one are essential funding sources to help meet our goal to fully implement PTC on Metra-controlled lines by 2019 or sooner.”
Metra is applying for the grant under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which will cover up to 80 percent of costs and require a 20 percent local funding match. Metra is requesting $20.2 million in grant funding and has identified $5 million in local matching funds for the project.
Metra plans to use the grant to help fund three components that need to be addressed before PTC can be made operable along its Milwaukee West Line to Elgin and North Line to Fox Lake. Metra plans to complete the projects by fall 2018.
The projects include upgrading the existing signaling system on the 17.5-mile Fox Lake subdivision on the Milwaukee North Line to one compatible with PTC, at a cost of $12.5 million; reconfiguring and upgrading signals at the Rondout Interlocking between the Libertyville and Lake Forest stations on the Milwaukee North Line so that they are compatible with PTC, at a cost of $7.5 million; and installing wayside PTC signals on both the Milwaukee West and North lines, at a cost of $5.2 million.
Metra has spent approximately$95 million and has $208 million under contract toward PTC installation. The agency is counting on additional state and federal funds to provide the remaining funding needed to complete this project.