APTA calls for additional funds to help commuter railroads implement PTC

Written by Kyra Senese, Managing Editor
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Steve Hymon/LACMTA

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is calling on Congress to appropriate funds toward the commuter rail industry’s positive train control (PTC) implementation initiatives in light of the progress the association says the industry has made in these efforts so far.  

 

 

APTA’s updated analyses of the commuter rail industry show the market is making major progress in implementing PTC and is on track to meet the congressional deadlines.

 

APTA’s latest analyses revealed the following:

  • 70 percent of spectrum has been acquired and 50 percent of the 1,000 radio towers have been erected
  • 40 percent of the 35 back office control systems are ready for operation
  • 27 percent of the 3,400 locomotives and cab cars are installed with PTC hardware
  • 22 percent of the 3,150 route miles are either in service or in full PTC demonstration awaiting Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) approvals
  • 22 percent of the 13,000 employees have been trained in PTC
  • 9 percent of commuter rail agencies are expected to be 100 percent PTC-equipped by the end of 2016

 

“The commuter rail industry has made great strides in implementing [PTC],” said APTA Acting President and CEO Richard A. White. “This progress on this complex safety technology demonstrates our ongoing commitment to our number one priority of safety.”

APTA says because PTC delivery is highly complicated, the industry requires the development of safety critical software; installations on 3,150 miles of track; 3,400 locomotives; 1,000 radio towers; and training more than 13,000 employees.

“The installation of PTC is a heavy lift for the commuter rail industry. From a technical standpoint, PTC was not a mature technology when Congress mandated it in the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008,” White explained. “A number of challenges had to be addressed, not just from the technology aspect, but in costs, scarce qualified resources, and adequate access to track and locomotives for installation and testing.”

APTA based its analyses on surveys of its members and assessments of the quarterly reports submitted to the FRA. The association also showed that given the priority of PTC, significant investment backlog remains for use toward state of good repair and expansion projects, such as upgrades and replacements of track, bridges, rolling stock and facilities.

PTC implementation is anticipated to cost the commuter rail industry more than $3.5 billion, a figure that includes more than $16 million in spectrum acquisition, as well as an annual $100 million in additional maintenance fees. As of October 2016, APTA says spending by the commuter railroads is estimated at more than $1.5 billion. 

Funding remains a critical concern for the commuter rail agencies, all of which are publicly funded. The association says $75 million has been awarded to commuter rail agencies thus far through federal grants intended specifically for PTC implementation.  Congress authorized an additional $199 million, but APTA says those funds have yet to be appropriated. A $967 million loan from the U.S. Department of Transportation was also made available to New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority in April 2015 to allow for PTC installation on the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad.

“It is urgent that Congress appropriate additional dollars so the commuter rail industry has the resources to continue their aggressive actions to meet this congressional deadline,” White added. 

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