Amtrak completes PTC implementation

The Amtrak accident in Kansas on June 27 was the second that involved fatalities in less than a year.

Amtrak

Following installation on approximately one mile of slow-speed track in the Chicago terminal, Amtrak has now implemented Positive Train Control (PTC) on all of its owned or controlled tracks and locomotives.

In a move that will further please the FRA, Amtrak said it’s “continuing to work with partners throughout the industry to advance this system on host infrastructure. Amtrak is also working with tenant railroads that operate over Amtrak’s infrastructure to complete interoperability testing and is on target for all tenant trains to be operating with PTC before the federal mandate.”

Amtrak PTC Implementation by the Numbers

To date, Amtrak has made progress implementing PTC across the routes and equipment it controls for the following:

• All 550 Amtrak-owned locomotives are fully equipped and PTC operable.
• All 11 installation/track segments completed.
• All 160 radio towers fully installed and equipped.
• All employees who require training to support PTC operations have completed training.
• 898 of 898 route miles are in PTC operation.

“Completing PTC installation and implementation is a key component of Amtrak’s overarching commitment to the safety performance of intercity passenger rail for our customers, employees and the communities we serve,” said Amtrak EVP Chief Safety Officer Steve Predmore. “As leaders in PTC installation, Amtrak is pleased to achieve this milestone, and we will continue to work together with all of our partners to improve safety across the rail network.”