U.S. Working With Mexico on PTC Along Border, De La Torre Blogs
The U.S. is working with the Mexican government on positive train control (PTC) along the border between the two countries, said Mindel De La Torre, chief of the FCC International Bureau, in a Friday blog post. De La Torre reported…
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on recent meetings in Mexico where she was part of the U.S. delegation, “the first high-level spectrum discussion” since Mexico established the Federal Institute of Telecommunications (IFT). The IFT and the FCC have similar responsibilities. The nations agreed to work together on a revised agreement on the use of PTC technology in the 220-222 MHz band along the border, she said. “PTC systems are intended to reduce the risk of rail accidents by enabling real-time information sharing between trains, rail wayside devices, and control centers,” she said. “PTC technology is designed to automatically slow or stop a train in order to avoid a collision or derailment.” The lack of PTC at a section of the track where an Amtrak train derailed in in Philadelphia in May was a contributing factor to the deadly accident, the National Transportation Safety Board said then (see 1505150047). The countries also agreed to work together on a road map, following a 2012 agreement, on reconfiguration of public safety radios in the 800 MHz band. The 800 MHz rebanding has been in progress since 2004 but in regions along the Mexican border has lagged behind the rest of the U.S. (see 1504270023).