Railroads Face Challenge Deploying PTC by End of 2018, Association Chief Says
Freight railroads have spent $6 billion on positive train control, and PTC should be complete by 2018, meeting a revised congressional deadline, the Association of American Railroads said in a report released Wednesday. But AAR President Edward Hamberger warned on a call with reporters that meeting the new deadline is no slam dunk. “There are a lot of challenges, which doesn’t mean we’re not going to make it,” Hamberger said. The report also highlighted the use of drones and the importance of big data to enhanced rail safety. Congress last year passed a law extending the deadline for building out PTC nationwide from the end of 2015 until the end of 2018 (see 1510290069). Investigators found in May that the lack of PTC was partly responsible for a deadly Amtrak crash in Philadelphia (see 1505150047).
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Getting the software right remains an issue, as does interoperability of equipment, Hamberger said in response to our question. “We have any number of different kinds and makes and models of locomotives." Different railroads have different communications equipment, he said. With commuter rail and short lines, about 100 different railroads have to be able to communicate, he said.
“Right now, I am told, some of the railroads are experiencing a 30-40 percent error rate … in the field,” Hamberger said. “It’s a big step from laboratory testing to in-the-field testing.” Railroads “have been feeling a time crunch since 2008” when Congress imposed the PTC requirement, Hamberger said. Railroads “have been running as hard as they can up until now; they’ll continue to do that,” he said. “There is no let up. It is just a full sprint to get this done by 2018.”
Problems railroads face in getting FCC approval to install antennas along railroad rights of way slowed progress on PTC for about a year, Hamberger said. “After a lot of discussion with the FCC and other agencies, we did reach an accommodation, and moving forward I don’t think that any longer is an issue.”
“The freight rail industry is working diligently and methodically to move the incredibly complex Positive Train Control safety system from concept to reality,” the report said. “The additional time afforded by Congress is critical, because when it is up and running, PTC must operate flawlessly. If it does not, it has the potential to bring freight rail operations to a halt.” The report also said the train accident rate has decreased by 79 percent since 1980, with railroads spending $600 billion on the freight rail network.
Although the latest data are from June, AAR members project that 38 percent of 60,153 route miles will have PTC by the end of the year and 63 percent of 22,066 locomotives will be equipped with PTC, the report said. Hamberger said the group is seeking updated data from members.
The report also emphasized the importance of big data to railroads. “Collecting and analyzing data throughout the entirety of the nation’s rail network allows railroads to track the health of rail equipment and find patterns that can predict when repairs are needed,” it said. “By predicting problems before they happen, the industry can better manage its equipment and infrastructure and create new standards meant to make America’s safe rail network even safer.”
Railroads are also taking a hard look at the use of unmanned aerial vehicles to inspect track, bridge and other freight rail infrastructure. The drone tests are part of a partnership between the railroads and the Federal Aviation Administration, the report said. Drones are able to “do their detective work despite dangerous conditions, keeping rail employees safe while improving railroads’ ability to gather the information necessary to help detect problems, plan and prioritize corrective action,” the report said.