FCC Bureau Clears Path for California Railroad to Install PTC
The FCC Wireless Bureau approved an order allowing the Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) to obtain spectrum from the Automated Maritime Telecommunications System so it can install positive train control (PTC). SCRRA oversees the Metrolink commuter railroad, which operates…
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seven train lines serving 55 train stations on over 500 track miles, the bureau said. On an average weekday, the system serves more than 40,000 commuters. Rail safety has been an issue for the system, the bureau noted. In 2008, a Metrolink commuter train collided with a Union Pacific freight train, killing 25 passengers and injuring more than 100, the bureau said. The National Transportation Safety Board said PTC would have prevented the accident. “We conclude that grant of the SCRRA Applications and related waiver requests will further the vital public interest in rail safety and is consistent with the federal PTC mandate,” the order said.