Amtrak: PTC Mandate, Progress System Wide

Interesting segment on 60 Minutes this past Sunday discussing this topic. Seems like a no-brainer to me to get this PTC working system wide ASAP. I bet the segment scared a few people away from Amtrak.

robmcalpine wrote:Interesting segment on 60 Minutes this past Sunday discussing this topic. Seems like a no-brainer to me to get this PTC working system wide ASAP. I bet the segment scared a few people away from Amtrak.

Unfortunately easier said than done, it’s not cheap and it requires a lot of time to install on both the tracks and equipment. I’m not going to comment much on that 60 minute segment however some things were blown out of proportion quite a bit. I can’t help but wonder what the csx engr who lost his job was thinking by making some of those comments during interview (while fighting for his job back)....

8th Notch wrote: Unfortunately easier said than done, it’s not cheap and it requires a lot of time to install on both the tracks and equipment. I’m not going to comment much on that 60 minute segment however some things were blown out of proportion quite a bit. I can’t help but wonder what the csx engr who lost his job was thinking by making some of those comments during interview (while fighting for his job back)....

A settlement or favorable future job recommendation from CSX are far more likely than him in the seat at CSX again. Gotta make CSX sweat a little to want to agree on an NDA and check with you.

Amtrak recently issued a press release that advised about a mile of PTC had been placed in service on their Chicago Terminal Sub. From Union Station north to CP-Canal is .57 mi. and from Union Station south to CP-21st St is 1.64 mi. That is a total of 2.21 mi. If a mile was recently installed, was there a previous PTC installation, or is there still a segment that does not have PTC?
Thanks!
Andy

https://media.amtrak.com/2020/08/amtrak ... ompletion/

ll Amtrak-owned tracks have now implemented PTC

WASHINGTON – Amtrak has reached a major milestone in Positive Train Control (PTC) implementation on all Amtrak-owned or controlled tracks. The final piece of the project recently concluded with installation on approximately one mile of slow-speed track in the complex Chicago terminal.

“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 Executive Vice President 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.”

Amtrak continues 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 we control 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

All (550) Amtrak owned locomotives are fully equipped and PTC operable
...
All employees who require training to support PTC operations have completed training

Do you suppose they are training & certifying all T&E staff on all PTC systems - ACSES, ITCS, I-ETMS and anything else Amtrak would traverse? And I wonder how many of that 550 are equipped respectively with ACSES, ITCS and/or I-ETMS (and its equivalent interoperable systems?)

mtuandrew wrote: ↑Fri Aug 28, 2020 5:54 pmAnd I wonder how many of that 550 are equipped respectively with ACSES, ITCS and/or E-ITMS (and its equivalent interoperable systems?)

Per Amtrak's August 2018 PTC Implementation Plan:

Amtrak NEC ATC/ACSES Passenger Fleet - 155
Amtrak ATC/ACSES/I-ETMS Passenger Fleet - 60
Amtrak ITCS/I-ETMS Passenger Fleet - 34
Amtrak ITCS/ I-ETMS Only Fleet - 202

Amtrak Maintained Fleet (State Owned) (I-ETMS only or ITCS equipped territories) - 114
Amtrak Maintained ACSES Fleet (State Owned) - 34

mtuandrew wrote: ↑Fri Aug 28, 2020 5:54 pm

All (550) Amtrak owned locomotives are fully equipped and PTC operable
...
All employees who require training to support PTC operations have completed training

Do you suppose they are training & certifying all T&E staff on all PTC systems - ACSES, ITCS, E-ITMS and anything else Amtrak would traverse? And I wonder how many of that 550 are equipped respectively with ACSES, ITCS and/or E-ITMS (and its equivalent interoperable systems?)

No, that would be a huge waste of time. T&E crews are only required to be familiar with the PTC system over the territory qualified. No need to have a guy that only works the corridor with ACSES be qualified on ITCS or I-ETMS and vice versa. I can say that that the I-ETMS class is a day training by itself at the moment.