MTA to establish PTC test lab with federal grant
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Metro-North Railroad will use a $2.3 million federal grant to establish a PTC test lab that will help the railroad remedy issues surrounding the technology along the Northeast corridor.
The grant was announced last December as part of the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) FY 18 appropriation for the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program.
According to Metro-North, the test lab, comprised of a series of networked computer stations, will simulate how radio communications will operate and mitigate potential problems. Radio spectrum is used by all passenger railroads that operate in the Northeast corridor and so it’s essential to learn how all railroads can most effectively communicate with one another and avoid interference.
“Safety is a core value of Metro-North, and this test lab will allow us to move ahead with full PTC implementation and ensure on-going service reliability. I congratulate our PTC team at Metro-North on this achievement, and we’ll continue to aggressively look for new and better ways to improve safety throughout the railroad,” said Catherine Rinaldi, Metro-North Railroad president.
U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY-1) said: “With this latest funding, Metro-North should have more than enough resources to once and for all complete PTC implementation.”
U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY-18) added, "We need PTC up and running ASAP and this investment will help Metro-North and other railroads clear some of the remaining hurdles to get that done. I’m happy to do my part in Washington to make these funds available, and I appreciate the fact that Metro-North is taking implementation seriously and actively working to secure federal investments to get PTC online. It’s going to save people’s lives.”
All railroads where PTC is required needed to meet a series of criteria by Dec. 31, 2018, in order to qualified for an alternative schedule that puts the deadline for full implementation of the technology at Dec. 31, 2020. FRA said all railroads met those requirements by the end of last year.
In 2015, MTA closed on a $967.1 million Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) loan to finance PTC installation on Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road.
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
