Metro-North, LIRR give PTC update
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) remain on track to fully implement positive train control (PTC) by Dec. 31, 2020, which is the federally-mandated deadline to have the technology operational.
Last week, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) released the railroads’ Second Quarter 2020 PTC Progress Reports. FRA classified two commuter railroads as “at risk” of missing the end of the year deadline. Neither Metro-North nor LIRR are at risk, but the region’s New Jersey Transit is considered at risk of being in non-compliance with the mandate.
Both Metro-North President Catherine Rinaldi and LIRR President Phil Eng called the progress both railroads have made to implement PTC evidence that both railroads will reach full PTC functionality by the end of the year.
Metro-North has wayside PTC operability on the entire system east of the Hudson River. The railroad says its diesel trains, as well as all of its electric trains on the Harlem Line and Hudson Line are operating in PTC. Technicians are bringing PTC software to the New Haven Line’s M8 electric cars, which will allow New Haven Line trains to enter PTC operations in October.
“I congratulate our team for achieving this milestone and encourage everyone to keep the momentum going through the end of the year, when all trains will be operating with PTC,” said Rinaldi.
On LIRR, all train cars now have the equipment and software to operate PTC. Technicians are continuing to review performance and perform quality checks on a train-by-train basis to ensure that all trains are operating in PTC by the end of the year.
The LIRR has brought full PTC functionality to 94 percent of its track mileage, with the remaining six percent within areas of switching complexes at Jamaica and at Harold Interlocking, a complex of switches in Sunnyside, Queens, where LIRR meets Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor tracks for the connection to Penn Station.
“Bringing the hardware and software to enable PTC on 100 percent of our trains is a major milestone that our workforce should be proud of. This reaffirms our commitment to improving safety for our riders and employees,” said Eng “I commend the entire team for their dedication and hard work and know they will continue with a full court press to meet the federal deadline so every train is operating in PTC by the end of the year.”
MTA explains PTC is interoperable with other railroads sho share the tracks, including Amtrak and freight railroads, on all the segments that have been activated with PTC.
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.
