SFRTA to begin testing PTC on revenue trains

The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) announced today that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has approved a plan to test trains operating revenue (regularly-scheduled) service with Positive Train Control (PTC) technology. SFRTA will launch the Revenue Service Demonstration (RSD) on its entire commuter operating corridor, which runs from West Palm Beach to Miami, beginning June 29, 2019. This is a key milestone in moving closer to having PTC technology certified and implemented on the South Florida Rail Corridor. Revenue trains will be incrementally added in the demonstration phase until the entire fleet is operating with PTC systems.

“I’m proud of our talented and dedicated team that has been working diligently to keep SFRTA moving forward with PTC implementation ahead of federal deadlines,” said Steven Abrams, SFRTA Executive Director. “PTC is a significant safety upgrade to our system, and we will continue to prioritize this project to ensure our train operations have the highest level of safety technology.”

SFRTA does not anticipate any major delays due to PTC while it is being demonstrated and after it is fully implemented. PTC however, is an incredibly complex system that involves numerous components that must constantly communicate with each other. Because it is a new system for SFRTA engineers and maintainers to learn, the potential exists for minor glitches and minor delays, particularly in the early days of implementation.

PTC is a complex computer and GPS-based system that helps prevent human error from causing train accidents. The technology can prevent over-speed derailments, train-to-train collisions, trains entering an established work zones, and unauthorized train movement onto sections of the track through a track switch left in the wrong position.