Amtrak and CSX, in partnership with the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA), will install Positive Train Control (PTC), the technology capable of automatically controlling train speeds and movements, on more than 100 miles of track between Haverhill, Mass. and Brunswick, Maine. Amtrak is investing more than $50 million in the project and CSX is performing the work. Scheduled to be completed in spring 2026, PTC will support the Amtrak Downeaster service and freight trains traveling on the route.
“Having our trains use PTC is one of the most significant things we can do to advance improvements related to our never-ending commitment to safety. We are proud to partner on this PTC project with CSX and NNEPRA, both of whom share the same high-level commitment to safety as Amtrak,” said Amtrak Vice President State Supported Services Ray Lang:
“We are proud to join our partners at Amtrak and NNEPRA by enhancing safety for passenger and freight trains through the installation of PTC,” said Andy Daly, senior director of passenger operations at CSX. “Our crews are eager to complete the installation of this essential safety technology and conduct modernization upgrades in northern New England.”
The project will add signals, wayside units and other safety enhancements to the track – all of which will be tied into CSX’s existing PTC system. The Design Phase was completed in March 2023 and the construction agreement between Amtrak and CSX was fully executed in November 2023. Amtrak is also funding the renewal of the entire signal system for this stretch of track, which is more than 70 years old in some locations. The new signal system will provide greater reliability for passenger and freight trains.
Amtrak notes that PTC systems that meet the standards set by the Federal Railroad Administration’s regulations are required to automatically prevent train-to-train collisions, over-speed derailments, incursion into an established work zone and movement through a main line switch in the improper position.
The investment in PTC on host infrastructure is part of Amtrak’s new era of passenger rail investing in safety, modern trains, enhanced stations, new tunnels and bridges and other critical infrastructure upgrades.
“In addition to the significant safety improvements, the installation of PTC creates opportunities for potential increases in Downeaster frequencies in the future. This is an important investment and we are grateful to Amtrak and CSX for their partnership,” said NNEPRA Executive Director Patricia Quinn.
