NJ TRANSIT reaches major PTC milestone

NJ TRANSIT marked 100% completion of the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) 2018 year-end milestone for Positive Train Control (PTC).

Criteria for this requirement included installation of equipment on locomotives and cab control cars, installation of 326 miles of wayside equipment including radios, transponders, and poles, as well as initiating PTC testing and employee training.

The achievement means NJ TRANSIT can apply for an alternative schedule to have PTC fully operational by the end of 2020.

As part of the FRA approved schedule for implementing PTC, NJ TRANSIT was required to complete the following hardware installations by December 31, 2018:

• Throughout the course of 2019 and 2020, NJ TRANSIT will continue to install PTC equipment as it continues to restore the ranks of locomotive engineers.
• PTC equipment will be installed on the remaining 158 locomotives and cab cars bringing the total number of vehicle installations to 440 by Dec. 31, 2020. NJ TRANSIT will complete training of the remaining 985 employees bringing its total number of PTC trained employees to 2,730.
• Field testing will continue to demonstrate system reliability before advancing PTC testing to revenue service demonstration, interoperability, and tenant railroad testing and full FRA PTC certification.
• Full PTC system implementation will occur by Dec. 31, 2020.