Demonstrating the industry's commitment to safety and to reaching the statutory 2020 requirement, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) announced that in the third quarter of 2019 the commuter rail industry continued to make progress towards implementing Positive Train Control (PTC).
PTC is a signaling and communications technology that provides critical safety redundancies to the commuter rail industry. As of Sept. 30, 97% of railroads are PTC certified, in revenue service demonstration, or field testing (30 railroads):
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50% in revenue service demonstration.
37% are PTC certified by FRA or are operating with PTC.
10% are in field testing.
3% are preparing for field testing.
According to APTA, rail is among the safest travel modes, with commuter rail and intercity rail 18 times safer than traveling by automobile. "Safety is a core value for APTA and commuter rail operators. It is a fundamental operating principle and a promise to our riders," said APTA President/CEO Paul P. Skoutelas. "That's why we are committed to staying at the forefront of rider safety by implementing positive train control and making commuter rail even safer. The commuter rail industry is strongly focused and committed to completing full implementation by December 2020."
The Plan is CTA's formal response to an FTA Special Directive issued in December and details how the agency will significantly expand the law enforcement surge it launched.
On a recent episode of METROspectives, METRO Magazine’s Executive Editor Alex Roman sat down with Ana-Maria Tomlinson, Director of Strategic & Cross-Sector Programs at the CSA Group, to explore a bold initiative aimed at addressing those challenges: the development of a National Code for Transit and Passenger Rail Systems in Canada.
During a safety blitz, Metra employees will visit one of the railroad’s 243 stations during the morning rush hour, distributing educational materials on train and grade-crossing safety, answering questions, and listening to riders’ safety concerns.
Operated in partnership with Tech Valley Security, trained CDTA Ambassadors will be on select routes and will rotate throughout CDTA’s route network. Their presence is intended to provide customers with an approachable, visible resource focused on assistance and engagement.
Customers have always been able to report concerns through the CATS Customer Service line or the “Report a Problem to CATS” feature in the CATS-Pass mobile app; however, CATS has also integrated a Text-a-Tip line, giving riders multiple, easy-to-use channels to get support.
