FRA: Amtrak Seeks ACSES II Amendments

On July 14, 2023, Amtrak submitted two Requests For Amendment (RFA) to the Federal Railroad Administration for its ACSES II system.

The first, for Amtrak’s FRA-approved Positive Train Control Safety Plan (PTCSP) for its Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement System II (ACSES II, deployed on the Northeast Corridor), seeks FRA approval “to introduce modified safety server software to address a known defect and updates to type approval documentation,” the agency said. “The second RFA seeks FRA approval to install ACSES II Construction Zone (CZ) transponders to support cutover activities on the NEC’s Philadelphia to Washington (PW) portion.

“In general, Title 49 United States Code (U.S.C.) Section 20157(h) requires FRA to certify that a host railroad’s PTC system complies with Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 236, subpart I, before the technology may be operated in revenue service,” FRAsaid. “Before making certain changes to an FRA-certified PTC system or the associated FRA-approved PTCSP, a host railroad must submit, and obtain FRA’s approval of, an RFA to its PTCSP under 49 CFR 236.1021”

FRA is inviting public comment, the deadline for which is Aug. 22, 2023.

For more details, see FRA’s notice in the Federal Register.