Metrolink to Pilot Track Intrusion Detection

According to Metrolink, between July and December 2023, passenger and freight trains operating on its service lines were involved in 53 vehicle and pedestrian strikes, a 39% increase from same period in 2022, with nearly half of all strikes in 2023 ruled as suicides. (Metrolink Photograph)

Southern California’s Metrolink will use a $1.3 million federal grant for the development and demonstration of a track intrusion detection system that it said not only will improve the safety of its riders and crew, but also directly benefit pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and everyone else who interacts with the regional/ commuter rail system.

The pilot safety project for Metrolink is one of 34 projects selected for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants program for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. USDOT last month announced the awards for Stage 1 of SMART’s two-stage program, which includes planning and prototyping. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) established this discretionary grant program with $100 million appropriated annually for FY 2022-2026. The aim is to fund projects that “focus on advanced smart community technologies and systems in order to improve transportation efficiency and safety.”

Metrolink on April 10 reported that during its project’s initial phase, a new intruder detection system will be concentrated within a 1.5-mile stretch of Metrolink’s Ventura County Line between Haskell Avenue and Van Nuys Boulevard in the city of Los Angeles (see map above). “The prototype will explore the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-equipped cameras and radar or light detection and ranging sensors in connection with Metrolink’s existing Positive Train Control (PTC) system to identify and validate track intrusions, including individuals trespassing on the right of way, vehicles, or large objects and debris, and automatically slow or stop trains approaching that section of the rail line,” the railroad said.

According to Metrolink, between July and December 2023, passenger and freight trains operating on its service lines were involved in 53 vehicle and pedestrian strikes, a 39% increase from same period in 2022, with nearly half of all strikes in 2023 ruled as suicides. It noted that nationally, the rail industry “continues to battle a challenging mental health landscape and a growing unhoused population, which often contribute to unsafe behaviors near train tracks.”

The track intrusion detection system is one part of Metrolink’s approach to increasing safety and reducing strikes on its system. Among other tactics, the agency said it is working with partners, including law enforcement, community groups and research institutions, “to increase patrols and grade crossing enforcement in high-strike areas, remove encampments of unhoused individuals illegally occupying areas along the right of way, and raise awareness and understanding of the factors that lead to a person’s decision to commit suicide.”

“Safety is fundamental at Metrolink,” Los Angeles City Council President and Metrolink Board Member Paul Krekorian said. “We truly appreciate the leadership and support of Congressman [Brad] Sherman [CA-32] and the U.S. Department of Transportation for this innovative pilot project.” The Congressman helped Metrolink secure $1 million in congressionally directed spending in fiscal year 2024 appropriations to also support the safety project.

“We were the first passenger rail service in the U.S. to incorporate interoperable PTC, and we continue to explore new and emerging technologies and integrations to make our service even safer,” Metrolink CEO Darren Kettle said. “Looking ahead, the proposed track intrusion detection system could be modified for use by other passenger and freight railroads, dramatically increasing rail safety throughout the nation.”

Following are among the other rail-related projects that were awarded SMART grants:

• $2 million to New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) for the NY MTA – Automated Train Inspection Portal, an “integrated railcar inspection system that would utilize a suite of sensors and software systems to create automated alerts of undesirable conditions.”
• $2 million to Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) for the Rail Crossing Gate Optimization Project, which will “upgrade rail crossing gate detectors with wireless technology and improve detection of pedestrians, drivers, and cyclists to reduce unnecessary gate downtime.”
• $2 million to San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) for the BART Leveraging GTFS Pathways for Improved Wayfinding and Accessibility project, which will “deploy digital wayfinding aids and station facility information, integrated and shared through public-facing endpoints in an open data standard.”
• $1.6 million to New Jersey Transit (NJT) for the Artificial Intelligence for Light Rail and Grade Crossing Safety project, which will deploy “AI video analytics to improve detection and safety at at-grade light rail crossings to inform safety countermeasures.”

Separately, Metrolink in February reported that it will receive funds from the Carl Moyer Program to procure two zero-emission rail vehicles. The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) Governing Board committed to supporting the 538-route mile regional/commuter rail system by approving the funds, which are not to exceed $59.3 million. The Board also approved up to $87.4 million from the South Coast AQMD contingency grant award list to replace 12 earlier-generation Metrolink locomotives with lower-emission Tier 4 units.