• PTC

LIRR (73%), Metro-North (82%) A-OK on PTC

Written by Andrew Corselli
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The presidents of MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and MTA Metro-North Railroad have announced that Positive Train Control (PTC) has been activated on the majority of their tracks, and both railroads remain on pace to complete system-wide activation of PTC by the end of 2020 as required under a Federal legislation.

Staff who are working to activate PTC have had to reorder the sequences of tasks to make the work more efficient with supply chains disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and have had to ensure adequate social distancing of staff who are performing testing of train cars.

Metro-North reported to the MTA Board that 202 miles, or 82%, of its routes are now operating in PTC: The complete Harlem Line, the complete Hudson Line, the New Haven Line from Grand Central Terminal to Greenwich, Conn., and the New Haven Line’s Danbury and New Canaan Branches. LIRR reported that 223 miles, or 73%, of its routes are now operating in PTC, including the Babylon, Central, Far Rockaway, Hempstead, Long Beach, Montauk, Oyster Bay, Port Jefferson, Port Washington and West Hemstead Branches, and the section of the Ronkonkoma Branch from Ronkonkoma to Greenport.

All of the segments that have been activated with PTC have it enabled full interoperability with all other railroads who share the tracks, including Amtrak and freight railroads.

MTA Metro-North Railroad President Catherine Rinaldi. Photo courtesy Westchester Magazine.

“Despite supply chain and other impacts from the pandemic, we remain on schedule to have full PTC functionality across the railroad by the end of this year,” said Catherine Rinaldi, President of MTA Metro-North Railroad. “Field work and testing continues. With the Harlem Line, Hudson Line, and inner New Haven Line now operating in PTC, the focus now on the remaining section between Stamford to New Haven.”

“I’m proud to say that we have found ways to continue delivering on this vital project despite the pandemic,” said Phil Eng, President LIRR. “We continue to make adjustments during the pandemic but remain on schedule to meet our commitment to have all segments of the railroad operating in PTC by the December deadline.”

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