ProTran1 teams with Amtrak, FDNY, on safety device
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefBlue Anchor, N.J.-based ProTran1 says it has worked with both Amtrak and the Fire Department of New York to develop a wireless 30KV voltage sensing device, initially designed to be used as part of an emergency response procedure covering Penn Station-New York and nearby tunnels that provide access to and from Manhattan on the Northeast Corridor.
Amtrak has awarded ProTran1 a contract to supply 30 units initially for linemen and electricians. Robert J. Verhelle, Amtrak’s deputy chief engineer, Electric Traction, says the device’s use will expand to include more of the Amtrak system in the future.
The voltage sensing device works on 25 Hz and 60 Hz power sources, ProTran1 says. The unit will initially be used as part of the emergency response procedures to inform first responders that the dangerous high voltage has been removed from the tunnel catenary system.
