FRA

BNSF PTC: We’re ready—but you’re not

BNSF announced in December 2017 that it had fully installed and was operating under Positive Train Control (PTC) on all mandated subdivisions in advance of the Dec. 31, 2018 interim federal deadline. However, on June 13, it submitted a request to the Federal Railroad Administration for an alternative schedule, a two-year extension to Dec. 31, 2020, because “full implementation status cannot be achieved until all non-BNSF trains and/or equipment operating on its PTC-equipped lines are also PTC-compliant.”

Let me off this plane—no, train

I am a frequent flier. Since very few commercial airliners crash, I naturally assume that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the airlines themselves are doing everything possible to ensure that flight crews are medically fit to fly commercial airplanes.

RSSI PTC forum: Interoperability the final hurdle

OMAHA, MAY 21, RSSI PTC SEMINAR – U.S. Class I railroads have made significant progress implementing Positive Train Control, to the extent that all the requirements for the Dec. 31, 2018 interim deadline will be met, making them eligible to apply, if needed, for an extension to Dec. 31, 2020 to complete their systems.

FRA offers PTC funding webinar

The Federal Railroad Administration is hosting a webinar on Monday, June 4, to aid eligible entities seeking funding for Positive Train Control (PTC) system deployment under a recently issued $250 million Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

Rio Tinto autonomous train

AAR to DOT: Automation “at an inflection point”

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) on May 7 filed comments with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) that call for the U.S. Department of Transportation “to take the same supportive regulatory approach with railroads that it has with automation of trucks and cars.”

FRA

FRA increasing field strength

The Federal Railroad Administration, with a new leader in place and a confirmed budget, is seeking to fill nearly 100 key vacancies across the U.S. “to further strengthen and improve the organization’s ability to carry out its safety mission.”

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