Capitol Corridor ready to start fleet PTC implementation

[Editor's note: This story originally stated that the Capitol Corridor received approval from the Federal Railroad Administration; it has not yet received federal approval. The post has been updated accordingly.]

Northern California's Capital Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) and its operating partners Amtrak and Union Pacific Railroad have completed installation and testing of positive train control (PTC) along the entire 170-mile Capitol Corridor route between San Jose and Auburn.

The agency received approval on Oct. 24 to begin fleetwide implementation of PTC, CCJPA officials said in a news release.

Under federal law, all railroads are required to implement the technology or seek an extension from the Federal Railroad Administration by Dec. 31, 2018.

CCJPA, Amtrak and UP started initial system testing in July by enabling PTC on a limited number of trains that were rotated throughout shared fleets of the Capital Corridor. The PTC-equipped trains also were rotated along the Amtrak San Joaquins route, which serves California's Central Valley.

In early October, Amtrak deployed PTC on four weekday trains to test PTC on the Capitol Corridor route.

"As ridership grows throughout the Northern California mega region, the Capitol Corridor is poised to meet this demand with additional capacity, all while standing firm in our commitment to maximizing safety through PTC," said CCJPA Chair Lucas Frerichs.