NCTD files PTC application for passenger trains

The North County Transit District (NCTD) has filed an application with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to begin a revenue service demonstration with positive train control (PTC).

The San Diego County transit agency submitted the application after reaching the required level of installation and testing, NCTD officials said in a press release.

The revenue service demonstration involves running passenger COASTER trains with PTC in operation. This phase allows NCTD to collect data on the behavior of the system under normal operating conditions, as well as collect required data to support assertions made in its PTC safety plan, agency officials said.

NCTD expects to receive a response from the FRA within 60 days.

"This filing is a major milestone in our ongoing work to bring this technology to NCTD," said Deputy Chief Operations Officer of Rail Systems Eric Roe. "Implementing a system as complex as this does not happen overnight. But with that complexity comes a great leap forward in greater rail safety."