NTSB calls on rail industry to update PTC technology

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is calling on the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to formulate a plan to incorporate "promising new technology" into the existing system that prevents certain train collisions.

In a report released yesterday, the NTSB identified situations where new and emerging technologies can improve the nation’s existing positive train control (PTC) systems and benefit rail safety.

PTC is a GPS-based system designed to prevent train-to-train collisions, over-speed derailments, incursions into established work zone limits and the movement of a train through a switch left in the wrong position. PTC is required on tracks with regularly scheduled intercity or commuter passenger rail service and Class I main lines carrying poison- or toxic-by-inhalation hazardous, according to a news release.

In its report, NTSB Investigators identified the following safety issues with existing PTC systems:
• insufficient information about train location during restricted-speed operations;
• obsolete exceptions to PTC use in terminal environments;
• overreliance on administrative controls to prevent unsafe use of switching mode on main tracks; and
• unsafe train incursions into established working limits.

The NTSB also urged the FRA to complete and publish the results of current research into new PTC technology, develop a plan to implement any promising technologies and require railroads to adopt engineering controls that automatically return PTC to the active mode following switching operations.

The report also recommended the FRA work with railroads to remove terminal exceptions granted under federal regulations by using new technology.