The Federal Railroad Administration recently awarded a $735,000 grant to the Alaska Railroad Corp. (ARRC) to install and test its positive train-control (PTC) system on 68 locomotives.
The final step necessary for ARRC to implement its Collision Avoidance System (CAS) network-wide, the grant will fund the installation of on-board locomotive computers, which will interface with the office safety servers, a computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system and radio communication network.
ARRC began to develop CAS in 2005. The railroad previously installed a new-generation CAD system, deployed a communications network and locomotive tracking system, and engineered and designed the locomotive onboard system.
PTC systems are designed to automatically control train speed and movements to help prevent accidents, including train collisions.
Source: Progressive Railroading Daily News
