NJ Transit celebrate PTC milestone

18th December 2018

NJ Transit have marked a major milestone for the implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC) as 100-percent completion of the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) 2018 year-end goal was achieved.

The milestone required the installation of equipment on locomotives and cab control cars, installation of 326 miles of wayside equipment including radios, transponders and poles, as well as initiating PTC testing and employee training. Because of this milestone being reached, NJ Transit can now apply for an alternative schedule to have PTC fully operational by the end of 2020.

Over the next two years NJ Transit will continue to install PTC equipment to the remaining 158 locomotives and cab cars bringing the total number of vehicle installations to 440. The remaining 985 employees will also be trained, bringing the total number of PTC trained employees to 2,730. Testing will continue to ensure reliability of all systems in anticipation of full FRA PTC certification.

Governor Phil Murphy said:

“It’s a new day at NJ TRANSIT, We promised the people of New Jersey that we would start making it right at NJ TRANSIT and this achievement shows we are doing just that. Make no mistake. There’s still a lot of work left to do on PTC, but this is a major step forward as we continue to rebuild our mass transit system.”

Congressman Bill Pascrell said:

“After years of being behind schedule, meeting the federal deadline for installing Positive Train Control technology along NJ TRANSIT rail lines shows transit passengers that safety is priority number one. I expect PTC can help prevent future accidents and start restoring New Jerseyans’ trust in our public transit. While there are miles to go to repair the damage from years of neglect, Governor Murphy deserves commendation for his focus on improving NJ TRANSIT. We must again have a mass transit system New Jerseyans deserve.”

Congressman Albio Sires said:

“I want to congratulate Governor Murphy on meeting this important Positive Train Control (PTC) milestone and making this effort one of his highest priorities. This will enhance the safety of all rail commuters and prevent tragic train accidents such as train-to-train collisions and high-speed derailments from happening in the future"

NJ TRANSIT Chair Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said:

“On behalf of the board, I extend our thanks to the Governor for his unwavering commitment, and to the staff, for meeting such a critical deadline necessary to ensure continued service for our customers"

NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Kevin Corbett said:

“Accomplishing this goal would not have been possible without the hard work and commitment of the men and women at NJ TRANSIT assigned to this project, along with our contractors, who completed four years of work in less than a year. As our customers are at the heart of what we do, I also want to thank them for their patience and understanding in helping us reach this milestone. This achievement is certainly something I’m proud of, but we still have another four years’ worth of work to accomplish in the next two years. While there is still much work to be done, I’m confident that our team will have PTC fully operational by December 31, 2020.”

Author: Darren Porter
Image: NJ Transit