BNSF drones will patrol the track

One need not look to the wild blue yonder to find the BNSF air force. Soon, it will be patrolling BNSF tracks from altitudes no higher than 500 feet, but not within three miles of any airport and always during daylight hours.

RailPlan lands Metrolink PTC-related contract

RailPlan International said Monday, March 16, 2015 it has landed a technical services contract with the Southern California Regional Rail Authority, which oversees Metrolink regional rail service, in developing Positive Train Control (PTC) to provide modifications to the PTC powering system in Metrolink’s fleet of Hyundai Rotem cab cars.

PTC relief on the way?

The U.S. railroad industry has been scrambling since 2008 to meet the requirements of an unfunded federal government mandate—namely, having Positive Train Control installed and fully operational by Dec. 31, 2015 on 60,000 miles of track where hazmat and passenger trains operate. Parallel to the PTC initiative has been a battle waged on Capitol Hill to extend the end-of-the-year deadline. That effort may be paying off, and the railroads may one day be grateful that they have a Thune on their side.

Metrolink crash injures dozens, five critically

A Metrolink train on the system’s Ventura County Line hit a truck abandoned at a road-rail grade crossing near Oxnard, Calif., Tuesday morning, Feb. 24, 2015, resulting in numerous injuries, among them four passengers and the train’s engineer in critical condition.

Foxx talks tough on PTC

Testifying before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Feb. 11, 2015, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said the DOT is “continuing to hold the industry’s feet to the fire in getting Positive Train Control done as quickly as possible,’’ instead of granting “a blanket extension” on the Congressionally imposed Dec. 31, 2015 deadline.

Lilee Systems debuts communications package

San Jose, Calif.-based Lilee Systems on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015 announced “the availability of its TransAir™ LMS-2450 series, a locomotive messaging and application server (LMS) series that the company says “gives freight and passenger rail operators the ability to achieve positive train control (PTC) compliance.”

Tank car safety, PTC on NTSB’s 2015 Most Wanted List

The National Transportation Safety Board has released it 2015 list of ten “Most Wanted” areas that require safety improvements. Six of the ten are either rail specific or multi-modal; four, among them tank car safety, are new.

FRA green-lights CBOSS PTC

The Federal Railroad Administration has given Caltrain the green light to proceed with the installation and testing of its CBOSS (Caltrain Communications Based Overlay Signal System) Positive Train Control (PTC) technology. Parsons is leading the design, procurement, and installation of the system for Caltrain.

Newest RECo switch mode charger debuts

Railway Equipment Co. (RECo) has announced additions and improvements to its high-efficiency, reliable Cragg Railcharger switch mode power supply battery charger line, including a new 60 amp Switch Mode Charger (SMC) that is one of the first SMC battery chargers that can produce 60 amps at voltage ranging from 7 to 19.6 volts.

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