Positive Train Control - Term Paper Example

? Positive Train Control School Table of Contents Article No. Topic Page No 1 Introduction 3 2 Summary 5 3 Current Thinking 6 4 Conclusion 9 1.5 References 11 Positive Train Control 1.1 Introduction The Rail Safety Improvement Act (RSIA) enforced in the year 2008 necessitates the implementation of the system of Positive Train Control (PTC) across a considerable segment of the rail industry of the Nation till the date 31 December 2015. Before October 2008, various carriers used to test and install the PTC systems voluntarily, though the trend was never quite fast until the widespread installation of the systems was mandated as per the RSIA till December 2015. The lines in need of PTC include the main railroad lines of Class I which are employed to transport more than 5 million gross tons every year that are used for the handling of the poisonous inhalation hazardous (PIH) materials. Implementation of PTC is anticipated to range over the total rail track mileage of 70,000. PTC is basically a technology of train control that is processor or communication based meant to reduce the frequency of collisions between trains, derailments upon over-speeding, attacks into the defined zones of work, and a train’s improper movement through the main line switch. The systems of PTC are needed to execute various types of functions. There is a wide range of PTC systems that vary depending upon a number of factors that include but are not limited to the level of sophistication and complexity of the functionality and automation implemented by them, their wayside system which can be cab signaled, block signaled, or non-signaled, the kind of system architecture used, and the level of control they can achieve over the train. Use of the PTC system in the railroad industry has increased the safety of traveling by train manifolds. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) supports all rail carriers that are required to install and implement the PTC system as per law and others that implement the PTC system voluntarily, by means of a mix of project safety measures, regulatory reforms, funds, and technological development. The final rule encompassing the requirements of PTC was published by FRA on 15 January 2010, whereas the final rule amendments were published on 27 September 2010 and subsequently on 14 May 2012. 41 railroads initially deposited the plans of implementation that were reviewed by FRA but denied the approval of all prior to the statutory deadline of 90 days for review. Upon the resubmission of all 41 implementation plans, FRA finally approved 24 unconditionally, 1 conditionally, gave provisional approval to 14 implementation plans that were deposited with the Notices of Product Intent that were supposed to be resubmitted along with a development plan of PTC in 270 days, while 2 plans were disapproved. However, the staff of FRA sustained working with them to formulate approvable plans. Currently, FRA is collaborating with two more railroads that were not identified before in order to formulate and deposit successful plans of implementation. The fundamental idea in PTC is that the safety of train’s journey is enhanced by making it aware of its location and guiding it so that it stays on the right track. PTC achieves these functions by making use of networks of communication. “PTC systems are comprised of digital data link communications networks, continuous and accurate positioning systems such as NDGPS, on-board computers with digitized maps on locomotives and maintenance-of-way equipment, in-cab displays, throttle-brake interfaces on locomotives, wayside interface units at switches and wayside detectors, and control center computers and displays” (Poor, Lindquist, and Wendt, 2009). This prevents the train from making unsafe movements. PTC systems can work in both signaled and dark territories and may also use the GPS to guide the train. One of the main goals of FRA is, “To deploy the Nationwide Differential Global Positioning System (NDGPS) as a nationwide, uniform, and continuous positioning system, suitable for train control” (Telematics Wire, 2012). The advantages of using the PTC systems to guide the train movements include increased efficiency of fuel and reduced possibility of accidents. A wireless data system is used to transmit the information. A similar system performing similar functions with the name “Precision Train Control” was implemented during the 1990s with the partnership between General Electric and Union Pacific Railroad. This system worked by adjusting a safe zone in which the train moved. The safe zone for a particular train at a specific point in time was determined depending upon two main variables i.e. the train’s location and the train’s speed. However, the Precision Train Control system was later abandoned by the General Electric. “In particular, PTC is designed to prevent train-to-train collisions, derailments caused by excessive speed, unauthorized incursions by trains onto sections of track where repairs are being made, and movement of a train through a track switch left in the wrong position” (Association of American Railroads, 2012). 1.2 Summary Implementation of PTC is meant to enhance the rail safety yields many benefits that include but are not limited to saving of money in the new signal systems on the lines that are currently not equipped but the traffic is continuously increasing there, removal of the older systems of signal for the moderation of the density territories, and increased ability of the railroad officers to work with reduced crews. Although at this point, FRA cannot effectively predict the plausibility of these advantages unless it sees the specific plans, yet the likelihood of achievement of most of these benefits upon the deployment of PTC is huge. In certain cases, PTC’s safeguard operations might permit the replacement of the old signal systems that are hard to maintain. There has occurred a transformational change in the perceived net benefits of implementing the PTC system in the railroad. Till 2004, there was hardly any team of railroad management that accepted the proposed advantages, despite the fact that the advantages were previously realized at least by the railroad of Class I, that had made similar assumptions for the development of PTC. With the change of the management at the railroad, and the decision of the new team to spend the money elsewhere, experts generally disagreed upon the issues of tendency and reliability and the solution was to voluntarily deploy PTC by a major railroad. 1.3 Current Thinking There are two basic methods of implementation of PTC. The first method uses such fixed signaling infrastructure as the wireless transponders and the coded track circuits in order to correspond with the speed control unit on board. The second method uses the wireless data radios that are stretched along the line for the transmission of the information. The train can send its location towards the signaling system with the help of wireless implementation, thus enabling use of the virtual blocks. The merit of using wireless implementation is that the lower cost of equipment makes it cost effective, but its demerit is that its reliability is much lesser as compared to the harder channels of communication. The method of fixed infrastructure is commonly employed on the passenger lines of high density with the pulse code cab signaling installed. However, the reduced reliability of the wireless communications is often considered a merit. Success of the wireless method has been immense particularly in the unsignaled dark territory with a low density. There are certain systems that function with the help of hybrid technology that employs the use of wireless links to pass the signals. A potential example of such systems is the Amtrak’s ACSES. Such systems are not critical for the operations of trains. There is a proper system of submission of documents by the railroads for the installation of PTC system. PTC has established certain requirements which the railroads are required to meet first. Railroads that meet those requirements are required to submit the related documents for the approval of FRA. There are certain controversies around the implementation of PTC as the Congress mandates, which mainly include the high cost of installation of the PTC nationwide and the level of maturity and reliability of PTC to cater for all types of the freight trains in different kinds of environments. The requirement of PTC might establish startup barriers for the freight services that add to the total cost. Hands of the FRA are tied by the unfunded mandate so that it cannot adopt a flexible approach to implement the technology of PTC. Despite the fact that the number of accidents that can be prevented by the implementation of PTC is in thousands as determined by the FRA Rail Safety Advisory Committee, the costs saved from the prevention of accidents is lesser than what is required to finance the PTC across the railroads of Class I. The basic reason behind this is that most of the accidents that have happened in the past were too minor to call the need for such a large investment for their avoidance. Besides, the crash worthiness standards of FRA are effective enough to alleviate the release of harmful chemicals or loss of life in the accidents. In the first half of the first decade of the 21st century, the biggest challenge in the way of implementation of the PTC system for the safety of railroads was considered to be the immensity of costs associated with the measure while not many are convinced of the reliability of the system. According to one of the members railroads, The railroads’ oral objections centered around two key issues, although several smaller issues were mentioned. The two key issues were that the contractor’s report to FRA, by Zeta-Tech Associates, exaggerated benefits by key assumptions. The first was whether PTC could improve overall traffic velocity and reliability. The second was that whether alternative technology could provide the same benefits. (Monro, 2004, p. 27). It might take up to three years to manage full funds for the PTC system, and at least five years from that point in time would be consumed in fully operating the system. Greater funding would enhance the progress but would also incur huge costs. The critical development path suggests a span of three years irrespective of the amount of funds available. To develop the critical paths, development of software and its implementation upon the current hardware is a pre-requisite, along with “the development and installation of on-board hardware, which would necessitate pulling locomotives out of service, and development, installation and cutover of wayside hardware, which would necessitate withdrawing tracks from service during construction and again during a cutover, with attendant testing. (Monro, 2004, p. 24). However, now the scientists and engineers have identified some ways of reducing the cost of installation and operation of PTC. Currently, the cost of labor and equipment for the installation and maintenance of the communications based system of PTC is comparable to or might even be lesser than the cost incurred in the maintenance of an overlay system because of the fact that now railroads can upgrade the non-signaled territories to a centralized traffic control operation that is radio-based. Besides, the availability of the PTC with numerous vendors increases the competition in the market to bring its cost down. In addition to that, “[communications-based system] CBS could be installed as a stand-alone vital system or used in conjunction with overlay systems currently being tested by the rail industry, such as those in existing [centralized traffic control] CTC or dark territory” (Progressive Railroading, 2012). Besides, the PTC systems are able to secure funds because of the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing Program, though none of the railroads in the US has so far reached FRA to get its PTC projects funded under this program. “PL110-432 has also authorized Railroad Safety Technology Grants that can be used to support PTC projects at $50 million per year from 2009 to 2013; however, the funds have not yet been appropriated” (Federal Railroad Administration, 2012). A vast majority of scientists, engineers, and vendors mutually consent that this communications based system is a wonderful interoperable solution to the problems experienced in railroad in the past because the PTC system is based on the signaling principles, and advanced vital processing techniques to make the railroads capable of changing the underlying methods of operation, programming the application logic, and achieving a greater control over their activities since the requirement of having the same operating rules for all railroads is obviated. “The thinking is that we all would migrate to a communications-based system. Putting in a non-signaling-based system is a short-term solution. Eventually, there’s a desire to replace wayside signaling components. CBS uses new technologies to implement vital PTC by extending the use of signaling principles that have been in service for 150 years” (Petit cited in Progressive Railroading, 2012). 1.4 Conclusion PTC is a system of security that is used to locate a train wherever it is at any point in time. The on-board equipment of PTC can identify the maximum safe speed at which a train can travel at a certain location. This is achieved with the help of database elements and the wayside signals’ status report that the train receives through the radio. On-board equipment measures the distance that needs to be traveled and the maximum safe speed at any instant along the journey. The term used for this is the movement authority. For instance, when a train fails to slow down in an area where speed is restricted or stop at a signal, it is stopped by the application of brakes by the PTC system in an automatic manner. It sounds simpler than what all it takes to do it. For the system to be efficient there is a need of complex technologies and advanced communication systems, and capabilities of information processing. For example, there are certain variables which influence the duration of time consumed in stopping a train which include the length of train, the weight of train, the terrain, and the braking technology installed in the train. The PTC system operates by considering all of these factors in an accurate and reliable way. Continuous monitoring done with on-board PTC equipment helps in the identification of the need of overriding the actions of the train engineer. Equipment at the central office is used to transmit temporary changes like speed limits and train orders to the train. Other benefits of the use of PTC system in railroad include but are not limited to improved running time of trains, scheduled operations, increased reliability of the running time, utilization of higher assets, and increased capacity of the track. In addition to that, PTC systems help the railroads in the measurement and management of costs and in the increase of efficiency of. Overall, PTC is a system that provides effective solutions to the problems of dislocation, accidents, and failures of trains experienced in the past. Although the strategy is relatively new now, it has a lot of room of improvement that will be done in the coming years with the help of more research and experiments to bring down the costs and improve the efficiency of the PTC system further. Currently, it is being hoped that the effects of implementing the communications based system of PTC would generate very positive effects on the efficiency of railroads. References: Association of American Railroads. (2012). Positive Train Control. Retrieved from http://www.aar.org/Safety/Positive-Train-Control.aspx. Federal Railroad Administration. (2012). Positive Train Control Overview. Retrieved from http://www.fra.dot.gov/rrs/pages/fp_1265.shtml. Monro, B. (2004). Benefits and Costs of Positive Train Control. Retrieved from http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/safety/ptc_ben_cost_report.pdf. Poor, A., Lindquist, K., and Wendt, M. (2009). Positive Train Control: Synthesis. Retrieved from http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/02C99DEC-840D-4426-87F0- 977FC3063F2C/62563/PositiveTrainControl.pdf. Progressive Railroading. (2012). Positive train control in transition. Retrieved from http://www.progressiverailroading.com/ptc/article/Positive-train-control-in-transition--13239#. Telematics Wire. (2012). GPS based Positive Train Control. Retrieved from http://telematicswire.net/?p=2930. Read More