USA: OmniTRAX has announced that its Illinois Railway has become one of the first short lines to implement fully-functional positive train control.
‘We are delighted to be a first mover on PTC in the short line industry and are making our railroad even safer than it already was’, said CEO Kevin Shuba on October 24.
Three IR locomotives have been fitted with Wabtec PTC equipment, which communicates with lineside units on BNSF tracks that are shared with Chicago commuter operator Metra between Aurora and Eola.
A grant awarded under the Federal Railroad Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure & Safety Improvements programme covered 70% of the cost of deployment, which was completed in less than a year.
‘The PTC system on the IR is state-of-the-art for a short line railroad and will work to keep the citizens of the area safe while enabling our customers to continue efficiently moving their freight’, said Chief Operating Officer Sergio Sabatini.
