BNSF and the Federal Railroad Administration have begun testing wireless monitoring of switch alignment at 409 hand-operated turnouts on a 280 km section of unsignalled route between Tulsa and Avard, Oklahoma. US Secretary of Transportation Norman Y Mineta announced the start of trials on November 14.
Dispatchers in Fort Worth are alerted to any misaligned switches, and can order trains in the area to stop until the track has been inspected. The railway company is providing $472680 for the equipment, while FRA is contributing $527308 for the testing. Around 40% of US main line track is unsignalled, carrying about 20% of traffic, and in 2005 misaligned switches were responsible for nine accidents in these areas.
BNSF, USA
