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SCRRA PTC UPDATE

TECHNOLOGY ON THE RAILROAD

Leonard Transportation Center

May 13, 2011

Joe Zerzan

Project Manager

Metrolink PTC

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Summary of Metrolink’s Key Characteristics

• Property acquired from freight railroads 1990-1994

• 7 Routes, 55 Stations, 45,000 average daily riders

• 350 Route Miles

• 149 - Weekday Revenue Trains

• 500 - Daily Train Movements – Metrolink (revenue

& non-revenue) Amtrak, and freight (UP and BNSF)

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Southern California Rail Network

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LA REGION - FIRST IN THE NATION PTC - 2012

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Metrolink’s Train Control and Signal System

• Over 165 Wayside to Train PTC Radio locations

• 5 County Southern California communication network

– Commercial telecommunication lease lines

– Metrolink owned fiber, copper cable, wireless antennas

– Voice & data transmissions

– Microwave

• No longer supported computer aided train dispatching system is being replaced

• 350 grade crossings – CWTD for train detection

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• THE RAIL SAFETY IMPROVEMENT ACT BECAME LAW ON OCTOBER 6, 2008

– Prevent Train to Train Collisions

– Prevent Overspeed Derailments

– Prevent Movement of a Train through a Switch left in the “Wrong” Position

– Prevent Incursions into Roadway Work Zones

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WHAT IS PTC ?

• Positive Train Control is a predictive collision avoidance system that provides a warning to train operators and then intervenes and stops a train before a collision or other hazardous train movement can occur.

• The primary purpose is to prevent incidents caused by single-point human failures by proactively stopping the train.

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PTC SYSTEM COMPONENTS

Computer-Aided

Dispatching

Back Office

Server (BOS)

Signal

Status

5. EIC

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LA Basin PTC Characteristics

• BNSF/UPRR/Amtrak/Coaster Interoperability

• Dense mixed passenger and freight territories

• Numerous inter-railroad movements

• Complex multiple main tracks

• Very high use of wireless communication systems

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LA Basin PTC Characteristics

• Numerous grade crossings

• Steep mountain grades

• Complex passenger terminals

• Main Track commuter turnback movements

• Up to 75 trains at a time in the region on all railroads

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SCRRA PTC – PROJECT UPDATE

• Fitness for Use and RF Coverage Studies are underway

• 3 PTC Equipped Hy-Rails are preparing to ship

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SCRRA PTC – PROJECT UPDATE

• Coverage in rugged canyons is a challenge

• Coverage in 7000 fttunnels is a challenge

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SCRRA PTC – PROJECT UPDATE

• Backhaul improvements in support of PTCo Hybrid design of leased fiber and packet-digital microwave

o Bid advertisement scheduled for June 2011

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SCRRA PTC – PROJECT UPDATE

• Radio Design is being coordinated as a regional network

• PTC 220 LLC, BNSF, UPRR and SCRRA are working together on sharing infrastructure

• SCRRA is acquiring Spectrum for PTC usage

• A data throughput study is underway to aid in determination of cell sizes

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SCRRA PTC – PROJECT UPDATE

On-Site surveys of existing equipment allowed for early order of long lead items

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SCRRA PTC – PROJECT UPDATEA small yard was constructed near L.A. Union Station to outfit the rolling stock – installation begins July of 2011

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SCRRA PTC – PROJECT UPDATE

• Two new simulators will be provided:– Half-car replica simulator of Rotem Cab Car

– Desktop simulator of MP36 Locomotive

• Upgrade existing F59 simulator to enable PTC training

• Simulators to be temporarilyhoused at Union Station

• Will ultimately reside at the Train Control & Operations Support Facility (TCSOF)

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SCRRA PTC – PROJECT UPDATE

• The initial SCRRA PTC will be the ITC Rung 1

solution I - ETMS

• Future Enhancements may include:

– Real time train location

– Predictive train arrival and departure information

– Advanced grade crossing starts

– Grade crossing inhibits and crossing restarts

– Grade crossing to train health status

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SCRRA PTC PROJECT - SCHEDULE

2011 WORK EFFORT

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PASSENGER SAFETY

The new rolling stock features the latest in energy absorption crash management design and construction

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SAFETY FOR THE PUBLICGRADE

CROSSINGS

ARE ANOTHER AREA WHERE SIGNIFICANT

SAFETY IMPROVEMENT

IS

ONGOING

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SAFETY FOR PEDESTRIANS

Pedestrian treatments are

included in grade crossing warning system upgrades

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SCRRA – USING

TECHNOLOGY FOR SAFETY

AND EFFICIENCY

QUESTIONS

?