Metra has applied for a federal grant to help the railroad fund a USD 3.7 million disaster recovery system for its Positive Train Control (PTC) safety system. PTC is expected to cost Metra more than USD 350 million to implement. In addition, PTC is expected to add USD 15 million to USD 20 million annually to Metra’s operating costs.
“Nationally, the cost to carry out the PTC mandate is estimated to exceed USD 10 billion, including USD 3.48 billion for commuter railroads. We will continue to look for new revenue sources to help pay for this complex system as we plan for full implementation of PTC by 2019 or sooner,” said Metra Executive Director/CEO Don Orseno.
Metra has so far allocated USD 187 million in capital funding toward PTC. Metra is counting on additional state and federal funds to provide the remaining funding needed to complete PTC.
Metra plans to house its disaster recovery system at its Kensington Yard facility on Chicago’s south side. It will run simultaneously with the primary PTC server system and will allow trains to continue operating throughout the Chicago region in the event that the primary server system fails or requires maintenance. In addition to providing a fail-safe operating capability for PTC technology for Metra’s entire rail system, the project will lay the groundwork for Metra to eventually establish a second, fully redundant dispatching center.
Share on:
