Service
January 16, 2025
Positive Train Control: The High-Tech System Helping Keep America's Railways on Track
In the fast-paced railroad industry, where thousands of trains crisscross the country daily to deliver the goods we rely on, safety and efficiency are paramount. Enter Positive Train Control (PTC) – a sophisticated technology helping safeguard Union Pacific trains.
“This business-critical system enables our trains to safely and reliably travel more than 7 million miles each month,” said Tarek Elkhatib, general director-Operating Technologies.
Operating as a safety overlay system, PTC continuously monitors a train’s speed, weight and length along with track conditions to calculate stopping distances and prevent certain types of incidents. When a potential risk is detected – such as a train entering a work zone or moving onto unauthorized tracks – the onboard computer alerts the crew to take action.
“If the crew doesn’t respond, the system automatically brings the train to a stop safely,” Elkhatib said. “The technology helps keep our train crews and communities safe.”
While PTC is highly effective, it cannot prevent incidents caused by equipment failures, track structure issues, or instances where vehicles or people are on the tracks.
A complex ecosystem, PTC integrates with Union Pacific’s Energy Management System and many other applications involved in railroading.
More on Positive Train Control
“More than 800 radio towers and 10,000 wayside devices help feed real-time data to the locomotive’s onboard computer about track profile, speed limits, signals, switches and more,” Elkhatib said.
Behind the scenes, Union Pacific’s Operating Technologies, Mechanical, Engineering and Tech teams work to ensure the system operates at peak performance.
“Teams across the company work closely to achieve high PTC reliability,” Elkhatib said, noting PTC teams focus on:
- Conducting end-to-end software integration testing of all PTC-related systems.
- Continually analyzing systems data to minimize network impact.
- Translating operational needs into PTC functionality to enhance overall efficiency.
- Ensuring a fully interoperable system in compliance with the Federal Railroad Administration’s PTC rules.
As Union Pacific continues to innovate, PTC remains a vital part of its commitment to safety and efficiency.
“This is not just technology for technology’s sake,” Elkhatib said. “It’s about ensuring every train on our network gets to its destination safely and on time.”
