Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) joined other dignitaries at Los Angeles Union Station as Metrolink recently launched Positive Train Control (PTC) in revenue service demonstration under the authority of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad.

Other dignitaries in attendance included California State Transportation Agency Deputy Secretary Chad Edison, California High Speed Rail Authority CEO Jeff Morales, Metrolink Board Chair Pat Morris, and former Metrolink Board Chair Richard Katz, along with representatives from FRA and BNSF.

“We at Metrolink are proud to partner with BNSF, the FRA, the California Transportation Commission, and others in implementing PTC in revenue service demonstration,” said Metrolink CEO Michael P. DePallo. “We still have a long way to go as we will continue to collaborate with a large number of vested parties, but this is an important milestone to observe. We truly could not have reached this point without the dedication and determination of our staff, along with the support of our Board of Directors and member agencies.”

Agency officials say that Metrolink is the first commuter railroad in the country to implement the technology, Wabtec’s Interoperable Electronic Train Management System (I-ETMS)®, and they anticipate that the system’s entire service area will be completely equipped before the Rail Safety Improvement Act deadline of December 2015.

The estimated cost for the entire operations, including expanding a communications network to support PTC, is $216.3 million. Metrolink secured funding from local, state, and federal sources.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein joined other dignitaries who recently gathered at Los Angeles Union Station as Metrolink launched Positive Train Control (PTC) in revenue service demonstration (RSD) under the authority of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad. Other dignitaries in attendance included California State Transportation Agency Deputy Secretary Chad Edison, California High Speed Rail Authority CEO Jeff Morales, Metrolink Board Chair Pat Morris, and former Metrolink Board Chair Richard Katz, along with representatives from FRA and BNSF. Photo courtesy of Metrolink