Metro-North Completes Train Control Safety System Before Deadline

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Roll-out of the Positive Train Control system meant to prevent fatal crashes like those on the Harlem and Hudson commuter lines in recent years is finished on Metro-North.

The completion of the federally mandated technology project comes in ahead of the Dec. 31 deadline, and MTA officials making the announcement Wednesday said it was a remarkable feat given the scope of the project and challenges this year posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Metro-North’s completion of PTC before the December 31, 2020 deadline was an all hands-on- deck effort that spanned multiple departments across the railroad,” said Catherine Rinaldi, President of Metro-North. “It represents a historic leap forward in the safety and reliability of the system, and I couldn’t be prouder of our team for achieving these milestones, despite supply chain and other challenges during the pandemic."

Through Positive Train Control, LIRR and Metro-North trains automatically communicate in real time with central dispatching offices – sharing information on train position, speed and the actions of the locomotive engineer. If a train is traveling too fast, the system automatically takes control of the train to slow it down while alerting the engineer.

The MTA began installing Positive Train Control after two years in which 14 people were killed and more than 100 people were injured on Metro-North trains in Connecticut and New York.

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The 244.3 total route miles of in full PTC functionality in Metro-North's territory includes:

• Hudson Line – 74.8 miles
• Harlem Line – 76.9 miles
• New Haven Line – 61 miles
• Danbury Branch – 24.2 miles
• New Canaan Branch – 6.3 miles

NJ Transit, which operates West of Hudson service under contract with Metro-North, is also operating in full PTC on the Pascack Valley and Port Jervis Lines.