Amtrak has signed an agreement with Rockwell Collins to implement the company’s ARINC RailwayNet service on approximately 310 Amtrak locomotives operating across the United States.
ARINC RailwayNet is a hosted network, messaging and application platform, designed to assist operators in meeting the Positive Train Control (PTC) requirements mandated by the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008. The act directs the Federal Railroad Administration to mandate new regulations focused on railroad safety, including PTC implementation. When used in conjunction with the operator’s PTC infrastructure, RailwayNet helps facilitate the increases in safety and reliability that PTC provides.
“PTC is a set of highly advanced technologies designed to enhance rail transportation safety by automatically stopping a train before certain types of incidents occur. We are dedicated to ensuring our locomotives are enabled with this important safety technology,” said George Hartman, Amtrak senior manager of positive train control.
In a statement issued by the railroad RailwayNet will be implemented nationwide on Amtrak routes, where it operates its trains over other railroad companies’ tracks. Under the agreement, Rockwell Collins will initialize Amtrak’s fleet enabling its trains to run as “tenants” on 19 different host railroads, including Class 1, commuter and freight tracks.
“This scope and significance of this agreement is unprecedented — it represents the most extensive support of tenant operations for PTC to date,” Ken Schreder, vice president, strategic programs and surface transportation systems for Rockwell Collins. “Railroads face the critical challenge of meeting congressionally-mandated PTC requirements while also keeping their operations up and running smoothly. Our ARINC RailwayNet service will allow us to provide Amtrak with a mandate-compliant, secure and tailored PTC network solution for its operations.”
