Question

Do research to determine the current status of PTC deployment. Summarize your findings in a couple of paragraphs.

Answer 1

1. Positive Train Control(PTC) Systems are technologies which are designed to stop a train automatically
to prevent certain accidents related to human error occur.

2. This is mandated by congress as a part of the train safety improvement under the Act of RSIA(Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008).

3. Positive Train Control is a system of functional requirements where we can monitor, and control the train movements.
And this is one of the type of protection system.

4. This is especially needed in case of high speed transportation, dense traffic with short succession of trains and mixed type of traffic at widely differing speeds.

5. Stopping a running train is the main goal of any train protection system. This is most easily done with stop order
and without a special order the vehicle is allowed to run.

6. PTC is that the train receives information about its location and where it is allowed to safely travel, this is also known as movement authorities.

7.Main Advantages of PTC:
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It is a advanced system designed to stop the train before certain accidents occur. particularly,

* PTC can prevent Train-to-Train collisions
* Derailments caused by excessive train speed
* Prevents the accident when train movements through misaligned track switches.
* when an Unauthorized train entry into work zones.

8. PTC can not prevent vehicle to train accidents at railroad crossings, or those due to track
and equipment failures.

9.Process of Finding the train status:
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When we fully deployed the PTC(The Nationwide System) should be able to accurately determine a train location, direction and speed.

--> An onboard computer system receives and analyzes track data from wayside locations and base-station radios along the planned route.

--> This provides the locomotive engineer with advance warning of movement authority limits, speed limits and track conditions ahead. giving the engineer time to react and bring the train to safe speed or controlled stop.

--> If corrective action is not detected within the warning period, PTC automatically applies the train brakes and brings it to a controlled stop without the engineer's assistance.

10. PTC is a nationwide system of newly developed technologies which is very complex and which continuously relays critical information such as speed limits, train movement authorization, switch positions, work zone locations and other operational data.

11. PTC must factor in locomotive and rail car mix, train length, weight and speed. terrain and signal aspects to determine
safe stopping distances.

12. PTC is a safety system that automatically slows down or breaks the train if the enginees misses a saignal or goes over the speed limit, This eliminating the possibility of human error.

13.The PTC is made up of three devices,those are 1)the train’s onboard computer, 2) the trackside ‘ping’ points and 3)the dispatch stations, which all communicate signals between themselves in real-time.

14.Before starting the trip, the train’s onboard computer downloads information about the route, so it will know when brakes should be activated and apply them if anything goes wrong.