Automatic Train Control
Positive Train Control, Automatic Train Protection, Automatic Train Stop
- Definition and Scope
- Articles/Press Releases
- Website and Associations
- Reports & Studies
- Conference Proceedings
- Testimony
- Legislation
- Podcasts/Video
- Patents
- Vendors
- Accident Investigation Reports - Train vs. Train
Note: Links to the resources below reflect "full text available online" search results only. Many additional research reports exist in journals and conference proceedings not freely available online. For more comprehensive information, you should search the Transportation Research Information Service (TRIS) Online and also the Transportation Libraries group catalog, TLCat. This bibliography reflects only a small subset of the total research available on this subject.
Transportation Research Thesaurus (TRT) Terms: Positive train control (PTC). Use For Advanced train control systems. Broader Term: Automatic train control. Related Terms: (Hierarchical) Automatic train operation; Automatic train protection; Automatic train stop system; Automatic train supervision; and Block control systems.
Federal Railroad Administration: Positive Train Control (PTC)
http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/784
Federal Railroad Administration: Positive Train Control Overview
http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/1265
Federal Railroad Administration: Positive Train Control Analyses
http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/602
Federal Railroad Administration: Signal & Train Control Compliance Manual
http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/1456
Wikipedia - Automatic Train Protection
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_Train_Protection
Wikipedia - Automatic Train Stop
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_Train_Stop
Wikidpeida - Automatic Train Control (stop) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_Train_Control
Wikidpedia - Cab Signaling
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cab_signalling
Wikipedia - Communication Based Train Control
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication-based_train_control
Wikipedia - Dead Man's Switch
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_man%27s_switch
Wikipedia - European Train Control Systems http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Train_Control_System
Wikipedia - Positive Train Control
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_Train_Control
Wikipedia - Train Protection System
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Train_protection_system
Alaska's Positive Thinking. (Positive train control could be the answer to a safer and more efficient future for the railway sector). Railway-technology.com. August 27, 2008.
http://www.railway-technology.com/features/feature40221/
ALSTROM - Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement System (ACSES)
http://www.alstomsignalingsolutions.com/OurProducts/PositiveTrainControl/
Cases for common ground: we now have Positive Train Control systems that work. Railway Age. July 2007.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1215/is_7_208/ai_n27325704
Commentary: Is Advanced Train Control Worth The Cost? Railway Age. May 2001.
http://www.railwayage.com/may01/commentaryofthemonth.html
EC Adopts Interoperability Legislation for European Trains. May 2008
http://engineers.ihs.com/news/2008/eu-en-train-interoperability-etcs-4-08.htm
Positive Train Control Answer to U.S. Railway Woes. Lockheed Martin. 2004
Positive Train Control in Transition. October 4, 2007
http://www.progressiverailroading.com/pr/article.asp?id=13239
Positive Train Control: Ready To Go? Mass Transit. December 2007-January 2008.
http://www.masstransitmag.com/print/Mass-Transit/Positive-Train-Control--Ready-to-Go/1$4990
PTC Is FRA pushing too hard? - the railroads continue work on the Positive Train Control program, with emphasis on conforming to the Federal Railway Administration standards, especially [sic] in the area of safety. Railway Age. August, 1999.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1215/is_8_200/ai_55558052
PTC starts to roll out across the USA. Railway Gazette. May 2007.
Pushing forward PTC: railroads and suppliers have picked up the pace in deploying next-generation train control. Railway Age. November 2006.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1215/is_/ai_n27080042
Railroads question PTC timetable. Railway Age. June, 2007.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1215/is_6_208/ai_n27294519
Stop, in the name of progress: ECP—the most significant development in freight train braking since George Westinghouse invented air brakes in the 19th Century—is ready for broad deployment, Railway Age. April 2008.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1215/is_4_209/ai_n25409508
Summary of HR 2095, The Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act of 2007. Mass Transit Magazine. May, 2007.
http://snipurl.com/3ted4
Train control should move into the communications age:;it is time for the railway industry to embrace the systems that are now proven to be superior in terms of safety, availability, and life-cycle cost and move their train control and signalling systems into the communication age. International Railway Journal. February 2005.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQQ/is_2_45/ai_n9547597
Two New Technologies Ready to Roll (Positive Train Control) International Railway Journal. April 2008.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQQ/is_4_48/ai_n25337860
Websites & Associations
Association of American Railroads
http://www.aar.org
American Public Transportation Association - Commuter Rail Committee
http://www.apta.com/about/committees/commrail/
American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association
http://www.arema.org
Great Western Railway Automatic Train Control
http://mysite.du.edu/~etuttle/rail/atcgwr.htm
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
http://www.ieee.org
IEEE Std 1474 Series, Communications Based Train Control (CBTC). IEEE Rail Transit Vehicle Interface Standards Committee, Working Group 2.
http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/railtransit/wg2/index.htm
Institute of Railway Signal Engineers
http://www.irse.org/
Institute of Transportation Engineers
http://www.ite.org
International Railway Journal
http://www.railjournal.com/
National Transportation Safety Board's "Most Wanted" List: Implement Positive Train Control Systems
http://www.ntsb.gov/Recs/mostwanted/FedMWL-TRAIN.pdf
Quarterly Report of Railway Technology Research Institute of Japan
http://www.rtri.or.jp/infoce/qr_E.html
Railway Gazette International
http://www.railwaygazette.com
Railway Technical Research Institute
http://www.rtri.or.jp/index.html
Railway Technology
http://www.railway-technology.com/
Transportation Research Board - Commuter Rail Transportation Committee (AP070)
http://www.trb.org/directory/comm_detail.asp?c=AP070
U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
http://www.fra.dot.gov
An Examination Of Railroad Yard Worker Safety. Final Report. DOT/FRA/ORD-01/20. Reinach, S; Gertler, J. July 2001.
http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/12000/12800/12871/ord0120.pdf
and
http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/Research/ord0120.pdf
Benefit-Cost Evaluation Of A Highway-Railroad Intermodal Control System (ICS). Lee Jr, D B; Gay, K; Carroll, A A; Hellman, A; Sposato, S. June 2004.
http://www.itsdocs.fhwa.dot.gov//JPODOCS/REPTS_TE//14017.html
Benefits and Costs of Positive Train Control. Federal Railroad Administration. 2004
http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/safety/ptc_ben_cost_report.pdf
Commuter Rail Safety Study. Federal Transit Administration. Office of Safety and Security. November 2006.
http://www.transit-safety.volpe.dot.gov/publications/sso/CRSafetyStudy/pdf/CRSS.pdf
Communication Based Train Control - CBTC Standardization: Can it be Achieved? T.J. Sullivan. Railway Age Status Report. Parsons-Brinkerhoff. May 1997.
http://www.tsd.org/papers/RA-0597.ppt#256,1,
Differential GPS: An Aid to Positive Train Control. Report to the Committees on Appropriations. Federal Railroad Administration. June 1995
http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/dgps/dgeninfo/traincontrol/dgps4a.pdf
Effects of Supervisory Train Control Technology on Operator Attention: Human Factors in Railroad Operations. Final Report. DOT/FRA/ORD-04/10. Marinakos, Helias; Sheridan, Thomas; Multer, Jordan. July 2005.
http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/RRDev/ord0410.pdf
High Speed Rail IDEA Project 50 [Active (IDEA)]. A Track Sensor for Predicting Train Arrival Time. 2004
http://www.trb.org/TRBNet/ProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=2310
Human Factors Considerations in the Evaluation of Processor-Based Signal and Train Control Systems: Human Factors in Railroad Operations. Final Report. DOT/FRA/ORD-07/07. John Wreathall, Emilie Roth, Dennis Bley, Jordan Multer. Published by Volpe National Transportation Systems Center; Federal Railroad Administration. June 2007.
http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/Research/ord0707.pdf
Human Factors Phase III: Effects of Train Control Technology on Operator Performance: Human Factors in Railroad Operations. Final Report. DOT/FRA/ORD-04/18. Lanzilotta, Edward J; Sheridan, Thomas B. January 2005.
http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/Research/ord0418.pdf
Human Factors Phase IV: Risk Analysis Tool for New Train Control Technology. Final Report. DOT/FRA/ORD-04/17. Lanzilotta, Edward J; Sheridan, Thomas B. January 2005.
http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/Research/ord0417.pdf
Human Factors Root Cause Analysis of Accidents/Incidents Involving Remote Control Locomotive Operations. Final Report. DOT/FRA/ORD-06/05. Reinach, Stephen; Viale, Alex. May 2006
http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/Research/ord0605.pdf
Human Reliability Analysis in Support of Risk Assessment for Positive Train Control. Final Report. DOT/FRA/ORD-03/15. J. Wreathall, E Roth, D. Bley J.Multer. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center; Federal Railroad Administration, June 2003
http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/Research/ord0315.pdf
Information Paper - Driver Safety Systems and Automatic Train Protection. Independent Transport Safety and Reliability Regulator. Australia. November, 2005.
Intelligent Transportation System/Positive Train Control at Highway-Rail Intersections. Research Results (RR 07-20). Federal Railroad Administration. June 2007.
http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/research/rr0720.pdf
Logical Verification and Systematic Parametric Analysis in Train Control. Andre Platzer and Jan-David Quesel. University of Oldenburg, Department of Computing Science, Germany. 2008.
http://www.functologic.com/pub/ETCS-short.pdf
Main Line Signaling Strategies for the European Transport Network. Dr. Alfred Veider. Alcatel-Lucent. 2nd Qtr. 2004 (Source website: http://www1.alcatel-lucent.com).
http://snipurl.com/3t59f
Microprocessor Signal and Train Control: A New Regulatory Approach. Hartong, Mark W; Cataldi, Olga K. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board. 2006.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3141/1943-04
North American Commuter Rail. Committee on Commuter Rail Transportation (A1E07). Transportation Research Board.
http://www.trb.org/publications/millennium/00080.pdf
PTC - Benefits and Cost of Positive Train Control. Report in Response to Request of Appropriations Committee. Federal Railroad Administration. August 2004.
http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/safety/ptc_ben_cost_report.pdf
Quantification of the Business Benefits of Positive Train Control. Zeta-Tech Associates. Federal Railroad Administration. Mar. 15, 2004 (revised).
http://www.tsd.org/papers/FRA%20PTC%20final%20report%2003-16-04.pdf
Rail Passenger Safety: Equipment and Technologies. Transit Cooperative Research Program (TRCP). Research Results Digest 85. Aug. 2007.
http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_rrd_85.pdf
Rail Transit Capacity (Part B) Chapter 3 "Train Control and Signaling". Transit Cooperative Research Program (TRCP), Report 13. Transportation Research Board. 1996.
http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_rpt_13-b.pdf
Relative Risk of Workload Transitions in Positive Train Control. Final Report. Wreathall, John Woods, David D; Bing, Alan J; Christoffersen, Klaus. March 2007
http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/Research/ord0712.pdf
"Reliance" and "Distraction" Effects in PTC Automation. T.B. Sheridan (MIT), F.C. Gamst (Univ. of Mass. Boston), and R.A. Harvey (BLE). White Paper. Nov. 28, 1999.
http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/Research/reliance.pdf
Risk And Train Control: A Framework For Analysis. Martland, C D; Zhu, Y; Lahrech, Y; Sussman, J M. Transportation Research Record. 2001.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3141/1742-04
"Safety in the Future," from On Track: The Future of Railway Safety in Canada, Section 10. 1994
http://www.tc.gc.ca/railway/publications/on_track/section10.htm
Safety of Remote Control Locomotive (RCL) Operations. 2006. http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/safety/05_007775finalreport_RCL.pdf
Simulation of Urban Rail Operations: Application Framework. Koutsopoulos, Haris; Wang, Zhigao. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board. 2007.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3141/2006-10
Conference Proceedings
Intelligent Transportation Systems And Their Implications For Railroads. Proceedings of a Joint FRA-ITS American Technical Symposium. 1998.
http://www.itsdocs.fhwa.dot.gov/JPODOCS/REPTS_TE/48J01!.PDF
Positive Train Control Systems Symposium. National Transportation Safety Board. March 2-3, 2005.
http://www.ntsb.gov/events/symp_ptc/agenda.htm
Positive Train Control - A Regulatory Perspective. National Capital Land Transportation Committee. March 2-3, 2008. http://ewh.ieee.org/cmte/asmeltc/Archive/Presentations/PTC_Hartong_0803.pdf
Radio Frequency Identification Location & Communication-Based Train Control System in Qinghai-Tibet Railway of China. Proceedings of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies, Vol.4, October, 2003
http://www.easts.info/2003proceedings/papers/0083.pdf
Railroad Industry Perspective. Robert C. VanderClute. NTSB PTC Symposium, March 2, 2005
http://www.ntsb.gov/events/symp_ptc/presentations/03_VanderClute.pdf
Safety, Service, and Sustainable Growth: Technology and People Working Together. Jo Strang, Grady C. Cothen Jr. Workshop on Research to Enhance Rail Network Performance. Transportation Research Board Conference Proceedings on the Web No. 3. 2007. p.45-59 (p. 55-69 on PDF file).
http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/conf/CPW3.pdf
Train Dispatching Effectiveness With Respect To Communications-Based Train Control: Quantification Of The Relationship. Smith, M E; Resor, R R; Patel, P. Transportation Research Record. 1997.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3141/1584-04
U.S. Railroad History Relating to Fatigue, Safety Culture, and Technology. Frederick C. Gamst. Midyear Meeting of the Transportation Research Board Railroad Operational Safety Subcommittee. Transportation Research E-Circular No. E-C085 Transportation Research Board, January 2006. p. 25-61.
http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/circulars/ec085.pdf
Testimony
APTA Testimony Before the House Subcommittee on Railroads, House Transportation and infrastructure Committee. April 1, 1998
http://www.apta.com/government_affairs/aptatest/sadtalk.cfm
Rail Safety: The Federal Railroad Administration is Taking Steps to Better Target its Oversight, but Assessment of Results is Needed to Determine Impact. Government Accountability Office. January 2007.
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07149.pdf
Report to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees: The Safety of Push-Pull and Multiple-Unit Locomotive Passenger Rail Operations. June 2006. http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/safety/062606FRAPushPullLetterandReport.pdf
Statement of the American Public Transportation Association Before the Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security Subcommittee of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on The Rail Safety Enhancement Act of 2007. (Source website: http://commerce.senate.gov)
http://snipurl.com/3t5ab
Testimony before the Subcommittee on Railroads, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Technology Committee on Science, House of Representatives Regarding Automatic Train Control. March 27, 1996
http://www.ntsb.gov/speeches/former/hall/jh960327.htm
Legislation
S. 918: Federal Railroad Safety Accountability and Improvement Act (Lautenberg)
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-918
S. 3493: A bill to require rail carriers to develop positive rail control system plans for improving railroad safety and to increase the civil penalties for railroad safety violations. (Feinstein)
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-3493
H. Res. 724: Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2095) to amend title 49, United States Code, to prevent railroad fatalities, injuries, and hazardous materials releases, to authorize the Federal Railroad Safety Administration, and for other purposes. (Matsui)
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=hr110-724
H.R. 1033: Ari's Law. To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a grant program to improve railroad safety by providing funds for the construction and maintenance of fencing and other protective structures along railroad tracks, and for other purposes. (Weiner)
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-1033
H.R. 1516: Federal Railroad Safety Accountability and Improvement Act (Oberstar)
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-1516
H.R. 2095: Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act of 2007 (Oberstar)
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-2095
H.R. 6973: To require rail carriers to develop positive train control system plans for improving railroad safety and increase the civil penalties for railroad safety violations (Schiff)
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-6973
Podcasts/Video
Trains, Tragedy and Modern Technology. Which Way L.A. program, KCRW, September 15, 2008
http://www.kcrw.com/news/programs/ww/ww080915trains_tragedy_and_m
Safety is Our Destination - National Transportation Safety Board
http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2006/SPC0603.wmv
Metrolink - 1992
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiewnq8xPMM
Metrolink, MetroThink
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbV7BPaZLNM
Dept Homeland Security: Metrolink - Public Service Announcement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Pkt3RFsiBs
Automatic Train Control System and Method
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5828979.html
Automatic Train Stop System
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7006012.html
Automatic Train-Stop Mechanism
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/1675251.html
Distributed Positive Train Control System
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5950966.html
Incremental Train Control System
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5533695.html
Train Stop Control Device
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/1723835.html
Alcatel-Lucent
http://www1.alcatel-lucent.com/tas/
Alstrom
http://snipurl.com/3tf7o or http://www.transport.alstom.com/home/
Ansaldo
http://www.ansaldo-sts.com/
Bombardier
http://www.transportation.bombardier.com/htmen/4_0.htm
CSEE-Transport
http://www.csee-transport.com/
GE Transportation Systems
http://www.getransportation.com/
Interfleet Technology
http://www.interfleet.co.uk
Nippon Signal
http://www.signal.co.jp/
SAFETRAN Systems
http://www.safetran.com/
Transportation Systems Design, Inc. Communications Based Train Control
http://www.tsd.org/cbtc/index.htm
Twinco
http://www.twincomfg.com/Automatic_Train_Stops/Twinco_AutomaticTrainStop.htm
Union Switch & Signal
http://www.switch.com/
EM-1 Automatic Train Stop Manual
http://www.switch.com/manuals/documents/5730/5730.pdf
Wabtec
http://www.wabtec.com/home.asp
Westinghouse Rail Systems
http://www.westsig.co.uk/
Westinghouse rail Systems Australia
http://www.westsig.com.au/
Accident Investigation Reports - Train v. Train
Railroad Accident Report: Collision Of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Freight Train With Metrolink Passenger Train, Placentia, California, April 23, 2002.
http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2003/RAR0304.pdf
Railroad Accident Report: Uncontrolled Movement, Collision, And Passenger Fatality On The Angels Flight Railway In Los Angeles, California, February 1, 2001.
http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2003/RAR0303.pdf
National Transportation Safety Board Railroad Accident Report: Rear-End Collision of National Railroad Passenger Corporation (AMTRAK) Train P286 with CSXT Freight Train Q620 on the CSX Railroad at Syracuse, New York, on February 5, 2001.
http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/18000/18400/18437/PB2001916304.pdf
Railroad Accident Report: Collision Of Two Canadian National/Illinois Central Railway Trains Near Clarkston, Michigan, November 15, 2001. http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2002/RAR0204.pdf
Railroad Accident Report: Collision Of Two Burlington Northern Santa Fe Freight Trains Near Clarendon, Texas, May 28, 2002.
http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2003/RAR0301.pdf
Railroad Accident Report: Collision of Two CN Freight Trains, Anding, Mississippi, July 10, 2005
http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2007/RAR0701.pdf
Railroad Accident Brief: Rear-end Collision of Norfolk Southern Trains near Lincoln, Alabama, January 18, 2006
http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2007/RAB0703.htm
Railroad Accident Brief: Collision of Two Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority Trains, Abington, Pennsylvania, July 1, 2006
http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2008/RAB0803.pdf
Collision of Runaway CN Railway Locomotives and Northern Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad (Metra) Train in Chicago, Illinois, on March 7, 2007. http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2007/RAB0704.pdf
Two Rear-End Collisions Involving Chicago Transit Authority Rapid Transit Trains at Chicago, Illinois, June 17 and August 3, 2001.
http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2002/SIR0201.pdf
Railroad Accident Brief: Collision of Two Union Pacific Railroad Trains, Bertram, California, November 10, 2007
http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2008/RAB0804.pdf
Railroad Accident Brief: Collision of Two Union Pacific Railroad Trains, Carrizozo, New Mexico, February 21, 2004
http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2006/RAB0605.pdf
Additional reports available from: National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
http://www.ntsb.gov/Publictn/R_Acc.htm
Last edited on 9/25/08
by: Matthew Barrett, Kenn Bicknell, and Russell Wong