Agencies Partner to Implement Positive Train Control DART and FWTA divide efforts for the Trinity Railway Express Since the commuter rail line shares track with other railroads, DART and FWTA must install a positive train control system on the Trinity Railway Express corridor that is capable of preventing collisions and derailments. Congress passed the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008, as amended, which requires Class 1 and commuter railroads to implement positive train control (PTC) systems by the federally mandated deadline of Dec. 31, 2018. DART and the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (FWTA) jointly own the Trinity Railway Express. The TRE shares a 34-mile corridor with Amtrak and freight railroads, including BNSF, DGNO, FW&W and Union Pacific. The two transit agencies have selected the I-ETMS PTC technology that is designed to be interoperable with all of the TRE’s tenant railroads. PTC technology is capable of automatically controlling train speeds and movements. PTC system design requirements include prevention of: • train-to-train collisions • overspeed derailments • incursions into established work zone limits • movement of a train through a main line switch in the wrong position DART is obtaining the required radio spectrum, purchasing the radios and installing the fiber-optic line along the TRE route between Union Station in Dallas and the T&P Station in Fort Worth. FWTA is responsible for the design and installation of the dispatch and back-office systems, equipment installations on the trains and wayside units, systems integration and TEX Rail-specific items. 15
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