This is the direct link to the NS Corp service alert about Poisonous-Inhalation-Hazard chemicals and the PTC deadline on December 31st, 2015.
http://www.nscorp.com/content/nscorp/en/service-alerts/notice-of-cessationofserviceeffectivedecember12015forallshipment.html
By complying with the law, I wonder how long it will take for the law to be changed.
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When Congress figures out how devastating this issue is to the economy, especially a year away from a presidential election, there will be plenty of support for a delay of PTC from both parties.
John Timm
desertdogWhen Congress figures out how devastating this issue is to the economy, especially a year away from a presidential election, there will be plenty of support for a delay of PTC from both parties. John Timm
Considering that the GOP can't even figure out who their leader will be, that may be a very tall order.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Andrew Falconer This is the direct link to the NS Corp service alert about Poisonous-Inhalation-Hazard chemicals and the PTC deadline on December 31st, 2015. http://www.nscorp.com/content/nscorp/en/service-alerts/notice-of-cessationofserviceeffectivedecember12015forallshipment.html By complying with the law, I wonder how long it will take for the law to be changed.
No Amtrak and Metra trains as well. Should be fun. "Metra," is that in the DC area?
Metra runs in Chicago.
doghouse Andrew Falconer This is the direct link to the NS Corp service alert about Poisonous-Inhalation-Hazard chemicals and the PTC deadline on December 31st, 2015. http://www.nscorp.com/content/nscorp/en/service-alerts/notice-of-cessationofserviceeffectivedecember12015forallshipment.html By complying with the law, I wonder how long it will take for the law to be changed. No Amtrak and Metra trains as well. Should be fun. "Metra," is that in the DC area?
VRE uses NS trackage from AF interlocking to Manassas. CSX from Union Station to AF. CSX will not let VRE or MARC (the Maryland commuter agency) operate either.
Have CSX, or any other of the major freight carriers issued cessation of service notices similar to the NS cessation notice? As I understand it Amtrak plans to meet the PTC requirements on the Northeast Corridor by December 31.
BaltACD doghouse Andrew Falconer This is the direct link to the NS Corp service alert about Poisonous-Inhalation-Hazard chemicals and the PTC deadline on December 31st, 2015. http://www.nscorp.com/content/nscorp/en/service-alerts/notice-of-cessationofserviceeffectivedecember12015forallshipment.html By complying with the law, I wonder how long it will take for the law to be changed. No Amtrak and Metra trains as well. Should be fun. "Metra," is that in the DC area? VRE uses NS trackage from AF interlocking to Manassas. CSX from Union Station to AF. CSX will not let VRE or MARC (the Maryland commuter agency) operate either.
By the way, have the old catenary supports south of Virginia been removed in conjunction with the refurbishing of CSX's tunnel (they were still there this past April when I went north from Charlotte)?
Johnny
RudyRockvilleMD Have CSX, or any other of the major freight carriers issued cessation of service notices similar to the NS cessation notice? As I understand it Amtrak plans to meet the PTC requirements on the Northeast Corridor by December 31.
CSX published a notice to their employees and customers similar to NS's.
Deggesty BaltACD doghouse Andrew Falconer This is the direct link to the NS Corp service alert about Poisonous-Inhalation-Hazard chemicals and the PTC deadline on December 31st, 2015. http://www.nscorp.com/content/nscorp/en/service-alerts/notice-of-cessationofserviceeffectivedecember12015forallshipment.html By complying with the law, I wonder how long it will take for the law to be changed. No Amtrak and Metra trains as well. Should be fun. "Metra," is that in the DC area? VRE uses NS trackage from AF interlocking to Manassas. CSX from Union Station to AF. CSX will not let VRE or MARC (the Maryland commuter agency) operate either. Balt, does CSX now own the track from Union Station to the Virginia interlocking? I had understood that this is Amtrak's property. I knew that NS (and Amtrak) have trackage rights north from AF Tower. By the way, have the old catenary supports south of Virginia been removed in conjunction with the refurbishing of CSX's tunnel (they were still there this past April when I went north from Charlotte)?
Balt, does CSX now own the track from Union Station to the Virginia interlocking? I had understood that this is Amtrak's property. I knew that NS (and Amtrak) have trackage rights north from AF Tower.
Union Station to Virginia is a battle ground - whenever there is trouble each side says it's the other's problem even though technically North of the SAS Virginia is Amtrak's.
Catenary pole are still up around Benning when I drove I-295 a couple of weeks ago.
BNSF seems to be taking more of a wait-n-see approach
http://view.email.bnsf.com/?j=fe6513747161017c7514&m=fefa1072766103&ls=fdcc1572746101757715787566&l=fe5e17787665017f7311&s=fdf415797460007d711c7871&jb=ffcf14&ju=fe1a127674600c74731178
Remember what I said a few weeks back about Atlas getting ready to shrug?
Looks like it's starting to happen.
It looks as if the issue of installing PTC by the end of 2015 might be moot. The House is working on a bill to extend deadline for installing of PTC until the end of 2018
RudyRockvilleMD It looks as if the issue of installing PTC by the end of 2015 might be moot. The House is working on a bill to extend deadline for installing of PTC until the end of 2018
She is one hardheaded, ignorant, stupid woman!
nyc#25 She is one hardheaded, ignorant, stupid woman!
They are serious about their plans from the way this sounds. Glad I rode #611 this summer, don't know what will happen next year. I did hear that BNSF also plans to shut down if deadline not extended. Congress needs to pull together for the good of the country and forget all this bi-partisan nonsense. They forget they were elected by us to work for us, not throw mud on each other and refuse to work together on anything.
The news shows that Norfolk Southern has a large influence. They got a three year extension.
I told you so.
The news that Congress has passed and the President has signed the PTC extension proves me right: the federal government will not allow the railroads to shut down and disrupt the economy (the heck with passengers; no one cares about us). I predicted this some weeks or months ago when this issue surfaced here in the forum. There was never any reason to get one's undies in a knot on this point, as many here have.
Andrew Falconer has written that this shows NS "has a large influence," but a very recent article in the NY Times demonstrated that it's not only NS that's responsible for the extension: it's the entire railroad industry itself. Indeed, the article pointed out that American railroads have one of the largest, richest groups of lobbyists in Washington. They have contributed huge sums of money to various Congressmen and committee chairmen (I'm looking at you Mr. Shuster) and almost invariably get their way when they want, or in this case don't want, something important to them. This article also pointed out the railroad industry's years-long foot-dragging on this issue.
The age of Vanderbilt, Hill, Harriman, et al has simply been superceeded by the faceless corporations and their boards of directors which today employ legions of lobbyists to get their way no matter what. When it comes to PTC I don't have a dog in this fight, but I'm dismayed by what we used to call bribes, today termed campaign contributions, quickly and effectively buying the votes of Congressmen.
Thanks to Citizens United and its devastating effects on our entire political system we clearly see from this case the results of pouring money into the pockets of Congressmen. Of course the railroads have been doing this for over 150 years now, but we see again that money talks, especially big corporate money.
How much is your Congressman influenced by your letters or logical arguments? Poor Amtrak: no one in Congress cares too much about a passenger railroad with a large pool of advocates but no massive lobbying arm or hands full of bribes.
In the end we get the government we deserve. PTC is a relatively new development but bribes are as old as the hills.
While there certainly are political undertones to this whole to-do, the bottom line is that is has been well documented that, through no fault of their own, the railroads were not going to be able to meet the deadline.
Until someone comes up with proof that all the parts and pieces for PTC are indeed available and/or in place and that the railroads really are dragging their feet, I'm sticking with the surmise that the mandate was unattainable, and that the extension was necessary.
It's still a mandate - but some reality has been added to the mix.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Somehow, I knew all along that if we discussed it long enough, the problem would be solved.
_____________
"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
tree68 While there certainly are political undertones to this whole to-do, the bottom line is that is has been well documented that, through no fault of their own, the railroads were not going to be able to meet the deadline. Until someone comes up with proof that all the parts and pieces for PTC are indeed available and/or in place and that the railroads really are dragging their feet, I'm sticking with the surmise that the mandate was unattainable, and that the extension was necessary. It's still a mandate - but some reality has been added to the mix.
Why is it so difficult for you to grasp the concept of something taking longer than congress thought it would? When they set the deadline, they had no conception of the difficulty of bringing the technology up to speed, securing the necessary permits, land and frequency aquisition, yada, yada, yada.
You appear to think that when congress said jump the railroads should have had the work completed the next day. The reality is that it wasn't going to happen the way congress wanted.
Norm
Why can't the railroads just not carry inhalation hazardous materials and keep running? Yes, they are vital to the economy, but so are the rest of the goods that the railroads carry. Inhalation hazardous materials are only a very small part of the traffic carried by the railroads.
caldreamer Why can't the railroads just not carry inhalation hazardous materials and keep running? Yes, they are vital to the economy, but so are the rest of the goods that the railroads carry. Inhalation hazardous materials are only a very small part of the traffic carried by the railroads.
And people are a equally small part of their traffic.
Norm48327 Why is it so difficult for you to grasp the concept of something taking longer than congress thought it would? When they set the deadline, they had no conception of the difficulty of bringing the technology up to speed, securing the necessary permits, land and frequency aquisition, yada, yada, yada. You appear to think that when congress said jump the railroads should have had the work completed the next day. The reality is that it wasn't going to happen the way congress wanted.
What the carriers were doing while they were doing nothing.
Industry 2009 03-Mar 220 MHz Radio specifications were delivered. Industry 2009 05-May BNSF attempts to remove itself from the MeteorComm 220 MHz agreement and utilize its 44 MHz legacy radio system, making their system non-interoperable. Industry 2009 07-Jul Open dialogue about PTC requirements begin between Class 1’s and commuter agencies in Ft. Worth, Texas. Industry 2009 08-Aug MeteorComm (MCC) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed by CSX, NS, BNSF, and still waiting on word from UP. Industry 2009 12-Dec MeteorComm and PTC 220 LLC agreements are signed. Industry 2009 12-Dec Wabtec Statements of Work (SOW) for the Onboard and Back Office software development were signed. Industry 2010 02-Feb Submitted preliminary version of PTC Development Plan (DP) informally to FRA for comment. Comments were received and CSX/NS/UP prepared a joint response. Industry 2010 04-Apr The four major Class I railroads closed on purchase of MeteorComm, the PTC radio design firm originally owned by BNSF. Industry 2010 04-Apr The roads formed PTC 220 LLC which will hold 220 MHz Spectrum used to facilitate communication between locomotives and waysides. Industry 2010 04-Apr MeteorComm negotiations with Red Hat to develop Interoperable Communications protocol completed. Industry 2010 04-Apr CSX meets with the GAO to review challenges of meeting the 2015 PTC deadline. Industry 2010 06-Jun MeteorComm provides briefing that prototype radios and messaging software will be delivered to the Class Is for testing in Junee, 2011. Industry 2010 10-Oct CSX, NS& UP meet with Wabtec to finalize written specification for Back Office Server (BOS). Industry 2010 12-Dec CSX, NS& UP conditionally approve Wabtec specifications for PTC Onboard and Back Office Software and development begins. Industry 2010 12-Dec TTCI presents results of research on PTC enforcement braking algorithms for freight trains to FRA. Industry 2011 03-Mar Wabtec delivers Onboard 6.0 software release. Industry 2011 04-Apr Wabtec delivers Onboard 6.1.1 software release. Industry 2011 05-May Mineral Springs Accident (Train to Train collision). Industry 2011 06-Jun BNSF received System Certification and Type Approval for their non-vital PTC solution. Industry 2011 06-Jun Deal for CN, CP and KCS to buy into PTC 220 is still in progress. Industry 2011 07-Jul Wabtec delivers BOS v3.1. Industry 2011 08-Aug Wabtec delivers onboard software v6.2. Industry 2011 10-Oct Meteorcomm released version 1.0 of its PTC Communication System software. Industry 2011 12-Dec CSX takes the lead in beginning to develop the PTC Industry status whitepaper. Industry 2011 12-Dec CSX observes formal testing of 220MHZ radio network on BNSF. Industry 2011 12-Dec Wabtec delivers Onboard software v6.3. Industry 2011 12-Dec MeteorComm (MCC) successfully executed major agreement with BenchMarchk Electronics to manufacture PTC 220 MHz radios. Industry 2012 01-Jan AAR continues to refine draft of PTC Status Paper with input from roads. Industry 2012 01-Jan CSX investigating collisions on Garrett Subdivision for PTC preventability. Rear-end protection is not currently part of PTC system’s functionality, but some level of protection is afforded through enforcement of restricted speed if certain intermediate signal aspects are present. Industry 2012 01-Jan Wabtec delivers Onboard Software v6.3.4. Industry 2012 01-Jan AAR completes first industry-wide PTC Status Paper and delivers it to FRA. Industry 2012 01-Jan ARINC provided PTC Staff with a PTC Test Program Status update consisting of 2011 results and lessons learned; 2012 goals and objectives. Industry 2012 03-Mar MeteorComm (MCC) makes first delivery of 22 pre-production locomotive radios. Industry 2012 04-Apr PTC-220 LLC agree to launch Chicago spectrum acquisition discussions with National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC), owners of several nationwide 220 MHz licenses. Industry 2012 07-Jul Rear end collision involving two CSX trains, Q135-10 and Q277-11, near Akron, OH occurred on tracks currently within the PTC footprint. The PTC Operations Team believes that PTC would have enforced the stop signal and prevented collision. Industry 2012 08-Aug PTC 220 LLC executed a Spectrum Lease Agreement with Metrolink. Industry 2013 01-Jan BNSF in Revenue Service Demonstration on San Bernardino subdivision. Industry 2013 03-Mar UP PTC-equipped locomotive experiences unintended brake applications. Industry 2013 04-Apr PTC World Congress in Orlando. Industry 2013 05-May BNSF advises the braking algorithm will not work on Cajon Pass. Industry 2013 05-May UP-BNSF train collision in Rockview, MO; this was PTC preventable. Industry 2013 07-Jul MeteorComm ships 10,000th 220 MHz radio. Industry 2013 07-Jul Lac-Mégantic derailment kills 47; this was not PTC preventable, but will begin a public dialog about rail safety that will hinder extension discussions. Industry 2013 09-Sep MeteorComm delivers ITCM 1.4. Industry 2013 09-Sep PTC-220 completes Chicago Spectrum purchase. Industry 2013 10-Oct AAR PTC Conference in St Louis. Industry 2013 10-Oct Wabtec announces delays to Back Office releases. Industry 2013 12-Dec Metro North over-speed derailment at Spuyten Duyvil. Industry 2013 12-Dec BNSF transitions RSD from ETMS VII to I-ETMS. Industry 2014 01-Jan Two Union Pacific trains were involved in a rear-end collision in Utah. Industry 2014 02-Feb FRA granted approval for BNSF to commence Revenue Service Demonstration using I-ETMS on mountain grades not exceeding 2.8%. Industry 2014 02-Feb Wabtec released BOS Version 3.2.1.9. Industry 2014 02-Feb Metrolink rolls out PTC on line through LA. Industry 2014 05-May BOS 3.2.11 was released by Wabtec. Industry 2014 05-May OB 6.3.8.23 was released by Wabtec. Industry 2014 07-Jul Wabtec released OB 6.3.8.24. Industry 2014 08-Aug OB version 6.3.9.0 was delivered. Industry 2014 08-Aug UP head on collision in Hoxie, Arkansas (PTC-preventable). Industry 2014 08-Aug BNSF in RSD on 18 subdivisions. Industry 2014 08-Aug NS in FQT on Charleston subdivision. Industry 2014 08-Aug UP in FQT on Santa Barbara subdivision. Industry 2014 08-Aug Wabtec delivers BOS 3.2.1.4. Industry 2014 09-Sep NS releases pro extension video "Positve Train Control - What It Really Takes". Industry 2014 09-Sep BNSF's proposed agreement that reduced crew size on PTC trains fails to gain labor support. Industry 2014 09-Sep Wabtec releases BOS 3.4.1.3 to address critcal defects in 3.4.1.2. Industry 2014 10-Oct Wabtec advises of a safety critical error encountered during onboard testing on UP. Industry 2014 10-Oct Wabtec releases BOS 3.4.2.1. Industry 2014 10-Oct BNSF reduces RSD subdivisions to four following Wabtec safety crtical defect. Industry 2014 10-Oct Audit of Siemens testing processes reveals no issues or gaps. Industry 2014 10-Oct PTC Policy Committee tackles interoperability and sustainability of PTC. Industry 2014 10-Oct Wabtec delivers BOS 3.4.2.2 correcting defects. Industry 2014 10-Oct Union Pacific reports second onbard safety critical defect. Industry 2014 11-Nov PTC 220 launches North East Corridor radio noise study.
Have yet to find the 'milepost' events that have happened during 2015.
caldreamerWhy can't the railroads just not carry inhalation hazardous materials and keep running?
Does your drinking water come from a municipal system? No chlorine (TIH), no water... Or at least a long running "boil water" advisory.
Thanks, Balt, for that list. I do not doubt that further progress was made this year--and much more needs to be done yet before there can be a uniform system across the country. I am not astounded at the number of reworks that were necessary.
I was really astounded by the accusations that the railroads had done nothing in the time since Congress decreed that the system must be in place by the end of this year. I wonder: did anyone expect that after each item was produced the feat would be proclaimed in the public press?
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