OMAHA, Neb., Aug. 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Union Pacific
continues to make significant progress implementing positive train
control (PTC). The company will meet all required deadlines for
installing PTC on its network. As allowed by federal law, Union
Pacific will continue to implement, test and refine the complex
suite of technologies comprising the system in 2019-20.
Union Pacific's PTC footprint is the largest of all North
American railroads, encompassing more than 17,000 route miles,
roughly one-third of all U.S. PTC miles and 45 percent more
required miles than the next largest railroad. Union Pacific is in
regular contact with the Federal Railroad Administration officials
regarding its PTC progress.
Installing and implementing PTC across the U.S. rail network is
costly and complex. One of the most challenging parts of PTC
implementation is ensuring system interoperability among all U.S.
rail lines and locomotives. Given the various readiness levels of
North American freight and passenger railroads, including publicly
funded commuter lines and short lines, it is important that all
railroads continue working together to maintain the health, safety,
resiliency, and fluidity of the rail network during PTC
implementation.
Between April 1, 2018, and
August 17, 2018, Union Pacific's
accomplishments included:
- Preparing additional track segments for PTC operations,
bringing the total number of track segments to 180, or 99 percent
complete. These track segments are equipped with wayside devices
such as signals, switches and radios and have defined GPS
coordinates, which identify thousands of precise locations for
system wide PTC coordination.
- Educating more than 25,690 additional employees on PTC
operations, or 97 percent. Training materials are tailored to a
variety of employee roles, including engineer, conductor,
dispatcher, maintenance of way/engineering, mechanical, signal,
telecom and information technologies.
- Increasing by approximately 1,020 the number of installed
PTC route miles, bringing the total number of route miles in
PTC operations to 11,920, or 70 percent.
ABOUT UNION PACIFIC
Union Pacific Railroad is the principal operating company of
Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP). One of America's most
recognized companies, Union Pacific Railroad connects 23 states in
the western two-thirds of the country by rail, providing a critical
link in the global supply chain. In the last 10 years, 2008-2017,
Union Pacific invested approximately $34
billion in its network and operations to support America's
transportation infrastructure. The railroad's diversified business
mix is classified into its Agricultural Products, Energy, and
Industrial and Premium business groups. Union Pacific serves many
of the fastest-growing U.S. population centers, operates from all
major West Coast and Gulf Coast ports to eastern gateways, connects
with Canada's rail systems and is
the only railroad serving all six major Mexico gateways. Union Pacific provides value
to its roughly 10,000 customers by delivering products in a safe,
reliable, fuel-efficient and environmentally responsible
manner.
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SOURCE Union Pacific