FRA 19-20 

December 29, 2020 

Contact: FRA Public Affairs

Tel.: (202) 493-6024 

FRAPA@DOT.gov

Federal Railroad Administration Announces 

Landmark Achievement with Full Implementation of Positive Train Control

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) 

announced today that positive train control (PTC) technology is in operation on all 57,536 required 

freight and passenger railroad route miles, prior to the statutory deadline of December 31, 2020, set by 

Congress. In addition, as required, FRA has certified that each host railroad’s PTC system complies 

with the technical requirements for PTC systems. Furthermore, railroads have reported that 

interoperability has been achieved between each applicable host and tenant railroad that operates on 

PTC-governed main lines. 

“Achieving 100 percent PTC implementation is a tremendous accomplishment and reflects the 

Department’s top priorities – safety, innovation, and infrastructure,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary 

Elaine L. Chao. 

PTC systems are designed to prevent train-to-train collisions, over-speed derailments, incursions into 

established work zones, and movements of trains through switches left in the wrong position. Today’s 

announcement is the culmination of over a decade of sustained and direct engagement and collaboration 

among FRA and the 41 railroads subject to the statutory mandate, including seven Class I railroads, 

Amtrak, 28 commuter railroads, and 5 other freight railroads that host regularly scheduled intercity or 

commuter rail passenger service. This accomplishment encompasses thousands of hours of testing and 

deployment, innovative technological solutions, and a tremendous amount of coordination among nearly 

100 host and tenant railroads, railroad associations, material suppliers, and service providers. 

“On behalf of extraordinary professionals at FRA and myself, I congratulate the railroads, particularly 

their frontline workers, as well as PTC system suppliers and vendors on this transformative 

accomplishment,” said FRA Administrator Ronald L. Batory. “Furthermore, many industry 

associations, including the Association of American Railroads, American Short Line and Regional 

U.S Department of Transportation

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Railroad Association, American Public Transportation Association, Commuter Rail Coalition, National 

Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association, Railway Supply Institute, and Railway Systems 

Suppliers, have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to supporting this unprecedented 

undertaking.” 

Under the leadership of Secretary Chao and Administrator Batory, key FRA personnel commenced a 

series of highly focused and inclusive consultations intended to enable, facilitate, and expedite railroads’

full implementation of this mandated technology (see: PTC-related Outreach and Communication with 

the Industry). FRA’s PTC experts across the country maintained continuous communication with 

railroads to provide technical assistance throughout the testing process. 

Batory added: “PTC is a critical piece and new dimension of safety in the railroad industry, but it does 

not take the place of the men and women who operate and maintain freight and passenger trains. At its 

core, PTC is a risk reduction system that will make a safe industry even safer, and provide a solid 

foundation upon which additional safety improvements will be realized.” 

The Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (RSIA) mandated the implementation of PTC systems on 

Class I railroads’ main lines over which five million or more gross tons of annual traffic and certain 

hazardous materials are transported, and on any main lines over which intercity or commuter rail 

passenger transportation is regularly provided. RSIA and FRA’s implementing regulations also require

PTC systems to be interoperable, meaning that the locomotives of host and tenant railroads operating on 

the same main line must communicate with and respond to the PTC system, including during 

uninterrupted movements over property boundaries. 

Finally, the Department of Transportation has supported full and timely implementation of PTC 

technology by providing approximately $3.4 billion in grant and loan funding to support railroads and 

other entities that sought Federal financial assistance for that purpose. For additional information, 

please visit https://www.fra.dot.gov/ptc. To view related FRA correspondence with affected railroads, 

visit railroads’ PTC dockets available at https://railroads.dot.gov/train-control/ptc/ptc-annual-andquarterly-reports. 

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