Western Railroad Discussion > UP PTC Questions - Canyon Sub/Feather River

Did UP meet the Jan 1 deadline for installation of PTC on the Canyon Sub along the Feather River?  If they didn't, has BNSF stopped running oil trains via this route?  I'm assuming UP will eventually install PTC on the route, or is that incorrect?

Thanks for any info!

AFAIK, UP has no plans to install PTC on the Canyon Sub. BNSF trains are still running but can no longer contain any toxic/poisonous inhalation hazard loads. Those simply have to be moved via a different route.

trainjunkie Wrote:
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> AFAIK, UP has no plans to install PTC on the
> Canyon Sub. BNSF trains are still running but can
> no longer contain any toxic/poisonous inhalation
> hazard loads. Those simply have to be moved via a
> different route

Are you positive about this?

How about W/B UP unit ethanol trains? Those have been going via the FRC for a couple years now. I haven't seen them on donner yet

This would also mean the MNPRV's could not have Hazmat loads as well. 

I did not say all hazmat. I specifically mentioned TIH & PIH, which are Class 6 hazardous materials.

Thanks TJ - does this mean BNSF can no longer run oil trains via the Gateway Sub to CA?  Are those trains being routed to the Transcon and then to the refiners in CA?

I have not seen an oil train routed that way for awhile but crude oil is not TIH or PIH hazardous material, thus not restricted at this time.
 

Ethanol and crude oil are two commodities that are excluded from the PTC requirement.

You can also haul a certain amount of that Class 6 toxic inhalation hazmat over a particuar line segment before the PTC requirement kicks in, so if an industry gets a few dozen cars of the stuff a year it doesn't require the railroad to chase that customer away and put that crap on the highway.

NZ.

NebraskaZephyr Wrote:
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> You can also haul a certain amount of that Class 6
> toxic inhalation hazmat over a particuar line
> segment before the PTC requirement kicks in, so if
> an industry gets a few dozen cars of the stuff a
> year it doesn't require the railroad to chase that
> customer away and put that crap on the highway.

For whatever reason, UP has decided to not utilize this exemption. This is the GO with the rule, which took effect December 31, 2018 for ALL trains on the Canyon Sub (UP and BNSF).

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They have retained the ability to use the exemption simply by issuing a track bulletin.  BSB

TIH/PIH are Class 2 gases such as Anhydrous Ammonia or Chlorine and not class 6 which are liquid materials but can be TIH/PIH.