Passenger Trains > Amtrak Crescent & PTC Operations

What I know is that the main lines at Inman Yard, north to Austell, on to Chattanooga and the Alabama East End have PTC in operation. How do I know?
The daily radio chatter from the PTC desk to trains to the west and north of NS Inman Yard. Don't hear the "RED FENCE" issues as much anymore as I believe
NS crews have learned how to handle that problem. Many issues easily resolved with the PTC desk. Occasional software updates. Do hear at least once a day
"there's a problem with that unit, turn off the breakers in the nose and run without PTC today"

Now what I haven't heard at all is PTC and Amtrak radio chatter. So it appears that perhaps they (Amtrak) aren't even using it???
Are their units even equipped with PTC??? Doesn't appear so.

Anyone with any first hand knowledge???
Thanks

Phil Maton
Villa Rica, GA

NSSpike Wrote:
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> What I know is that the main lines at Inman Yard,
> north to Austell, on to Chattanooga and the
> Alabama East End have PTC in operation. How do I
> know?
> The daily radio chatter from the PTC desk to
> trains to the west and north of NS Inman Yard.
> Don't hear the "RED FENCE" issues as much anymore
> as I believe
> NS crews have learned how to handle that problem.
> Many issues easily resolved with the PTC desk.
> Occasional software updates. Do hear at least once
> a day
> "there's a problem with that unit, turn off the
> breakers in the nose and run without PTC today"
>
> Now what I haven't heard at all is PTC and Amtrak
> radio chatter. So it appears that perhaps they
> (Amtrak) aren't even using it???
> Are their units even equipped with PTC??? Doesn't
> appear so.
>
> Anyone with any first hand knowledge???
> Thanks

Amtrak is waiting on installation so compatibility kinks can be worked out. They don't have the option of running host railroad leaders.

The equipment is installed, but as the poster above said, it’s all on the host railroads ironing out the kinks.

Why not? BNSF and UP units pinch hit in the Northwest and on the Empire Builder from time to time. Seems like a good idea, sure freight engines are limited to 70 but oh well. 9mph is a small price as a stopgap.

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In eastern North Carolina near Selma and Raleigh, both CSX and NS freights have been testing PTC for quite awhile, per radio chatter. This would include the CSX A-Line (former ACL mainline Richmond to Jacksonville) and the NS H-line from Selma to Raleigh and Greensboro. Both lines host a lot of Amtrak trains. I have never heard an Amtrak train mention PTC.

To my knowledge, NS hasn't yet embarked on any interoperability testing. Interoperability testing would be using other than NS PTC equipped freight engines & Amtrak engines. For now, Amtrak & NS trains it's a foreign line leader simply operate without PTC. I haven't heard of any timeline when they may start trying interoperability testing on any of their PTC lines.