AMTRAK AND CSX PARTNER ON POSITIVE TRAIN CONTROL INSTALLATION TO IMPROVE SAFETY FOR THE AMTRAK DOWNEASTER

Amtrak and CSX, in partnership with the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA), will install Positive Train Control (PTC), the technology capable of automatically controlling train speeds and movements, on more than 100 miles of track between Haverhill, Mass. and Brunswick, Maine. Scheduled to be completed in Spring 2026, PTC will support the Amtrak Downeaster service and freight trains traveling on this route.

This project will add signals, wayside units, and other safety enhancements to the track – all of which will be tied into CSX’s existing PTC system. The Design Phase was completed in March 2023, and the construction agreement between Amtrak and CSX was fully executed in November 2023. Amtrak is also funding the renewal of the entire signal system for this stretch of track, which is over 70 years old in some locations. The new signal system will provide greater reliability for passenger and freight trains.

PTC systems that meet the standards set by the Federal Railroad Administration’s regulations are required to automatically prevent train-to-train collisions, over-speed derailments, incursion into an established work zone; and movement through a main line switch in the improper position.