186-661: The Caltrain Modernization Program ( CalMod ), sometimes referred to as the Caltrain Electrification Project , was a $ 2.44 billion project which added a positive train control (PTC) system and electrified the main line of the U.S. commuter railroad Caltrain , which serves cities in the San Francisco Peninsula and Silicon Valley . The electrification included installation of a 25 kV catenary system over
372-638: A Metro-North derailment in the Bronx killed four people and injured 61. This crash was caused by excess speed, something PTC is capable of guarding against. In 2015, an Amtrak derailment in Philadelphia killed eight and injured 185. In this incident, the train accelerated beyond safe speed due to actions of a distracted engineer of the Amtrak train. According to the NTSB, this crash could have been prevented by
558-578: A combined cycle gas turbine plant. The CPUC said the emissions standard is a vital step in addressing global warming . On February 8, 2008, CPUC President Michael Peevey issued a proposed decision on the implementation of California's greenhouse gas emissions legislation, AB 32 . The decision recommends a cap and trade program for the electricity sector in California that would impose regulations on owners and operators of generation in California and out-of-state generators delivering electricity to
744-802: A worst-case scenario , further decreasing performance. In its 2009 regulatory filing, the FRA stated that PTC was in fact likely to decrease the capacity of freight railroads on many main lines. The European LOCOPROL/LOCOLOC project had shown that EGNOS -enhanced satellite navigation alone was unable to meet the SIL4 safety integrity required for train signaling. From a purely technical standpoint, PTC will not prevent certain low-speed collisions caused by permissive block operation , accidents caused by "shoving" (reversing with inadequate observation), derailments caused by track or train defect, grade crossing collisions, or collisions with previously derailed trains. Where PTC
930-544: A "blended" plan to partially fund electrification with high-speed rail money in return for allowing high-speed rail trains to share tracks in the future. Later, Caltrain announced that it had studied the plan and believed it to be feasible. Under a proposed agreement between Caltrain and the CHSRA, details of which were leaked in February 2012, up to $ 1 billion could be available from the high-speed rail project to help fund
1116-519: A PTC implementation is to use wireless components at all). If wireless data transmission is necessary, there are a few advantages to the 220 MHz spectrum, provided it can be acquired at a reasonable cost. The first reason to consider using 220 MHz spectrum is PTC interoperability for freights and for some, but not all, commuter rail operations. Freight operations in the US often include the sharing of railroad tracks where one railroad's rail vehicles operate as
1302-578: A PTC management system along the tracks. PTC is designed to fulfill federal safety mandates for passenger rail and is part of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) waiver to use EMUs on tracks shared with freight traffic. Funding for the project came from various federal, state, and local sources, including from the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA). Proposals for electrifying
1488-434: A PTC system that would have enforced the 50 mile per hour (80 km/h) speed limit and prevented the overspeed and subsequent crash of the train. In 2017, another Amtrak derailment near Dupont, Washington killed three and injured 62. The engineer mistook the train's current location, and therefore was not following proper restrictions for the length of track the train was in, failing to notice signage that should have indicated
1674-508: A bill extending the compliance deadline by three years, to December 31, 2018. President Barack Obama signed the bill on October 29, 2015. Only four railroads met the December 2018 deadline; the other 37 got extensions to December 2020, which was allowed under the law for railroads that demonstrated implementation progress. On December 29, 2020, it was reported that the safeguards had been installed on all required railroads, two days ahead of
1860-537: A budget crisis in 2011 that nearly forced it to cut service to peak commute hours only, while funding sources for electrification remained unidentified. At the same time, the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) was having trouble identifying a route from San Jose to San Francisco in the face of local opposition. In response, U.S. Representative Anna Eshoo , State Senator Joe Simitian , and Assemblymember Rich Gordon announced
2046-514: A call is being recorded is the presence of a recorder warning tone: a 1,440 Hz tone repeating every fifteen seconds. In the 1960s, radio stations with call-in programs used to employ a recorder warning tone. The law now exempts lines used for call-in to broadcasts or cablecasts since it is presumed a caller to a telecast is aware their call is subject to being transmitted or recorded and intends for this to happen. The order requires that telephone utilities disconnect telephone service for violating
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#17327810692442232-424: A challenge. It remains to be seen whether the performance envelope of PTC protocols developed and optimized for less numerous, slower and/or larger trains can support a more complex operational scenario, such as that of a commuter rail operation, without impacting on-time performance. Detailed and exhaustive protocol simulation testing can ease the risk of problems, however, there are too many variables, especially when
2418-400: A common PTC system through an interface device (similar to a network gateway or protocol converter) at each wayside location. One radio talks to freight trains using I-ETMS and one radio talks to passenger trains using ITCS. In this case interoperability stops at the wayside and does not include the wireless segment out to the rail vehicles or the onboard systems. In the third example, similar to
2604-527: A commuter rail operation running from Union City to San Francisco and San Jose using EMUs. In 2003, The San Francisco County Transit Authority proposed Proposition K in San Francisco, a local transportation sales tax. Voters were given an expenditure plan estimating the total cost of Caltrain electrification as $ 183.5 Million with San Francisco's share costing $ 20.5M, met with Proposition K, which passed. Despite increasing ridership, Caltrain experienced
2790-418: A condition set by the FRA to allow mixed traffic on the corridor. Key decisions in the development of CalMod can be traced back to the 1992 Feasibility Study , which recommended 25 kV AC overhead lines ; the 1998 Rapid Rail Study , which recommended low-cost upgrades to first improve service and build demand; the 2006 Caltrain 2025 proposal, which proposed the use of lightweight electric multiple units;
2976-413: A dollar of state funding going for [high-speed rail], and would never support a dollar of federal funding". Representative Mimi Walters also made a statement that she was not opposed to electrification, but instead held "serious concerns about the use of taxpayer funds for a project that is tied to high speed rail". The 39-member House and Senate Democratic congressional delegation from California wrote
3162-414: A guest on another railroad's host tracks. Implementing PTC in such an environment is most easily achieved by using the same PTC equipment, and this includes radios and the associated radio spectrum. When a commuter railroad operation must operate on a freight railroad territory, the commuter will most likely be required to install PTC equipment (including a radio) on their rail vehicle that is compliant with
3348-740: A higher priority than a future expansion of the system, which included proposals to bring service to Union City across the Dumbarton Rail Bridge as well as increased service to Gilroy and Salinas . Under the latest proposal to revive rail service over the Dumbarton Rail Corridor , diesel multiple units would first be used to establish Dumbarton Rail service as a rail shuttle between a new rail station in Newark and Caltrain's Redwood City station , later extending service from Newark to Union City , and finally followed by
3534-608: A history of being difficult to use for such applications. This difficulty is not unique to train control. Interference, both man-made and natural, can at times affect the operation of any wireless system that relies on one frequency band. When such wireless systems are employed for real-time control networks it is very difficult to ensure that network performance will not sometimes be impacted. CSX encountered this problem when it experienced propagation ducting problems in its 900 MHz Advanced Train Control System (ATCS) network in
3720-517: A job creation and economic engine. This electrification project, I would argue, is monumental with regard to dealing with [increased traffic and environmental impacts] effectively and efficiently." Parsons Transportation Group was awarded a $ 138 million contract in November 2011 to design and install CBOSS by October 2015. Parsons began physical work on CBOSS in September 2013, starting with
3906-467: A lack of availability, difficulties in negotiating complex multi-party deals to gain enough adjacent spectrum, and because the financial cost of the acquisitions may make the task impossible for some state agencies. However, research suggests that dynamic spectrum allocation can solve the spectrum allocation problem at 220 MHz bandwidth. Many of the railroads have requested that the FCC reallocate parts of
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#17327810692444092-426: A large commuter rail operation when a train is broken down at the interlocking and 10–20 other trains are within communications range of a single wayside location. Such a what-if scenario may be tested at a few interlockings but not at the 30 or more interlockings on a large commuter property. A large group of industry experts from the federal government, manufacturers, railroads, and consultants are participating in
4278-563: A limited number of vendors, and they are focused only on 220 MHz . One radio vendor in particular, Meteorcomm LLC, is able to support the I-ETMS PTC protocol with a 220 MHz radio. Meteorcomm is jointly owned by several of the Class I freights, and some in the industry have indicated that using their 220 MHz radio and associated equipment will be done on a per-site licensing basis. Recurring fees may be associated with this process too. There
4464-435: A more interoperable, robust, reliable, future-proof, and scalable solution for the wireless component of PTC. The railroad industry, like the process industry and the power utility industry, has always demanded that the return on investment for large capital investments associated with infrastructure improvements be fully realized before the asset is decommissioned and replaced. This paradigm will be applied to PTC as well. It
4650-591: A multi frequency-band radio. In addition, in mid-2008, an FRA sponsored effort by the AAR to develop a Higher Performance Data Radio (HPDR) for use at 160 MHz actually resulted in a contract being awarded to Meteorcomm for a 4-band radio to be used for voice and data. These more recent multi-band radio efforts were shelved in late 2008, after the Rail Safety Improvements Act became law, and the freights decided to pursue PTC using 220 MHz alone, in
4836-412: A planned railway tunnel to extend service approximately 1 mi (1.6 km) from its existing northern terminus into the rail station shared with California High-Speed Rail under downtown San Francisco's Salesforce Transit Center , as diesel trains cannot serve underground stations. CalMod electrified 51 miles (82 km) of tracks between 4th and King station and Tamien station and installed
5022-518: A rebuttal letter to Secretary Chao on February 3, noting "a material misstatement of fact" in the Republican delegation's letter, which stated that the grant was being sought by the CHSRA, while in reality it is being sought by Caltrain. The rebuttal letter further delineated the separation between the electrification project and CHSRA and urged Secretary Chao to approve the grant by citing past precedent that only one low-rated project failed to receive
5208-593: A reliance on wireless communications is being touted as a benefit. The wireless method has proven most successful on low density, unsignaled dark territory normally controlled via track warrants , where speeds are already low and interruptions in the wireless connection to the train do not tend to compromise safety or train operations. Some systems, like Amtrak's ACSES, operate with a hybrid technology that uses wireless links to update temporary speed restrictions or pass certain signals, with neither of these systems being critical for train operations. The equipment on board
5394-429: A second set of onboard equipment so they can operate PTC on their own property while also operating PTC on a freight's property. If a multi-band radio (such as the current generation software-defined radios ) is not available, then separate radios and separate antennas will be necessary. With the complexity of track geometries, PTC requires a variable amount of the spectrum in a time critical manner. One way to achieve this
5580-655: A signature from the Secretary of Transportation over the prior twenty-year history of the Core Capacity program. The Democratic letter went on to note the infrastructure benefits of the project and the creation of 9,600 jobs, including 550 jobs at a new Stadler USA plant in Salt Lake City. In the end, Secretary Chao heeded the Republican letter's arguments, and deferred the grant in a letter written by FTA Executive Director Matthew Welbes to Caltrain which stated
5766-557: A significant fraction of accidents were attributable to human error, as evidenced in several years of official reports from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). In September 2008, Congress considered a new law that set a deadline of December 15, 2015 for implementation of PTC technology across most of the US rail network. The bill, ushered through the legislative process by the Senate Commerce Committee and
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5952-513: A significant portion of which are nearing the end of their lives. Additionally, electric trainsets are quieter and produce less air pollution than diesel locomotives, and the use of electric trains will lower Caltrain's fuel costs while increasing passenger revenue, due to an expected increase in ridership. Once complete, Caltrain expects to annually reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 176,000 metric tons and increase daily ridership by 21% by 2040. Restoring daily service to Atherton and Broadway stations
6138-520: A single frequency-band configuration. Amtrak and most commuter operations quickly followed suit, selecting 220 MHz . Soon after the Rail Safety Improvements Act was passed, many commuter railroads chose not to develop their own PTC protocol and instead decided to save time and money by using a protocol developed for either freight or long haul passenger (Amtrak) operations. Deploying such a protocol for urban commuter operation, where it will be necessary to support numerous, small, fast-moving trains, will be
6324-525: A small freight or commuter railroad only operates on their own territory and hosts other guest railroads (freight or other passenger rail), there is still no interoperability-based reason the host is obliged to use 220 MHz spectrum to implement PTC. Such a railroad could implement PTC by freely picking any radio spectrum and requiring the guest railroads to either install compliant PTC equipment (including radios) on board their trains or provide wayside equipment for their guest PTC implementation to be installed on
6510-468: A southbound train collided with work equipment at milepost 11.6 in San Bruno on Thursday, March 10. The train came to rest near San Felipe Avenue, and spilled fuel caused a fire, which damaged the tracks, locomotive, and passenger car. The work crew had contacted the train dispatcher at 9:50 a.m. (local) to establish exclusive occupancy on track 2 for the three hi-rail work vehicles, then released
6696-497: A statement in support of the bill. President George W. Bush signed the 315-page Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 into law on October 16, 2008. Among its provisions, the law provides funding to help pay for the development of PTC technology, limits the number of hours freight rail crews can work each month, and requires the Department of Transportation to determine work hour limits for passenger train crews. To implement
6882-465: A study group sponsored by the IEEE 802.15 working group, to look at using lessons learned in protocol development in the IEEE 802 suite to propose a comprehensive solution to the wireless component of PTC. While this effort may not significantly change the current United States PTC efforts already underway, an open standard could possibly provide a way forward for all of the railroads to eventually deploy
7068-629: A switching station approximately halfway along the line, and seven paralleling stations). Land totaling 290,000 sq ft (6.7 acres; 2.7 ha) was acquired from private property owners along the Peninsula Corridor in order to set up safety buffer zones between the overhead contact system and public property; PCJPB authorized eminent domain proceedings in July 2017 in case negotiations broke down. Barriers were installed where road and pedestrian bridges cross over tracks to prevent damage to
7254-436: A temporary restraining order to halt those contracts, preferring to let the suit proceed to a hearing. In September 2016, Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge Barry Goode sided with Caltrain, ruling that the electrification project did not hinge on the high-speed rail project's success, and was thus independent from the latter. Indeed, at bottom [California High-Speed Rail] is providing funds to Caltrain while hoping that
7440-651: A third. After funding was received from the California State Transportation Agency's Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program, Caltrain's board unanimously approved the purchase of additional cars from Stadler to increase the fleet from 16 six-car sets to 19 seven-car sets. Balfour Beatty reported in 2019 the completion of construction could be delayed to April 2022 in a report to the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA);
7626-727: A utility whose gas line exploded in San Bruno killing eight people in 2010. His home in the Los Angeles suburb of La Cañada Flintridge was searched by criminal investigators in January 2015. In 2020, external auditors from Sjoberg Evanshenk Consulting delivered a series of reports commissioned by the CPUC for roughly $ 250,000. These reports reaffirmed continued weak budgeting practices and further discovered that approximately $ 200 million due from utility companies, including $ 50 million past due since 2017, with portions dating back as far as
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7812-506: A week later, seeking $ 98 million in damages; although the system has been mostly installed, testing is still incomplete. The plan to complete the installation of positive train control (PTC) was presented to PCJPB in early 2018. At the March 1, 2018 meeting, the PCJPB awarded the $ 49.5 million contract to complete PTC to Wabtec . The switch to Wabtec implements I-ETMS technology, which
7998-499: A wireless data network. This is often considered to be a form of Communications Based Train Control and is not a necessary part of PTC. The train may be able to detect the status of (and sometimes control) wayside devices, for example switch positions. This information is sent to the control center to further define the train's safe movements. Text messages and alarm conditions may also be automatically and manually exchanged between
8184-443: Is 230 feet (70 m) between poles. A total of ten electrical stations were built: two traction power substations, one switching station, and seven paralleling stations. Each traction power substation (TPS) has a footprint of 150 by 200 feet (46 by 61 m) and contains two 60 MVA transformers to step down supply power (at 115 kV AC) to the 2×25 kV AC required for the messenger/contact and feeder lines. The switching station (SWS)
8370-736: Is a priority because we need an improved rail system that will help reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and serve our growing ridership. Not only will the electrification project reduce diesel emissions in this corridor by 96 percent by 2040, but it will also allow Caltrain to provide additional service to more stations, increasing ridership and providing faster service in Silicon Valley from San Francisco to San Jose. —Jim Hartnett, Caltrain Executive Director The Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project (PCEP) electrified
8556-535: Is able to support the Amtrak ACSES protocol with a 220 MHz radio. It should be stressed that the main concern among the freights regarding the PTC deadline is the availability of PTC equipment. With an eye to anti-trust issues and ready radio availability, Meteorcomm radio designs have been second-sourced to CalAmp radios. This all may mean that there is not enough 220 MHz PTC radio equipment available for all of
8742-507: Is also designed to work with the Wabtec TMDS dispatching system to provide train control and dispatching operations from Anchorage. Data between locomotive and dispatcher is transmitted over a digital radio system provided by Meteor Communications Corp (Meteorcomm). An onboard computer alerts workers to approaching restrictions and to stop the train if needed. Alstom 's and PHW's Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement System (ACSES) system
8928-681: Is backwards compatible to existing systems and that perhaps improves PTC system performance and also includes improvements that save on operational costs, then a railroad would be prudent to consider a plan for replacing their PTC radios. Wabtec is working with the Alaska Railroad to develop a collision-avoidance, Vital PTC system, for use on their locomotives. The system is designed to prevent train-to-train collisions, enforce speed limits, and protect roadway workers and equipment. Wabtec's Electronic Train Management System, (ETMS)
9114-481: Is further concern that the 'buy in' and licensing fees will be significant, and this has led some to speculate that the owners of Meteorcomm (the freights) may have legal exposure to anti-trust violations. For many railroads, there is no other practical option to meet the federal mandate than to install PTC at 220 MHz using I-ETMS with the Meteorcomm radios. On the northeast corridor, another radio vendor, GE MDS,
9300-431: Is greater and has less impact on train schedules. In addition, the PTC implementations deployed by commuter operations will be running much closer to the performance envelope than that of either Amtrak or the freights. For commuters in particular there is therefore some concern that implementing PTC with a single frequency band may not be sufficient. The single frequency-band approach to supporting real-time train control has
9486-416: Is highly unlikely that there will be any major upgrades to initial PTC deployments within even the first 10 years. The calculation for return on investment is not a simple one and some railroads may determine, for instance after five years, that an upgrade of certain components of PTC may be justified. An example could be the radio component of PTC. If an open standard creates a less expensive radio product that
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#17327810692449672-463: Is in the form of nationwide licenses and some is not. The consortium plans to make this spectrum available for use by the US freights, but has indicated as recently as 2011 that they are unsure if they have enough spectrum to meet their needs. Several commuter railroads have begun purchasing 220 MHz spectrum in their geographic areas, but there is widespread concern that the acquisition of enough 220 MHz spectrum may be difficult to accomplish because of
9858-540: Is installed in the absence of track circuit blocks, it will not detect broken rails, flooded tracks, or dangerous debris fouling the line. The wireless infrastructure planned for use by all US Class I freights, most small freight railroads, and many commuter railroads is based on data radios operating in a single frequency band near 220 MHz . A consortium created by two freight railroads called PTC 220 LLC has purchased significant spectrum around 220 MHz , from previous licensees for use in deploying PTC. Some of this spectrum
10044-458: Is installed on Amtrak's Michigan line , allowing trains to travel at 110 mph (180 km/h). The 2015 Philadelphia train derailment could have been prevented had positive train control been implemented correctly on the section of track that train was travelling. The overspeed warning/penalty commands were not set up on that particular section of track although it was set up elsewhere. Wabtec 's Electronic Train Management System, (ETMS)
10230-490: Is installed on a segment of the BNSF Railway . It is an overlay technology that augments existing train control methods. ETMS uses GPS for positioning and a digital radio system to monitor train location and speed. It is designed to prevent certain types of accidents, including train collisions. The system includes an in-cab display screen that warns of a problem and then automatically stops the train if appropriate action
10416-454: Is installed on parts of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor between Washington and Boston . ACSES enhances the cab signaling systems provided by PHW Inc. It uses passive transponders to enforce permanent civil speed restrictions. The system is designed to prevent train-to-train collisions (PTS), protection against overspeed and protect work crews with temporary speed restrictions. GE Transportation Systems ' Incremental Train Control System (ITCS)
10602-592: Is located near the Redwood Junction, approximately halfway between the two traction power substations. The SWS includes a phase break to electrically isolate the power supplied from each TPS and two 10 MVA autotransformers , in a footprint of 80 by 160 feet (24 by 49 m). The paralleling stations (PS) each maintain system voltage with one or two 10 MVA autotransformers and have a footprint of 40 by 80 feet (12 by 24 m). PS3 in Burlingame
10788-638: Is no single defined standard for "interoperable PTC systems". Several examples of interoperable systems illustrate this point. First, the UP and BNSF are interoperable across their systems. They are both implementing I-ETMS and will use different radio frequencies in different locations. In the second example, Amtrak is interoperable with Norfolk Southern in Michigan. Amtrak uses ITCS, while Norfolk Southern uses I-ETMS. To interoperate, two 220 MHz radios are installed in each wayside location and they both interface with
10974-560: Is not taken. CSX Transportation is developing a Communications-Based Train Management (CBTM) system to improve the safety of its rail operations. CBTM is the predecessor to ETMS. California Public Utilities Commission The California Public Utilities Commission ( CPUC or PUC ) is a regulatory agency that regulates privately owned public utilities in the state of California , including electric power , telecommunications , natural gas and water companies. In addition,
11160-624: Is overseen by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and provides incentives for solar system installations to customers of the state's three investor-owned utilities (IOUs): Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE) and San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E). The CSI program provides upfront incentives for solar systems installed on existing residential homes, as well as existing and new commercial, industrial, government, non-profit, and agricultural properties within
11346-514: Is planning to be the first US passenger carrier to install the technology on its entire system. After some delays, demonstration PTC in revenue service began in February 2014; the system is expected to be completed in late summer 2015. In the Chicago metropolitan area , the Metra system expected it will not be fully compliant with the PTC mandate until 2019. In October 2015, Congress has passed
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#173278106924411532-494: Is that telephone calls cannot be recorded in California unless all parties to the call know it is being recorded. The order gives specific requirements for lawfully recording telephone calls. Based on the 1983 version, one way to meet the requirements may be to give a verbal warning. This often occurs by the playing of a recording in an automatic call distribution queue: "Your call may be recorded or monitored for quality assurance purposes." Another method allowed to warn all callers
11718-440: Is to extend the PTC software-defined radios, such that it has the intelligence to allocate the spectrum dynamically. Adding the intelligence to the radio also helps to improve the security of the PTC communication medium. If a small freight or commuter railroad does not operate on another railroad territory, then there is no interoperability-based reason that obligates them to use 220 MHz spectrum to implement PTC. In addition, if
11904-522: The 220 MHz spectrum to them. They argue that they must have 220 MHz spectrum to be interoperable with each other. The FCC has stated that there is no reallocation forthcoming, that the railroads are not justified in requesting spectrum reallocation because they have not quantified how much spectrum they need, and that the railroads should seek spectrum in the secondary 220 MHz markets or in other bands. There are no regulatory or technical requirements that demand that 220 MHz be used to implement PTC (if
12090-602: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced its intention to sign the grant and reversed Secretary Chao's deferment. Construction formally began two months later. Stadler KISS units began delivery in March 2022, and system testing started in June 2023. The electrification of the line was completed in April 2024, and testing proceeded through the summer 2024. Caltrain began public revenue service using
12276-593: The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee , was drafted in response to the collision of a Metrolink passenger train and a Union Pacific Railroad freight train at September 12, 2008, in Los Angeles , which resulted in the deaths of 25 and injuries to more than 135 passengers. As the bill neared final passage by Congress, the Association of American Railroads ( AAR ) issued
12462-594: The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power , San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit , and other municipally operated utilities or common carriers are not subject to rate regulation or tariff schedule filing with the CPUC. However, all municipal utilities and carriers in California must follow Public Utilities provisions on holding hearings and obtaining public input before raising rates or changing terms of service, and municipal utility customers have means of appeal of potential disconnections. Additionally,
12648-547: The Northeast Corridor ) and portions of the New Jersey Transit commuter rail system. The 2×25 kV autotransformer electrification system includes a third energized parallel negative feeder wire which helps control electromagnetic field propagation. The feeder wire is electrified at the same voltage and frequency, but is shifted 180° out of phase so the voltage difference between the contact wire and
12834-439: The grade profile . The navigation system can use fixed track beacons or differential GPS stations combined with wheel rotation to accurately determine the train's location on the line within a few feet. While some PTC systems interface directly with the existing signal system, others may maintain a set of vital computer systems at a central location that can keep track of trains and issue movement authorities to them directly via
13020-514: The 1990s. The ATCS protocol, which the AAR had recommended the FCC consider as PTC in 2000 (when AAR sought a nationwide 900 MHz "ribbon" license), can support train control operation at both 900 MHz and 160 MHz . The latter frequency band is only used for ATCS on a few subdivisions and shortlines. More recently, the industry had been moving toward a more robust multi-band radio solution for data applications such as PTC. In 2007, BNSF first won FRA approval for their original ETMS PTC system using
13206-413: The 1990s. In February 2021, OSAE reaffirmed these findings, in response to a whistle blower complaint by former Executive Director, Alice Stebbins. In December 2020, Alice Stebbins was dismissed from the position of executive director after allegedly "violating state personnel rules" and misleading "the public by asserting that as much as $ 200 million was missing from accounts intended to fund programs for
13392-789: The 20 years between 1987 and 2007, there were only two PTC-preventable accidents with major loss of life in the United States (16 deaths in the Chase, Maryland wreck (1987) and 11 in the Silver Spring, Maryland wreck (1996)), and in each case, the causes of the accidents were addressed through changes to operating rules. The cost of implementing PTC on up to 25 commuter rail services in the United States has been estimated at over $ 2 billion and because of these costs, several services are having to cancel or reduce repairs, capital improvements, and service. Other services simply do not have
13578-483: The 2009 FRA waiver, which imposed certain conditions on mixed traffic; and the 2012 memorandum of understanding with CHSRA, which resulted in a "blended" system to use the existing twin-track line as much as possible. The 2012 Blended Operations report concluded a new 8-mile (13 km) quad-track overtake section would allow Caltrain and CHSRA to coexist on the Peninsula Corridor with up to ten trains per peak hour: six Caltrain and four high-speed rail trains. Peak load on
13764-603: The ACSES solution using 220 MHz . Amtrak's early work paid off and meant that they would be traversing commuter properties that installed the same protocol at the same frequency, making them all interoperable. (Actually most of the Northeast Corridor is owned and operated by Amtrak, not the commuter properties, including the tracks from Washington, D.C. to New York Penn Station and the tracks from Philadelphia to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania . The State of Massachusetts owns
13950-646: The Bay Area. By February 2017, the electrification project had secured $ 1.3 billion in state, local, and regional funding, with the remaining funding gap to be closed by a $ 647 million grant from the FTA's Core Capacity program. The grant had undergone a two-year review process starting in November 2015 under the Obama Administration and received a "medium-high" rating from the FTA in August 2016, and
14136-838: The CBOSS project from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). APTA noted that Caltrain was not effectively managing the project schedule and cost because of generally poor communication between Caltrain's project management and Parsons, and Caltrain's project manager did not have the technical experience or authority to resolve technical and contractual issues with Parsons. In February 2017, Caltrain terminated its contract with Parsons for failure to perform on time and budget and announced potential litigation. Parsons filed suit on February 22, saying delays were due to changing client requirements and circumstances beyond their control. Caltrain filed suit
14322-782: The CPUC has jurisdiction over components of the safety operations of government run utilities and common carriers. The CPUC regulates investor-owned electric and gas utilities within the state of California, including Pacific Gas & Electric , Southern California Edison , Southern California Gas and San Diego Gas & Electric . Among its stated goals for energy regulation are to establish service standards and safety rules, authorize utility rate changes, oversee markets to inhibit anti-competitive activity, prosecute unlawful utility marketing and billing activities, govern business relationships between utilities and their affiliates, resolve complaints by customers against utilities, implement energy efficiency and conservation programs and programs for
14508-696: The CPUC participates in California's Zero Net Energy program that helps builders and homeowners select effective home energy upgrades . The CPUC regulates intrastate telecommunications service and also the terms and conditions of service of wireless phone providers (but not entry or rates, which are the responsibility of the Federal Communications Commission .) The CPUC has developed a consumer-oriented communications website. The CPUC also reviews third-party-verification recordings to monitor for telephone slamming . The Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act of 2006 (DIVCA) made
14694-595: The CPUC regulates common carriers , including household goods movers, limousines, rideshare services ( § Transportation network companies ), self-driving cars , and rail crossing safety. The CPUC has headquarters in the Civic Center district of San Francisco , and field offices in Los Angeles and Sacramento . On April 1, 1878, the California Office of the Commissioner of Transportation
14880-641: The CPUC responsible for video (what were formerly known as cable TV ) franchises. The DIVCA granted the CPUC limited authority to regulate video service providers via a statewide franchise scheme. The CPUC is responsible for licensing video service providers, and enforcing certain anti discrimination and build out requirements imposed by the Act. Local franchise authorities will continue to regulate rights of way used by video providers, handle consumer complaints, and requirements as to public, educational, and government access (PEG) channels. Previously, licensing of franchises
15066-539: The CPUC then worked with parties to issue a proposed decision on SB 1's impacts to the California Solar Initiative program for public comment; this decision was approved by Commissioners on December 14, 2006. The program launched on January 1, 2007. The CSI Program was designed to be responsive to economies of scale in the California solar market – as the solar market grows, it was expected solar system costs would drop and incentives offered through
15252-519: The CalMod project, including the positive train control system (dubbed "CBOSS"), electrification of the infrastructure, and elimination of some grade crossings. Under the agreement, the Peninsula Corridor would become eligible for high-speed rail money because the planned routing to San Francisco would use the same lines. This was one of two investments in "bookend" electrification projects, which were intended to upgrade existing passenger rail services near
15438-664: The California Legislature passed the Railroad Commission Act reorganizing the Railroad Commission. On March 24, 1911, the California Legislature proposed a constitutional amendment giving it constitutional status, which was ratified by the electorate on October 10, 1911. On June 16, 1945, a constitutional amendment was proposed by the legislature to rename the Railroad Commission as the California Public Utilities Commission, which
15624-410: The California electrical grid. In 2007 the CPUC adopted goals to have all California residential construction use zero net energy by 2020, and all new commercial construction use zero net energy by 2030. Zero Net Energy buildings each contribute an amount of renewable energy to a utility that will balance out any amount of non-renewable energy they extract from the utility. For residential buildings,
15810-438: The FRA for an early version of ETMS using a multi-band radio that included 45 MHz frequencies, 160 MHz frequencies, 900 MHz frequencies and WiFi. A small freight or commuter that selects one or more of these bands or another one such as 450 MHz might find it easier to acquire spectrum. They will need to research spectrum issues, radio equipment, antennas, and protocol compatibility issues to successfully deploy PTC. There
15996-455: The FTA needed "additional time to complete review of this significant commitment of Federal resources". Caltrain had expected Secretary Chao to approve the grant and sign the grant agreement by March 1, which is normally a pro forma step performed after the thirty-day comment period for a highly rated project, and had already awarded construction contracts. Balfour Beatty Construction and Stadler Rail had already begun preparations to upgrade
16182-503: The Office of State Audits and Evaluations (OSAE) audited the CPUC budgeting practices and found significant weaknesses in the CPUC's budget operations. As a result, the CPUC could not assess whether transportation and utility companies are over or under charging ratepayers for user fees. Additionally, the CPUC did not know if user fees were spent on the programs they were collected for. The CPUC did not regularly audit public utilities to ensure
16368-1044: The Santa Clara Drill Track in June 2023, between the Santa Clara and College Park stations. The electrification of the line was completed in April 2024. On August 10, 2024, Caltrain concluded its tests of the Stadler KISS on the line with a non-revenue special run from 4th and King to Diridon Station and back. Caltrain Board Chair Dev Davis, Governor Gavin Newsom , Federal Railroad Administration chair Amit Bose , U.S. Senator Alex Padilla , U.S. Representatives Nancy Pelosi , Kevin Mullin and Anna Eshoo , California State Transportation Agency chief Toks Omishakin, noted transit advocates and state legislators Phil Ting and Scott Wiener , and
16554-607: The Stadler EMUs on August 11, 2024, with two trainsets, adding more gradually until fully transitioning to all-electric trainsets on September 21. Some of the newer diesel locomotives and conventional passenger coaches will be retained for service south of Tamien. Commuter railroad service on the San Francisco Peninsula was inaugurated in 1863 as the San Francisco and San Jose Railroad and purchased by Southern Pacific (SP) in 1870. SP announced that it would investigate
16740-817: The Task Force mapping project and report, the CPUC launched an innovative California Advanced Services Fund (CASF), which is an infrastructure grant program for deploying broadband in unserved areas of California. The program is funded by a telephone surcharge of 0.56% for the period of March 1, 2018 to December 31, 2022. As of AB 1665, passed in October, 2017, broadband providers may apply for up to 100% funding of capital costs to deploy last-mile broadband in unserved areas. Unserved areas are those where no facility-based broadband provider offers service at speeds of at least 6 megabits per second downstream and 1 megabit per second upstream. The concept behind General Order 107-B
16926-410: The United States, to electrify the line at 25 kV AC, replace signaling systems, construct two traction power substations , one switching substation, and seven paralleling substations. The Swiss firm Stadler was awarded a $ 551 million contract to deliver 96 of their " KISS " bilevel electric multiple unit cars, formed into 16 six-car trains. Under the contract, Caltrain holds an option to increase
17112-656: The accident. In 2018, another collision occurred when Amtrak train rammed a stationary freight train in Cayce, S.C ., killed two crew members and injured 116 others. Chairman of the NTSB, Robert Sumwalt , stated that "an operational PTC is designed to prevent this type of incident." A typical PTC system involves two basic components: Optionally, three additional components may exist: There are two main PTC implementation methods currently being developed. The first makes use of fixed signaling infrastructure such as coded track circuits and wireless transponders to communicate with
17298-457: The accidents was not sufficient to cover the cost of PTC across the Class I railroads. Therefore, PTC was not economically justified at that time. The FRA concurred with this cost assessment in its 2009 PTC rulemaking document. The reason behind the lack of economic justification is that the majority of accidents are minor and FRA crash worthiness standards help mitigate the potential loss of life or release of hazardous chemicals. For example, in
17484-489: The adoption of utility rate changes, rules on safety and service standards, implementation of conservation programs, investigation into unlawful or anticompetitive practices by regulated utilities and intervention into federal proceedings which affect California ratepayers. As of December 2022, the commissioners are: Some regulatory laws are implemented by the California State Legislature through
17670-536: The balance expected in future years. Secretary Chao claimed she could not sign the grant without the full grant being budgeted, which was disputed by Caltrain and both California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris . On May 22, the FTA announced its intent to sign the funding grant, restoring the final piece of funding for the electrification project. The official grant was finally signed on May 23. A new weekday schedule designed to allow time for construction became effective on April 10, 2017. The weekend schedule
17856-493: The basis that overhead wires would require removing a significant number of heritage trees, and city representatives asserted that "newer, cleaner, more efficient diesel trains" should supplant plans for "century-old catenary electrical line technology". Atherton mayor Rick De Golia was quoted as saying "Caltrain is locked into an old technology and 20th century thinking". After Caltrain issued infrastructure and rolling stock contracts in July 2016, Atherton representatives did not file
18042-449: The city and county of San Francisco , SamTrans , and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority . 32% of the funding, or $ 647 million, will come from Federal Transit Administration 's Core Capacity grant, with the funding agreement approved on May 22, 2017, after a three-month delay. An additional $ 600 million comes from Proposition 1A funds that authorized the construction of high-speed rail, $ 113 million from cap and trade revenue, and
18228-526: The city-owned Corporation Yard. The PCJPB-owned right-of-way has been divided into four construction segments. From the north, the segments are arranged as: Segments are further divided into work areas, indicated by brackets in the list above. Work began in Segments 2 and 4 and proceeded from north to south within each segment before moving on to Segments 1 and 3. The first work area was in the cities of South San Francisco and San Bruno. Within each work area,
18414-567: The commuter operation in and around Philadelphia , Ansaldo is implementing ACSES , the Amtrak northeast corridor PTC protocol. For CSX all the ACSES PTC transactions will be handed to CSX at the SEPTA back office, and CSX will be responsible for deploying I-ETMS infrastructure that they will use to communicate with their freight trains. The SEPTA interoperability model is very similar to that of
18600-487: The contact wire is 23 feet (7.0 m) to accommodate freight and non-electrified passenger rail service. Poles are nominally spaced 180 to 200 feet (55 to 61 m) apart, but can be reduced to 75 feet (23 m) for the tightest-radius bends (at Sierra Point in Brisbane , and just north of San Jose ). Typical pole spacing in bends is 120 to 150 feet (37 to 46 m), and for straight sections of track, maximum spacing
18786-422: The corridor), or worse, found themselves in the ridiculous position of trying to install three different PTC systems on each Amtrak train to traverse the commuter properties. This was not the case. Amtrak had a significant head start over the commuter rail agencies on the corridor in implementing PTC. They spent a considerable amount of time in research and development and won early approvals for their ACSES system on
18972-597: The deadline. There is some controversy as to whether PTC makes sense in the form mandated by Congress. Not only is the cost of nationwide PTC installation expected to be as much as US$ 6–22 billion , most all of it borne by U.S. freight railroads, there are questions as to the reliability and maturity of the technology for all forms of mainline freight trains and high density environments. The PTC requirement could also impose startup barriers to new passenger rail or freight services that would trigger millions of dollars in additional PTC costs. The unfunded mandate also ties
19158-535: The deadline. Several factors have delayed implementation, including the need to obtain funding (which was not provided by Congress); the time it has taken to design, test, make interoperable, and manufacture the technology; and the need to obtain radio spectrum along the entire rail network, which involves FCC permission and in some cases negotiating with an existing owner for purchase or lease. The Metrolink commuter rail system in Southern California
19344-494: The definition, the CPUC had attempted to group TNC services in the same category as limousines . Taxi industry groups opposed the creation of the new category, arguing that TNCs are taking away their business as illegal taxicab operations . The CPUC established regulations for TNC services at the same time as the definition. These included driver background checks, driver training, drug and alcohol policies, minimum insurance coverage of $ 1 million, and company licensing through
19530-459: The delay "counter to Mr. Trump's campaign promises of increased infrastructure spending." Henry Grabar noted the grant deferral could be "an early test of a simmering fear that the state's outspoken political opposition to the Trump administration might come with a price". San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo met with Department of Transportation officials, urging them to upgrade a system that "was built under
19716-510: The double-tracked line from San Francisco to San Jose, and acquisition of new rolling stock, consisting of Stadler KISS double-decker electric multiple units (EMU). Caltrain is transitioning from its legacy push-pull trains hauled by diesel-electric locomotives , most of which have been in service since 1985. Construction for CalMod began with a groundbreaking ceremony at Millbrae station on July 21, 2017 and completed in April 2024; after testing, inaugural revenue service with EMUs running under
19902-423: The electrical wires. New electric trainsets were purchased for use on the new electrified segment, while service from Tamien to Gilroy, which is not planned to be electrified, continue to be served with existing diesel locomotives. The second part of the CalMod project is a positive train control system, "CBOSS" (Communications Based Overlay Signal System), which is designed to meet federal safety requirements and as
20088-423: The electrification of its line in September 1921, promising better and more frequent service. However, SP cited excessive post-war inflation, taxation, and competition from publicly funded highways as factors making electrification neither "practicable or desirable". In the early 1950s, SP began introducing diesel locomotives on the route. By 1977, Southern Pacific were facing rapidly declining ridership and petitioned
20274-561: The electrification project, its future fell into doubt. In response to the grant deferral, various local officials traveled to Washington D.C. to lobby federal officials to release the money. Editorials in local and national newspapers urged approval of the grant, including the Sacramento Bee , which called the deferral "a petty attack", the East Bay Times , a noted CHSRA detractor, and The New York Times , which called
20460-540: The entire 51-mile (82 km) right-of-way owned by the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (PCJPB), which extends from the San Francisco terminus at 4th and King to a power substation south of Tamien Station . New electrical infrastructure includes installation of approximately 130 to 140 miles (210 to 230 km) of 25 kV 60 Hz single-phase AC overhead contact lines and ten new power stations (two traction power stations,
20646-618: The estimated $ 1.5 billion needed for CalMod. However, since the bonds had not yet been issued, the money was not available, and a prior environmental impact report that had been issued for electrification in 2009 needed to be reissued before construction could start. In September 2012, the California Transportation Commission released $ 39.8 million to modernize CBOSS. A month later, the expected funding from high-speed rail bonds rose to $ 1.5 billion, which alongside electrification provided funding for
20832-449: The exclusive occupancy at 9:58; the collision occurred at 10:33. According to the locomotive's event data recorder, the last recorded speed of the southbound train was 63 mph (101 km/h), but the engineer had pulled the emergency brake upon sighting the work vehicles. Fourteen people were injured in the collision and fire, but none of the injuries were life-threatening; the fire was extinguished by 11:14 a.m. The train remained on
21018-520: The existing tracks and build electrical trainsets, respectively. Caltrain negotiated an emergency four-month contract extension at a potential cost of $ 20 million. Under the preliminary budget proposal released in mid-March 2017, the United States Department of Transportation 's Capital Investment Grant Program would be eliminated, although approved projects would continue to be funded. Since Secretary Chao had withheld grant approval for
21204-475: The feeder wire is always 50kV. The choice of a 2×25 kV autotransformer system means more traction power facilities are required in total, but also requires fewer traction power substations. Contact wire heights vary between 16 and 23 feet (4.9 and 7.0 m), depending on overhead clearance required, with the messenger wire another 2 to 5 feet (0.61 to 1.52 m) above that, and pole heights vary between 30 and 50 feet (9.1 and 15.2 m). Nominal clearance under
21390-407: The fees they collect from ratepayers were accurately paid to CPUC. Additionally, the CPUC did not consistently pursue delinquent user fees it was aware of, that utility companies collected. In October 2014, Commission President Michael Peevey decided to step down at the upcoming end of his second six-year term in December. The agency had an apparent cozy relationship with Pacific Gas & Electric ,
21576-580: The first feasibility study detailing the possibility of electrifying the railroad between San Francisco and San Jose. The 1992 Feasibility Study proposed replacing the existing diesel-electric locomotives with either a fleet of EMD AEM-7 electric locomotives to move the existing gallery passenger cars or Metro North Budd M-2/M-4 EMUs. The primary benefits of an electrified railway would be improvements in air quality, noise, and acceleration, but would also save on other ancillary costs, such as lubricating oil, cooling water, maintenance, and refueling. Because of
21762-405: The first two months of activity involved tree pruning and removal, followed by three to five months of construction of the foundations for the overhead contact system poles. Once completed, construction of the electrical station(s) (if present) and pole and wire installation work in parallel and take about a year. By January 2022, all foundations were complete. Pole and wiring work in Segments 3 and 4
21948-435: The first, Metrolink, the commuter rail agency in Los Angeles, is implementing I-ETMS and will use the same PTC equipment as both the UP and BNSF. Metrolink is procuring their own 220 MHz spectrum so that trains on Metrolink territory (commuter and freight) will use other channels than those used by the UP and BNSF. Interoperability is achieved by directing the onboard radio to change channels depending on location. For SEPTA ,
22134-409: The freight railroad's PTC system, and this generally means the use of 220 MHz radios and spectrum. If the commuter uses the same PTC equipment, radios, and spectrum on their own property, they will be able to use it when their vehicles travel onto a freight's territory. From a practical standpoint, if the commuter instead elects to use another type of PTC on their own property, they will need to install
22320-424: The funding deferral, saying afterward that he was "cautiously optimistic" that the money would be released. On April 30, legislators in the U.S. Congress released the proposed 2017 federal budget, which included partial funding for the electrification project, but restricts its distribution unless Secretary Chao signs off on the grant. The proposed budget includes $ 100 million of the $ 647 million grant, with
22506-430: The funds available for PTC and have deferred action assuming some change from Congress. Railroads that operate lines equipped with cab signalling and existing Automatic Train Control systems have argued that their proven track record of safety, which goes back decades, is being discounted because ATC is not as aggressive as PTC in all cases. The number of PTC preventable crashes has increased in recent years. In 2013,
22692-493: The hands of the FRA to adopt a more nuanced or flexible approach to the adoption of PTC technology where it makes the most sense or where it is technically most feasible. While the FRA Rail Safety Advisory Committee identified several thousand "PPAs" (PTC preventable accidents) on US railroads over a 12-year period, cost analysis determined that the accumulated savings to be realized from all of
22878-450: The host railroad property. An interesting case that highlights some of these issues is the northeast corridor. Amtrak operates services on two commuter rail properties it does not own: Metro-North Railroad (owned by New York and Connecticut) and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) (owned by Massachusetts). In theory, Amtrak could have found themselves installing their own PTC system on these host properties (about 15 percent of
23064-548: The installation of a fiber optic line along the Caltrain right-of-way. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) approved Caltrain's plans in 2014 and Caltrain noted that CBOSS was due to enter revenue service by the end of 2015. Because Caltrain had multiple goals for CBOSS, including increased safety, improved operational efficiency, and ensured interoperability with other rail providers (Caltrain shares tracks with Union Pacific, Altamont Corridor Express, and Amtrak), implementation
23250-581: The late 1980s, interest in train protection solutions heightened after a period of stagnant investment and decline following World War II . Starting in 1990, the United States National Transportation Safety Board ( NTSB ) counted PTC (then known as positive train separation) among its "Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements." At the time, the vast majority of rail lines in US relied upon crew members to comply with all safety rules, and
23436-597: The law, the FRA published initial regulations for PTC systems on January 15, 2010. The agency published amended regulations on August 22, 2014. In December 2010, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that Amtrak and the major Class I railroads had taken steps to install PTC systems under the law, but commuter rail operators were not on track for the 2015 deadline. As of June 2015 , only seven commuter systems (29 percent of those represented by APTA) were expecting to make
23622-442: The level at which they had previously been safely operated by human engineers. Railway speeds are calculated with a safety factor such that slight excesses in speed will not result in an accident. If a PTC system applies its own safety margin, then the end result will be an inefficient double safety factor. Moreover, a PTC system might be unable to account for variations in weather conditions or train handling, and might have to assume
23808-500: The line began as early as 1992 when the California Department of Transportation conducted an early feasibility study. For two decades, the project lay dormant due to lack of funding until Caltrain agreed to share its tracks with the CHSRA, which was looking for a route for the legally mandated San Jose–San Francisco segment. The Authority agreed to partially fund the electrification project in exchange for rights to share
23994-463: The line, then electrify it. By itself, electrification was not projected to significantly improve service, and the high estimated cost of electrification and its lower priority meant electrification would be deferred. Some of the money to accomplish the rehabilitation and enhancement of existing track came from funds that had been intended for the downtown extension. Steve Schmidt, a councilman from Menlo Park , argued that electrification instead should be
24180-403: The locomotive must continually calculate the train's current speed relative to a speed target some distance away governed by a braking curve. If the train risks not being able to slow to the speed target given the braking curve, the brakes are automatically applied and the train is immediately slowed. The speed targets are updated by information regarding fixed and dynamic speed limits determined by
24366-522: The low-income and disabled, oversee the merger and restructure of utility corporations, and enforce the California Environmental Quality Act for utility construction. In 2008, the CPUC adopted California’s first Long Term Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan. Leuwam Tesfai has served as Director of Energy Division and Deputy Executive Director of Energy and Climate Policy since 2022. The California Solar Initiative (CSI)
24552-521: The mayors of San Francisco and San Jose, London Breed and Matt Mahan , respectively, were among the passengers. Revenue service began the next day, and is scheduled to ramp up to its highest frequency by September 21. Funding for the originally-$ 1.9 billion project comes from a mix of funds contributed by the California Department of Transportation , California High-Speed Rail Authority , California cap and trade revenue, Bay Area Air Quality Management District , Metropolitan Transportation Commission ,
24738-487: The messenger wire. The contact wire is nearly parallel to the ground, and supplies traction current to the pantograph(s) of an electric train. Both the messenger wire and the contact wire are energized with single-phase alternating current at 25 kV with a frequency of 60 Hz. This allows the OCS to be used for both Caltrain and future California High-speed Rail service, and this electrical configuration matches that of Amtrak (on
24924-512: The money to the Third Street Light Rail Project . Mike Nevin , PCJPB member from San Mateo County noted that while the downtown extension "would have enhanced particularly the electrification of the system", lack of it would not cause Caltrain to collapse. Instead, Caltrain studied a list of potential upgrades and went on to publish a draft Rapid Rail Study on October 1, 1998, which prioritized capital improvements to
25110-480: The most cost-effective alternative, since the gallery cars, which had been built in 1985, were then relatively new and could be reused. Due to funding shortages, the project was postponed for the next two decades. In 1997, Mayor Willie Brown canceled the appropriation for San Francisco's share of costs to extend rail service to downtown, saying Peninsula residents "ought to fund the whole project" since it would mainly benefit their commute. San Francisco instead applied
25296-438: The northeast corridor with the FRA. They chose first to use 900 MHz and then later moved to 220 MHz , in part because of a perceived improvement in radio-system performance and in part because Amtrak was using 220 MHz in Michigan for their ITCS implementation. When the commuter agencies on the corridor looked at options for implementing PTC, many of them chose to take advantage of the advance work Amtrak had done and implement
25482-493: The onboard speed control unit. The other makes use of wireless data radios spread out along the line to transmit the dynamic information. The wireless implementation also allows for the train to transmit its location to the signaling system which could enable the use of moving or "virtual" blocks . The wireless implementation is generally cheaper in terms of equipment costs, but is considered to be much less reliable than using "harder" communications channels. As of 2007 , for example,
25668-496: The order with an additional 96 cars in the future. The contract also marks the first American design win for the Stadler KISS. Stadler broke ground for a new factory near the Salt Lake City International Airport on October 13, 2017. The first trains are scheduled for delivery in August 2019. In April 2016, after missing the initial October 2015 deadline, Caltrain requested a third party review of
25854-422: The order. A transportation network company (TNC) is a company that uses an online-enabled platform to connect passengers with drivers using their personal, non-commercial, vehicles . Examples include Lyft , Uber , Wingz , Haxi and Summon . The definition of a TNC was created by the CPUC in 2013, as a result of a rulemaking process around new and previously unregulated forms of transportation. Prior to
26040-474: The overhead catenary began just over seven years later, on August 11, 2024. The rollout of the EMUs was completed on September 21, 2024. According to Caltrain, benefits accrued by electrifying the tracks and switching to EMUs include improved service times via faster acceleration and shorter headways , and reduced air pollution and noise. In addition, it enabled planning and implementation to proceed for The Portal ,
26226-621: The oversight of the Railroad Commission. On March 3, 1879, the Constitution of California was adopted by constitutional convention and was ratified by the electorate on May 7, 1879, and included provisions relating to Railroad Commissioners in article XII. On April 15, 1880, the Board of Railroad Commissioners was created. On March 20, 1909, the Railroad Commission of the State of California replaced these other entities. On February 9, 1911,
26412-491: The passage of laws. These laws often reside in the California Public Utilities Code. The CPUC Headquarters are in San Francisco with offices in Los Angeles and Sacramento and the CPUC employs 1000 including judges, engineers, analysts, lawyers, auditors, and support. The CPUC does not regulate the rates of utilities and common carriers operated by government agencies. Thus, such organizations as
26598-456: The physical infrastructure with the overarching goal of expanding rail service. At that time, Caltrain was reporting daily ridership of approximately 25,000 passengers, a 40-year high. The 1998 Rapid Rail Study assumed that ridership would increase in direct proportion to improving travel times. The study concluded that in order to meet the five goals presented in the 20-Year Strategic Plan of 1997, Caltrain should first rehabilitate and enhance
26784-576: The planned CHSRA San Francisco and Los Angeles terminals to allow high-speed rail to share infrastructure. In March 2012, Caltrain and other local agencies signed a memorandum of understanding with the CHSRA that detailed the blended plan, which received approval from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission a week later. Under the memorandum, $ 706 million from the high-speed rail bond would be matched by state, regional, and local transportation funds to pay for
26970-607: The planned Downtown Extension (DTX), which would move the northern terminus of the Caltrain line from 4th and King to the Salesforce Transit Center . CHSRA approved the issue of bonds in December 2016. Critics of high-speed rail felt the slower trips and reduced service caused by "blending" the two systems over the Peninsula Corridor did not meet the original voter-approved vision of a quad-track line between San Francisco and Los Angeles, and ridership would never meet projections. The town of Atherton , which lies on
27156-425: The presidency of Abraham Lincoln ". Additionally, more than 120 Silicon Valley business leaders sent a letter to Secretary Chao, asking her to explain "the last-minute attempt to derail two decades of work". In early March, California Governor Jerry Brown sent a letter to Secretary Chao, asking to discuss the funding grant, and subsequently met with Secretary Chao and Representative McCarthy, urging them to reconsider
27342-489: The program decline. The CPUC divided the overall megawatt goal for the incentive program into ten programmatic incentive level steps, and assigned a target amount of capacity in each step to receive an incentive based on dollars per-watt or cents per-kilowatt-hour. In January 2007, the CPUC adopted a greenhouse gas emissions standard that required new long-term commitments for baseload generation to serve California consumers with power plants that have emissions no greater than
27528-441: The program. The CPUC was nearing an August 24, 2006 Commission vote on proposed incentive level design, administrative structure, and planning schedule, when SB 1 was signed into law on August 21, 2006, by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger . While SB 1 codified the state's commitment to the creation of a self-sustaining solar market, it also introduced several unanticipated requirements for the program. In order to conform to state law,
27714-521: The project "an irresponsible use of taxpayer dollars". The Sacramento Bee pointed out that despite regularly soliciting campaign funds from Silicon Valley business leaders, Representative and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy , the author of the Republican letter to Secretary Chao, was targeting a project that benefited the region directly. Another Republican signatory, Representative Devin Nunes ,
27900-466: The projected 12-month delay was blamed on the unexpected presence of underground utilities. In June 2021, Caltrain announced that electric service would be delayed to late 2024 due to supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic , issues with the signal system, and "unforeseen conditions under Caltrain's tracks". In February 2022, the last foundation required for the new overhead catenary system
28086-432: The public safety radio community wherein different radio systems that use different frequencies and protocols are cross-connected only in the back office to support system to system communications. For the major freight railroads and Amtrak the answer seems to be that one frequency band is sufficient. These rail operations measure on-time performance on a much more coarse scale than commuters do so their tolerance for delay
28272-498: The railroads that must implement PTC. There are also issues with the use of these frequencies outside the US; in Canada, 220 MHz remains part of the radioamateur 1.25-metre band . Other bands besides 220 MHz will support PTC, and have been used to win approvals from the FRA for PTC. When Amtrak received their initial approval, they planned to use 900 MHz frequencies for ACSES. BNSF Railway won its first PTC approvals from
28458-458: The relatively close spacing between stops, the improved acceleration using electric locomotives compared to the existing diesel-electric locomotives would cut transit time between San Francisco and San Jose by up to twelve minutes, and using EMUs would cut the time over the same distance by up to 23 minutes, assuming the use of ten-car trainsets. The 1992 Feasibility Study recommended the use of electric locomotives and 25 kV AC overhead lines as
28644-403: The rest coming from local and regional sources. The delays announced in June 2021 will add $ 333 million to the cost for a total of $ 2.3 billion. Of the increase, $ 161 million is known and allocated costs with a funding plan, while $ 172 million is unallocated costs. An additional cost increase of $ 162 million, for a total cost of $ 2.44 billion, was announced in December 2021. Modernizing Caltrain
28830-573: The rest of CHSRA's plans work out well enough that, someday, it can bring the blended system to fruition. But if CHSRA is unable to do that, Caltrain will still have a successful project. Put another way, HSR may need to have Caltrain's Electrification Project completed. But Caltrain does not need to have High Speed Rail completed for the Electrification Project to be a success. Atherton sued CHSRA again in December 2016, stating that using bond money intended for high-speed rail for CalMod
29016-505: The service territories of the IOUs. The CSI program has a goal to install 1,800 MW of new solar (excluding solar water heating ) by the end of 2016. As of January 13, 2015 , the CSI program has achieved a total of 1,743 MW of installed capacity, 96.8% of the program's goal, since its inception. On January 12, 2006, the CPUC issued an Interim Order that set initial policy and funding for
29202-421: The speed of freight trains over 5,000 feet (1,500 m) in length and weighing over 10,000 short tons (9,100 t), but concerns remain about taking the final decision out of the hands of skilled railroad engineers . Improper use of the air brake can lead to a train running away, derailment or to an unexpected separation. Furthermore, an overly conservative PTC system runs the risk of slowing trains below
29388-410: The speed restrictions in the area. The NTSB learned safety improvements had recently been made to the track, except for the PTC section of the improvements. It was ultimately concluded that the engineer's error in train location lead to the crash. Sound Transit , the owner of the section of railway where the accident occurred, was in the process of installing PTC, but it was not operational at the time of
29574-437: The state Public Utilities Commission to allow them to discontinue the commuter rail operation. From 1980 until 1992, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the three service counties, San Francisco , San Mateo , and Santa Clara , subsidized Southern Pacific operations on the railway until the local Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (PCJPB) acquired the right-of-way in 1991. In 1992, Caltrans released
29760-489: The state, Atherton sued Caltrain, alleging the agency's environmental impact review was inadequate and that its collaboration with the CHSRA should be further vetted. In July 2015, the suit proceeded after Caltrain's request to the Surface Transportation Board to exempt it from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) guidelines was denied. Atherton reiterated its opposition to electrification on
29946-482: The state’s blind". However, "Bay City News Foundation and ProPublica found that Stebbins was right about the missing money" Five commissioners each serve staggered six-year terms as the governing body of the agency. Commissioners are appointed by the governor and must be confirmed by the California State Senate . The CPUC meets publicly to carry out the business of the agency, which may include
30132-519: The system assuming twelve eight-EMU consists in each direction per hour was estimated to be approximately 75 MW, with the load generally remaining under 40-50 MW at any point. According to Caltrain, the electrification project will bring multiple benefits to the corridor. Firstly, electric trains can accelerate and decelerate more quickly than the existing diesel locomotives, resulting in faster and more frequent service. They will also replace Caltrain's current diesel locomotives and passenger cars,
30318-458: The top priority to make the rail line more palatable to neighbors, citing improvements in noise and pollution. Other advocates for electrification of Caltrain noted the $ 1.2 billion BART extension to San Francisco International Airport may have revived the decades-old dream of BART around the Bay, which would render an electrified Caltrain redundant. The electrification of Caltrain was assigned
30504-523: The track profile and signaling system. Most current PTC implementations also use the speed control unit to store a database of track profiles attached to some sort of navigation system. The unit keeps track of the train's position along the rail line and automatically enforces any speed restrictions as well as the maximum authorized speed. Temporary speed restrictions can be updated before the train departs its terminal or via wireless data links. The track data can also be used to calculate braking curves based on
30690-449: The track. Construction contracts for electrification were awarded in July 2016 and groundbreaking was expected to occur in March 2017, but was delayed when the new United States Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao indefinitely deferred federal funding just before construction was about to begin. That same month, Caltrain removed the contractor responsible for implementing PTC for failure to perform on budget and schedule. In May 2017,
30876-547: The tracks from the Rhode Island state line to the New Hampshire state line, but Amtrak "operates" these lines. Only the line between New York City and New Haven, Connecticut is actually owned and operated by a commuter line.) One other perceived reason to consider 220 MHz for PTC may be PTC-compatible radio equipment availability. Radio equipment specifically targeted toward PTC is currently only available from
31062-571: The tracks while the NTSB conducted an investigation. The reduced schedule was implemented again starting in May to accommodate construction activities in San Mateo and Burlingame. Clearance testing of the first electric trainset on the Caltrain corridor began in July 2022. The southern Traction Power Substation was energized that August. Initial testing of the overhead catenary system and trains began along
31248-419: The tracks, was an early and vocal opponent of electrification. Residents opposed electrification and the proposed high-speed rail route because the overhead electrical lines would require tree removal and the town could potentially be divided in two by permanently closing the two grade crossings at Fair Oaks Lane and Watkins Avenue. In February 2015, shortly after the project received environmental clearance from
31434-603: The train and the control center. Another capability would allow the employee-in-charge (EIC) to give trains permission to pass through their work zones via a wireless device instead of verbal communications. Even where safety systems such as cab signaling have been present for many decades, the freight railroad industry has been reluctant to fit speed control devices because the often heavy-handed nature of such devices can have an adverse effect on otherwise safe train operation. The advanced processor-based speed control algorithms found in PTC systems claim to be able to properly regulate
31620-487: The train movement to an explicit allowance; movement is halted upon invalidation. A train operating under PTC receives a movement authority containing information about its location and where it is allowed to safely travel. PTC was installed and operational on 100% of the statutory-required trackage by December 29, 2020. The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) describes positive train control systems as having these primary functions: In
31806-409: The wireless ITCS system on Amtrak's Michigan Line was still not functioning reliably after 13 years of development, while the fixed ACSES system has been in daily service on the Northeast Corridor since 2002 ( see Amtrak , below). The fixed infrastructure method is proving popular on high-density passenger lines where pulse code cab signaling has already been installed. In some cases, the lack of
31992-432: The wireless component is considered, to guarantee beforehand that under certain worst-case operational profiles in certain locations, train operations will not be impacted. In fact, during system acceptance testing, such worst-case operational profiles may not even be tested because of the effort involved. One need only consider what it would take to identify the PTC protocol train capacity limitations at each interlocking of
32178-475: Was a material change in usage and therefore was unconstitutional because such a change would require voter approval first. In response, the California Legislature allowed the funding to be redirected by passing Assembly Bill No. 1889, which had been championed by Assemblymember Kevin Mullin in 2015. Mullin noted "this entire Caltrain corridor is the epicenter of the innovation economy and it's
32364-437: Was also complete, with work remaining in Segments 1 and 2. Positive train control Positive train control ( PTC ) is a family of automatic train protection systems deployed in the United States. Most of the United States' national rail network mileage has a form of PTC. These systems are generally designed to check that trains are moving safely and to stop them when they are not. Positive train control restricts
32550-459: Was challenging and Caltrain, the busiest commuter rail service on the West Coast, still had not fully implemented the system by the end of 2016. The Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project (PCEP) draft environmental impact report was released in February 2014. After addressing comments received, PCJPB certified the final environmental impact report in January 2015. A pre-qualification survey
32736-413: Was completed, with the entire line planned to be energised by summer 2022. Testing of the line would then begin using an AEM-7 electric locomotive, with revenue service planned for 2024. To expedite construction, the weekday train schedule was reduced and fewer stops were planned north of Hillsdale temporarily in the second half of March 2022. However, construction was suspended temporarily that month after
32922-410: Was considered, although with the permanent closure of Atherton station, only Broadway station will receive restored daily service. Under the original schedule, Caltrain planned to complete the project by the end of 2021. Power is supplied to the trains through an overhead contact system (OCS), consisting of a messenger wire, which assumes a parabolic shape due to sag, and a contact wire suspended below
33108-577: Was created. During the 19th century, public concerns over the unbridled power of the Southern Pacific Railroad grew to the point that a three-member Railroad Commission was established, primarily to approve transportation prices. However, the Southern Pacific quickly dominated this commission to its advantage, and public outrage re-ignited. As experience with public regulation grew, other common utilities were brought under
33294-516: Was evaluated to be "the only technically and financially viable" solution to completing PTC before the FRA's deadline of December 31, 2018. Approximately 80% of the equipment for CBOSS that had already been installed was able to be reused, and FRA approved a revised schedule in January 2019 to implement PTC by December 2020. In early 2016, the CHSRA had selected a route that required extensive and costly tunneling in Southern California and revised its initial operating plans for high-speed rail to include
33480-600: Was handled by local authorities such as the Sacramento Metropolitan Cable Television Commission . The CPUC also played a key role in the Governor's Broadband Task Force formed in 2006. The task force produced two reports making recommendations to the Governor on what could be done to enhance broadband in California, engaging in a broadband mapping project for California, and producing a broadband speed report. In response to
33666-523: Was originally approved via the FEIR for a location near the intersection of California and Lincoln; however, this would interfere with plans to grade separate the crossing at Broadway, so PS3 was moved west of the tracks to a location near Mills and California. Based on resident objections to the new site, however, the City of Burlingame offered an alternative site east of the tracks at 1369 North Carolan adjacent to
33852-666: Was ratified by the electorate on November 5, 1946. As a result of the amendment, the Constitution of California declares that the Public Utilities Code is the highest law in the state, that the legislature has unlimited authority to regulate public utilities under the Public Utilities Code, and that its provisions override any conflicting provision of the State Constitution which deals with the subject of regulation of public utilities. In 2013 and 2014,
34038-578: Was revised on July 15, 2017, which decreased frequency from 60 minutes to 90 minutes between trains and eliminated eight trains per weekend day. An official groundbreaking ceremony was held on July 21, 2017, at the Millbrae station . As of June 2018, 149 poles had been erected in San Bruno and South San Francisco. In December 2018, Caltrain was carrying 65,000 passengers a day, and expected to carry four times that amount by 2040. Accordingly, Caltrain announced plans to increase its electric train order by
34224-434: Was sent out in May 2014, and six firms were pre-qualified to bid on PCEP construction, which was eventually awarded to Balfour Beatty Construction . In July 2016, Caltrain's Board of Directors awarded contracts to Balfour Beatty and Stadler Rail to construct infrastructure for the electric trains and the electric trains themselves, respectively. Balfour Beatty was awarded a $ 697 million contract, its largest contract in
34410-526: Was unmoved by arguments on infrastructure benefits, saying in late February that he would not "feel too bad about one of the richest places on the planet not having a train." Fellow Republican Representative Jeff Denham defended the letter, saying Caltrain's electrification project and CHSRA were closely intertwined because the former derived some funding under the "blended plan" agreement. Representative Tom McClintock reiterated his opposition to high-speed rail without addressing Caltrain: "I have never supported
34596-441: Was waiting for a signature from the newly appointed Trump Administration Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao after a 30-day review period to secure a grant approval. However, during the review period, the fourteen Republican party U.S. House representatives from California sent a letter to Secretary Chao, urging her to deny funding due to the project's ties with high-speed rail, which they opposed. The letter went on to call
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