Caltrain Video Details 'New Advanced Signal System'

News from Caltrain:

Caltrain has released a video that provides the public with an inside look at the new Advanced Signal System the rail agency is installing to meet the Federal government’s Positive Train Control requirement by the end of 2015.

The system, known as Communications Based Overlay Signal System (CBOSS)/Positive Train Control (PTC), is an advanced signal system that will equip the corridor with federally-mandated safety technology by December 2015 and increase system capacity to help accommodate future increases in ridership demand. The system will be interoperable with other rail systems that access the Caltrain corridor.

The video takes viewers through the features and equipment that make up the new advanced signal system to explain the new communications infrastructure being installed along the Caltrain corridor and onboard trains. The video explains how the system can be used to improve safety and performance.

CBOSS PTC will fulfill a federal mandate that requires implementation of a PTC system on all commuter corridors by December 2015. PTC is intended to prevent train-to-train collisions, over-speed derailments, and movement into established work zones or through a misaligned switch.

CBOSS PTC is also a key component of the Caltrain Modernization (CalMod) Program, which includes electrification of the corridor and replacement of the system’s diesel trains with high-performance electric trains.

Currently, Caltrain is conducting testing and employee training on the new Advanced Signal System. The agency expects to have CBOSS PTC in place by the end of 2015.

About Caltrain: Owned and operated by the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, Caltrain provides commuter rail service from San Francisco to San Jose, with limited commute service to Gilroy.