Client: Northern Indiana Commuter Transporation District

Location: Lake County, IN and Cook County, IL

The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) approved a $79.9 million contract for the provisioning, design, fabrication, construction, and complete installation of an Interoperable Electronic Train Management System (I-ETMS) or equivalent system such as Interoperable Incremental Train Control System (I-ITCS) Positive Train Control (PTC) System for NICTD located in St. Joseph, LaPorte, Porter, Lake County, Indiana and Cook County IL. The project will meet Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Code of Regulations (CFR) 49 Part 236 Subpart I as well NICTD’s specifications.

Positive train control (PTC) is collision avoidance technology that monitors and controls train movements. It can stop or slow a speeding train while overriding human errors. Its system includes GPS, computers, radios and a network of equipment that needs to operate with other railroads that share the same lines. It is intended to prevent train-to-train collisions, overspeed derailments, and movement of trains through switches left in the wrong position, as well as prevent train incursions in to work areas.