ASLRRA signs Herzog to offer PTC support to members

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) has entered into an agreement with Herzog Technologies Inc. to provide positive train control (PTC) support to the association's members

The Herzog Hosting solution offers complete PTC back office functionality and is designed to assist railroads with implementation of interoperable PTC systems, ASLRRA officials said in a press release.

The association is offering the solution to members who must equip with PTC per federal regulation or as required by their Class I partners, said ASLRRA President Linda Bauer Darr.

"The implementation of PTC is one of the most complex and challenging projects to be mandated for the U.S. rail system, particularly for our short-line members, who often do not have the technical staff and expertise, but have a complicated role to play, integrating with multiple Class I systems," Darr said. "Via our agreement with Herzog, we believe we are able to offer PTC support at a price that is reasonable for our small business railroad members."

The Herzog service will enable real-time information regarding train movement, speed restrictions, train position and speed, and the state of signal and switch devices to be shared between trains, rail wayside devices and back office applications.

"We understand the complexities and the hurdles of PTC implementation, particularly for the small business environment of short-line railroading, and are pleased to have developed a solution that meets the needs of this community, enabling them to work towards meeting the PTC mandate," said Jim Hanlon, Herzog Technologies' vice president-rail systems.

Under the agreement, railroads will be able to select from additional Herzog services, including startup support, compliance, training and in-service testing.