GE Transportation and Powertrunk announce collaboration for integrating incremental train control system (ITCS) over TETRA
The integration of TETRA with ITCS, and potentially some of our other communications based products, will significantly improve our product portfolio’s communications capabilities" said Berry Yeldell, Product Manager of GE’s ITCS
GE Transportation, a division of General Electric Company, and PowerTrunk Inc. jointly announce entering into a Purchase Services Agreement (PSA) for the purpose of providing an Incremental Train Control System (ITCS) over a digital TETRA land mobile radio network for the Ferrocarriles del Norte de Colombia S.A. (FENOCO S.A.) Railway Company in Colombia.
ITCS is a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) approved Positive Train Control railway signaling system which uses train-to-wayside wireless links and a vital communications protocol to monitor and control train actions. ITCS reports train status along the railway and provides a variety of safety and operational functions such as track occupancy, speed limits and controls, and enforces the execution of the safety functions by means of a vital onboard computer. This proven technology has been approved by the FRA for operation at speeds up to and including 110MPH (177KM/hr). There are installations in service or in development in North America, China, Australia, and South America.
“One of the major selling points of ITCS has always been its flexibility in Communications Subsystem infrastructure. The addition of a TETRA-based network to our communications arsenal is huge. The integration of TETRA with ITCS, and potentially some of our other communications based products, will significantly improve our product portfolio’s communications capabilities by utilizing a standardized, state of the art, digital radio technology.” said Berry Yeldell, Product Manager of GE’s ITCS Communications-based Train Control System.
TETRA, which is the leading digital land mobile radio (LMR) technology standard used in more than 125 countries worldwide today, is the chosen radio system to support the FENOCO ITCS project, as its ability to simultaneously support both voice and data transmission make it an ideal communication solution. FENOCO currently owns and operates a TETRA voice network provided by PowerTrunk's parent company, TELTRONIC S.A.U. of Spain. Under the agreement, the TETRA network will be expanded and upgraded to support ITCS for FENOCO's railway operations in northern Colombia. TETRA base stations are installed along the rail line, and specially-designed onboard TETRA radios will use ITCS technology to allow wayside status and train control information to be exchanged from ground to train along the route, thereby enhancing railway safety.
“This new strategic agreement between GE Transportation and PowerTrunk/Teltronic is an exciting opportunity to integrate proven TETRA capability with world-class GE railway communications products that offer next generation solutions to customers worldwide,” said Chris Ramsden, VP of Sales for PowerTrunk.
“The Purchase Services Agreement we have entered into with GE Transportation involves, as a first step, integrating our TETRA technology with GE Transportation’s PTC-qualified ITCS railway safety system; a challenge that PowerTrunk and its parent company, Teltronic S.A.U., are excited to meet. ” said Jose Martin, CEO of PowerTrunk. “We are proud for being selected by such a market leader to conduct the first ever PTC over TETRA integration”.
