PTC
WHAT PTC IS—AND ISN’T It comes down to understanding the difference between technicians and technologists. he article “PTC 2.0: Now is the Time” (RA, December 2020, p. 30) does not, in my mind, clearly define what PTC really is. The argument presented underscores my long-held contentions that technicians 40 Railway Age // February 2021
step in too quickly when what is needed first are technologists, and that some of the investment in meeting the largely unfunded federal PTC mandate has been misdirected. In this article, I offer several alternatives for the railroads, both individually and collectively, toward
improving operations. To start with, there currently is no “PTC 2.0.” Industry-wide, there is only one version of PTC, with some slight variations. PTC is and always will be a safety enhancement system. In that same vein, PTC is not even functionally vital, in that railwayage.com
William C. Vantuono
T
BY RON LINDSEY, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
