Ontario’s Metrolinx has announced that it will be the first North American jurisdiction to be equipped with advanced European signalling technology, which it says will result in “faster, safer, and more reliable” travel on GO and UP trains.
Dubbed the European Train Control System (ETCS) — Level 2, this tech incorporates a radio-based train control system that communicates train speeds, positions, and movements across a rail network in real-time. This will provide train operators with a centralized control system to monitor and manage rail traffic optimally.
That’s a brief summary of how ETCS Level 2 works, but a more in-depth technical breakdown is available on Metrolinx’s website. Unfortunately, Metrolinx didn’t mention a specific rollout window for the ETCS Level 2 trains. For now, though, Metrolinx says ETCS will be implemented on trains “throughout much of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area, from Toronto and Burlington to Oshawa, Markham and Brampton.”
Metrolinx adds that tenant passenger trains that operate on Metrolinx-owned tracks, including VIA Rail, will be equipped with ETCS Level 2. However, freight trains operated by the likes of Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) will not receive the new tech.
In other Metrolinx-related news, the agency has partnered with PlayStation Canada to give away special MLB The Show-themed Presto cards.
Image credit: Metrolinx
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