On June 26th, Amtrak and the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA) gathered with state, local, and federal officials at Freeport Station to discuss the installation and impact of Positive Train Control (PTC) between Haverhill, MA and Brunswick, ME on over 100 miles of track.

What is Positive Train Control?

Positive Train Control (PTC) is an advanced system designed to automatically stop or slow down a train before certain types of accidents occur and is intended to prevent:

• Train-to-train collisions
• Derailments caused by excessive speed
• Unauthorized train movements on tracks undergoing maintenance
• Movement of trains through misaligned track switches

Timeline

Scheduled to be completed in Spring 2026,  Positive Train Control (PTC) also creates opportunities for potential increases in Downeaster frequencies.

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