Pennsylvania agency orders Protran railway worker safety system

Protran Technology, a company with Harsco Rail and an industry leader with warning devices and advanced safety technology, said on Tuesday that it has received a significant railway safety technology order from the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), which is the operator of America’s sixth-biggest rapid-transit system by ridership.

Protran has agreed to provide its advanced Roadway Worker Protection System (RWPS) to SEPTA. This system provides an additional second layer of protection to railway workers by simultaneously warning train operators of rail workers’ presence, while also warning track workers that a train is approaching.

This order is the last piece that SEPTA needs to become the first operating system to have both the RWPS  and Positive Train Control. Now SEPTA can meet the standards of the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) recommendations ahead of schedule by two years.

"Railway safety is very much on the national agenda, and we are proud to partner with major operators like SEPTA to help safeguard human life," Peter Bartek, Harsco Rail's sales director, said. "With more than 3,500 of our systems in operation, nothing is more important to us than the goal of protecting workers through leading-edge safety technology."

Protran’s RWPS received an FRA top safety recommendation earlier this year. The FRA also recommended Protran’s Collision Avoidance for on-track equipment.