Systems

Dispatching – Traffic Control

Utilizes Railcomm’s TWC:DOC™ PC-based control system, designed to provide track warrant train control for PCRC’s mainline operations.This software application provides control, indications, and maintenance data (logged with time/date stamp for each radio-equipped switch machine) collected on a central office PC workstation and through a date communication network to transport data between the central office and applicable field equipment.

Currently, Panama Canal Railway Company is implementing the Train Sentinel® Positive Train Control dispatching system designed by Quantum Engineering, Inc. Train Sentinel® incorporates the latest state of the art PC based distributed computer aided dispatching (CAD) system. The onboard computer, with location information provided by global positioning systems satellites, alerts the crew to approaching restrictions and will stop the train if the crew fails to respond appropriately, preventing train to train collisions, enforcing speed restrictions and providing protection from train movements to roadway workers and their equipment.

Signals & Communications

PCRC Crossings

The trans-isthmian railroad incorporates a total of 19 public road crossings utilizing automatic gated protections systems. These crossings are comprised of solid-state microprocessor controlled motion detector equipment integrated with the original equipment enclosures and subsystem controls. The equipment shelters have been tropicalized and robust installation techniques have been employed to withstand the humidity and heavy rainfall characteristics of the harsh tropical climate.

Communication System

The Panama Canal Railway Company is licensed to operate on six different radio communication channels within the UHVA High Frequency (UHF) band. All equipment is owned and maintained by the Company and is configured to provide both local and trans-isthmian mobile communications in support of dispatch, maintenance and operations units.One channel is dedicated to digital communications linking remote controlled yard switches and crossing monitoring and control telemetry systems to the central dispatching facilities.


Cargo Tracking

Velu Software has developed for the Panama Canal Railway Company a turnkey solution for cargo management and tracking. The application allows PCRC to track the status of a given container throughout the logistics chain, starting from the time it is received at one of the rail terminals, followed by when it is loaded to a particular train, until it is delivered to the corresponding port for its ongoing sea voyage. In addition, authorized customers can perform queries on-line to determine the location of a particular container.