PTC, or Positive Train Control, is a wireless railway control system that provides line safety through train spacing, observation of speed restrictions, track worker safety, and other precautionary functions. It combines safety with low cost thanks to control tower and on-board (OBC) monitoring, reducing the number of required elements on the line.

It is used to link the mining town of Moatize and the port of Nacala through the so-called Nacala Corridor, with a staggering 912.5 km (567 mi) on the main line and two branch lines of 496 km (308 mi) and 263 km (163.5 mi).

Thanks to PTC, almost no elements are necessary on the track, since nearly all logic is included in the on-board equipment and the OCC, thus reducing the total infrastructure cost.

It is a reactive and predictive system that forecasts future conditions and can even take control of the train if necessary.

Additionally, it is adaptive to all kinds of telecommunication systems, such as TETRA, satellite, LTE, 3G, etc. This allows permanent communication, even if one element of the network loses signal.

• 100 stations and 1,672 km (1,039 mi) of track.

• Mining operations in Moatize have increased after the implementation of the project.

Country: Mozambique
Sector: Freight trains