Swiss fibre optic specialist Huber & Suhner has launched an antenna to improve the resilience and performance of positive train control (PTC) safety systems on US rail networks. The company claims its new SENCITY PTC Antenna has the highest number of heavy-rail certifications in the industry.

The SENCITY PTC Antenna provides high voltage and high current protection, added protection for the antenna and RF path from catenary line strikes which can destroy electronic devices.

Huber & Suhner says its new antenna meets the highest requirements for mechanical robustness and fire safety according to the EN 50155 and NFPA-130 standards. The antenna offers an ultra-narrow bandwidth, supporting aj very high frequency PTC band of 220 MHz. Railway operators can select a standalone PTC antenna or have the option of an embedded multi-band GNSS receiving antenna to support the upper GNSS bands on the GPS, Galileo, BeiDou and GLONASS constellations.

The SENCITY PTC antenna is designed to ensure stable ground and satellite connectivity for the moving train through a uniform 360-degree Omni-directional radiation pattern and elevated line-of-sight. The antenna incorporates an aerodynamic protective cover to guarantee the antenna elements are sheltered from harsh environments, ensuring no disturbance to the signal transmission.

“With PTC systems being safety critical, it is imperative that the antenna is selected with upmost care,” said Daniel Montagnese, Product Manager Railway Antennas at Huber & Suhner. “As the cost for nationwide PTC implementation is expected to be around US $6-22 billion, operators need to be certain that they are choosing reliable solutions that are easy to implement and offer the highest safety standards.”