WASHINGTON – The FRA has has strengthened its positive train control (PTC) team, naming Mark Hartong as senior scientific technical adviser for railroad electronic systems within the FRA’s Office of Safety.
Hartong’s primary responsibility, said the agency, “will be to ensure that electronic technology is applied in a manner that will support the safety and security of freight and passenger transportation on the national railroad system.”
In announcing the appointment, the FRA said Hartong has “in-depth understanding of the other critical systems, including the locomotive electronics, communications systems and back office dispatch systems that must interface with PTC.”
Hartong earned a Ph.D. in information technology from George Mason University and also earned two masters degrees in software engineering and computer science. Prior to joining the FRA in 2003, he worked with Lockheed-Martin Corporation in the Undersea Surveillance Division as senior engineer for all combat and communications systems for nuclear attack submarines as well as the Trident class ballistic missile submarines.
Hartong served for 14 years in the U.S. Navy, achieving the rank of lieutenant commander.
Related News
- ATTENTION VETERANS: Update Your Status in TD Connect
- Obituary: York Dudley Poole III
- SMART-TD Reaches Tentative National Agreement with Carriers
- Spotlighting Rail Safety During See Tracks? Think Train® Week
- Shifting Views on Pattern Agreement
- SMART-TD Pride on Full Display for Labor Day 2025
- Congressman Resurrects Attempt to Nullify Federal Two-Person Crew (2-PC) Rule
- SMART-TD Intensifies the Push for Stronger Transit Safety Laws
- SMART-TD Yardmasters Reach Tentative Agreement
- For Wisconsin’s State Legislative Director, Role is More Than a Title