Railroad Police on Michigan's MPSCS P25 Digital System

[iMONITOR]

I never see anyone discussing railroad communications on MPSCS P25 Digital here in Michigan. There is a fair amount of activity! I monitor MPSCS Macomb County simulcast system and it even carries traffic from the Canadian Pacific Railway. Anyone else catch these?

Railroad Police Talkgroups

DEC	HEX	Mode	Alpha Tag	Description	Tag
2174	87e	D	AMTRAK1	Amtrak 1	Law Tac
2376	948	D	NSRPD1	Norfolk Southern 1	Law Tac
2377	949	D	RAILCOM	Railroad Police Common	Law Tac
2378	94a	D	CPRPD1	Canadian Pacific Railway 1	Law Tac
2379	94b	D	CPRPD2	Canadian Pacific Railway 2	Law Tac
2883	b43	D	NSRPD2	Norfolk Southern 2	Law Tac
2884	b44	D	NSRPD3	Norfolk Southern 3	Law Tac
2885	b45	D	NSRPD4	Norfolk Southern 4	Law Tac
12089	2f39	D	CSXTPD1	CSX Transportation 1	Law Tac
12090	2f3a	D	CSXTPD2	CSX Transportation 2	Law Tac
12091	2f3b	D	CSAAPD1	Conrail Shared Assets Area 1	Law Tac
12261	2fe5	D	CNRPD1	Canadian National Railway 1	Law Tac
12262	2fe6	D	CNRPD2	Canadian National Railway 2	Law Tac

 

[RadioDitch]

It's not uncommon. BNSF, CSX, and CP use or at the least have access to state trunked public safety systems in several states. West Virginia, New Jersey, Illinois and Nebraska come to mind. The TG's aren't all listed in the database however.

 

[FFPM571]

In Illinois METRA Rail Police is on Starcom21 and dispatched by Cook County Sheriff. They are a municipal Rail Police department. CP Rail Police, BNSF, CN Police have dedicated Talkgroups. Belt Railway police, CSX and UP all have access to starcom21 but are not dispatched on them.

 

[Floridarailfanning]

In Illinois METRA Rail Police is on Starcom21 and dispatched by Cook County Sheriff. They are a municipal Rail Police department. CP Rail Police, BNSF, CN Police have dedicated Talkgroups. Belt Railway police, CSX and UP all have access to starcom21 but are not dispatched on them.

Now you've got me wondering! Does anyone know if CSX or NS use TACN in Tennessee? If so, "Having Access" vs "Actively Using" would be interesting questions to answer. I know there are some LEO and EMA organizations that have access to radio systems but have never even used them.

 

[RadioDitch]

Now you've got me wondering! Does anyone know if CSX or NS use TACN in Tennessee? If so, "Having Access" vs "Actively Using" would be interesting questions to answer. I know there are some LEO and EMA organizations that have access to radio systems but have never even used them.

CSX has access, NS does not. Even in the states where NS does have access to a State system, they continue to use a combination of their own encrypted NXDN conventional network and MDT's.

 

[buddrousa]

Also on Starcom21
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Police Talkgroups

DEC	HEX	Mode	Alpha Tag	Description	Tag
4876	130c	D	BNSF Police	Dispatch (Cook/DuPage)	Law Dispatch
4877	130d	D	BNSF Police Tac	Tac (Cook/DuPage)	Law Tac

Canadian National Railway Police [*need loc] Talkgroups

DEC	HEX	Mode	Alpha Tag	Description	Tag
3591	e07	D	CN Rail Police	Canadian National Railway - Police	Law Talk

Canadian Pacific Railway Police Talkgroups

DEC	HEX	Mode	Alpha Tag	Description	Tag
36516	8ea4	De	CP Rail PD 36516	Railroad Police Operations	Law Talk
36517	8ea5	D	CP Rail PD 36517	Railroad Police Operations	Law Talk
36518	8ea6	D	CP Rail PD 36518	Railroad Police Operations	Law Talk

Metra Commuter Rail Police Talkgroups

Metra Police patrol seven of the system's 11 lines in the counties of Cook, DuPage, Lake, Will, McHenry and Kane in Northeastern Illinois. The three Union Pacific lines and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe line all have separate police forces.

DEC	HEX	Mode	Alpha Tag	Description	Tag
2991	baf	D	MetraPolice Disp	Dispatch	Law Dispatch
2992	bb0	D	MetraPolice Ctl2	Control 2	Law Talk
2993	bb1	D	MetraPolice Ops	Operations	Law Talk
2994	bb2	D	MetraPolice Tac	Special Operations	Law Tac
2995	bb3	D	MetraPolice 2995	Operations	Law Tac
2996	bb4	D	MetraPolice 2996	Operations	Law Tac

 

[Forts]

I see CN Police active on the St Clair site quite frequently, however I noticed it's always the same RID... so I assume it's being patched in from something else.

 

[RadioDitch]

I see CN Police active on the St Clair site quite frequently, however I noticed it's always the same RID... so I assume it's being patched in from something else.

Likely is the two-way patch of 160.44000 (CNR Law Main 1) and 160.47000 (CNR Law Ops 2). Main ops for CNR Police are on the system though.

 

[INDY72]

Also remember its CN/IC from IL to NOLA. This was proven in court that CN has no assets and owns no property in LA, MS, or IL. All CN assets are owned and managed by another company once they cross into the USA. Its how they get out of several lawsuits, including one pending by City of Jackson, MS.

 

[RadioDitch]

Also remember its CN/IC from IL to NOLA. This was proven in court that CN has no assets and owns no property in LA, MS, or IL. All CN assets are owned and managed by another company once they cross into the USA. Its how they get out of several lawsuits, including one pending by City of Jackson, MS.

You're right and wrong at the same time. This is where it gets muddy when you get into railroad law when you start talking about international operations. They do own it all...yet they don't. The operations in Michigan/Wisconsin/Indiana are directly owned by the Grand Trunk Corporation, assets in Minnesota/Pennsylvania/soon to be New York are owned by The Bessemer & Lake Erie Company (a wholly owned subsidiary of Grand Trunk Corporation) while the southern assets are owned by the Illinois Central Asset Management (wholly owed subsidiary of Grand Trunk Corporation). All of which at the top of the chain is owned entirely as Class B stock (private) by Canadian National Railway.

It's convoluted but it makes it legal.

 

[FFPM571]

You're right and wrong at the same time. This is where it gets muddy when you get into railroad law when you start talking about international operations. They do own it all...yet they don't. The operations in Michigan/Wisconsin/Indiana are directly owned by the Grand Trunk Corporation, assets in Minnesota/Pennsylvania/soon to be New York are owned by The Bessemer & Lake Erie Company (a wholly owned subsidiary of Grand Trunk Corporation) while the southern assets are owned by the Illinois Central Asset Management (wholly owed subsidiary of Grand Trunk Corporation). All of which at the top of the chain is owned entirely as Class B stock (private) by Canadian National Railway.

It's convoluted but it makes it legal.

Same with Canadian Pacific .. When I worked on CP Rail Police vehicles they were owned and registered to SOO Line Corporation or Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Ry or Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Ry though fully marked as CP Rail Police