Railroad Special Agents/Police, Northwest New York

[NS9710]

Like with my previous post about contractors, do the railroad special agents up in the Northwest corner of the state, have a radio channel they use [I know some other divisions of CSX would use an exclusive radio channel for their agents] or are they primarily either encrypted, or using phones for communications?

 

[burner50]

If they absolutely have to talk to a train or dispatcher right now, it'll be the road channel. That's the only time I have ever heard them on the radio.

Otherwise it's usually cell phone.

 

[wa8pyr]

NS has a police channel, but it’s both digital and encrypted.

 

[BigLebowski]

CSX uses smartconnect on APX NEXT radios.

 

[INDY72]

CSX in Indiana use APX NEXT, and use both the Statewide trs, as well as their own encrypted freqs. They aren't very active on radio unless they have to be. Amtrak police are much more active, and their operations are still fully analog and in the clear. Their repeaters in various locations repeat Chicago and New Orleans operations. Unsure if they have operations repeated in other locations or not.

 

[NS9710]

Is there a “standard” APD frequency, or frequencies?

CSX in Indiana use APX NEXT, and use both the Statewide trs, as well as their own encrypted freqs. They aren't very active on radio unless they have to be. Amtrak police are much more active, and their operations are still fully analog and in the clear. Their repeaters in various locations repeat Chicago and New Orleans operations. Unsure if they have operations repeated in other locations or not.

 

[FrensicPic]

Amtrak Police in Los Angeles uses AAR63 as a repeater output (input AAR91) with PL 146.2.
On one occasion I heard them come up on the road frequency to communicate with our train when arriving on the scene of an incident.

 

[wa8pyr]

CSX uses smartconnect on APX NEXT radios.

In Ohio they pretty much stick to cell phones, although they do occasionally pop up on the road/DS channels, or the former Chessie police channel. They also have limited access to Ohio MARCS.

 

[BigLebowski]

In Ohio they pretty much stick to cell phones, although they do occasionally pop up on the road/DS channels, or the former Chessie police channel. They also have limited access to Ohio MARCS.

They use smartconnect. The home system is Starcom21 and all “radio” traffic is LTE when outside the coverage of that system. They have multiple talkgroups split up by region as well as for executive protection.

 

[INDY72]

Is there a “standard” APD frequency, or frequencies?

The "Beech Grove" repeater is listed on the IN railroad page of the db.

 

[INDY72]

Also forgot to mention that the local CSX PD base freq repeats the Train dispatcher ch broadcasts and is monitored. They rarely talk to the trains unless there is need. They do monitor just for safety and awareness so they are clear of the tracks when trains roll if they are hi rolling in an area with no trackside roads. (Dodge Durango and some Chevrolet Tahoe in use that I have seen.)

 

[videobruce]

Is there a “standard” APD frequency, or frequencies?

Other than "Auditory processing disorder", what is this APD?

As to the OP question, I never heard a CSX officer use a radio, there is only one here (in WNY) AFAIK for years .
Back in the 60's & 70's when there was a actual RR police force, there was activity on their own channel. IIRC, Conrail did away with them passing it onto all the 'local yocals'.

But, I have heard NS police related xmissions on one or two occasions on their road channel.

 

[INDY72]

Amtrak Police Department. CSX has a full PD with everything from canine units, to marked patrol vehicles, to unmarked detectives.

 

[videobruce]

Not here for either!

 

[railroader1994]

Most of your class I freight railroad agents work alone. They normally take calls from a network operations call center part of the rail carrier. CSX calls theirs the PSCC. However, almost all special agents have radios programmed with their local and state systems with capabilities to run tags or call for back-up. Very rarely will you see these agents solely utilizing these radios unless they are working some sort of detail with a local agency. At which point most of those communications will be utilized on a interoperability TGID/frequency. CSX in the Tampa area will work details with Tampa PD to clear out homeless camps. They normally utilize ISSI5 so they can maintain communication with a local PD agency provided dispatcher. These agents will also utilize railroad AAR channels to communicate with train crews in the event of a emergency but, once again this is rare on your class I freight railroads. The RRPD channels in their railroad radios are most definitely full ENC.

On a day to day basis these agents are normally dealing with outside party dumping complaints, Homless camps, intermodal thefts or employee complaints/ethical complaints. Anytime the rail carrier causes property damage such as a train VS vehicle or even a fatality they will respond if they are close.

Hope this helps