The US PTC architecture was, from the beginning, centered on the need to fit with the proprietary systems of the current RR signal equipment "vendors" and not necessarily on an independently defined "user needs" architecture development process.

It will work, eventually, though it is taking way longer and is a far more costly integration process, than was probably necessary. Failure to properly staff the FRA with the technical capacity to oversee this.

The decision to bring in the dominant "usual suspects" in the industry to define the system "user needs" (and protect their existing proprietary markets), and the failure engage in a truly open architecture design "competition", prior to trying to "force" a hasty integration on the RR's, didn't help, except to add to the cost.

Heckuva job FRA!

The lack of on-time performance and reliability issues have done more than anything else to cause the decline of Metrolink ridership..... Some of these were beyond the immediate control of ML (Rotem design flaw screw-up), others appear to stem from a failure to stabilize management and direction at the agency, leaving staff floundering, without resources or clear direction, to respond.

The management team has largely been in complete chaos since Chatsworth, with no one actually seeming to be "in charge" of anything. And, with Leahy now in charge, I'm still waiting to see if that stabilizes (it hasn't, thus far, that I can see...?). The Board has had no real visible political leadership, to take "ownership" of the situation, to give direction to ML staff, or provide the space for management to stabilize. And finally, the Transportation Commissions who financially support ML have been AWOL, as well.