When it comes to Service for PTC there are four different areas around the implementation. Each major section of the rail network will have an installation and service component.

Onboard

First, all of the upgrades for onboard computers on the locomotive will need to be installed in new locomotives in the factory or on the approximately 17,000 locomotives in the field.

Wayside
With nearly 100,000 wayside devices throughout the United States and Canada, installation and service of these devices becomes an even more complex situation than the actual design of the protocol. To meet the 2015 deadline, railroads will need to commission several wayside devices each day.

Communications
For the communications portion of PTC, surveys will need to be done to determine exact proximity of base stations to rail lines. Also, installation and servicing of radios throughout the network will need to occur.

Back Office
Software service agreements may need to be in place for the back office or control center. Frequently, these types of agreements are multi-year service agreements where supplier resources can be drawn upon for software development and upgrade work.

Finally, since all of these upgrades are already occurring, many railroads are adding a component to this effort that is not required by legislation. Fuel optimization software will be added to locomotives throughout the country. This software will utilize track databases to monitor routes and terrain. The continued formatting and updating of these databases could contain a post-sale service element as well.