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U.S. RAILROAD RADIO FREQUENCIES
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The railroads of North America are assigned
a group of 97 frequencies in the VHF band. These frequencies are
in the range of 160.110 megahertz to 161.565 megahertz, in 15
kilohertz increments. The frequency assignment within this frequency
range is managed by the Association of American Railroads (AAR),
which is an industry association composed of the various railroads
of the United States and Canada.
With the increasing use of run-through trains
and leased motive power, many of America's railroads are equipping
locomotives with radio transceivers capable of using all 97 railroad
frequencies. For simplicity, the frequencies are assigned channel
numbers that are used to select the proper frequency on any AAR
97-channel radio. Since the various railroad operating timetables
often refer to the AAR channel numbers, they are included in this
list.
For historical reasons, a few railroads
use frequencies outside the normal 97-channel range. These are
listed without AAR channel numbers.
Outside the VHF band, the railroads of North
America use the frequency 457.9375 megahertz for transmissions
from a train's end-of-train (EOT) device to the train's lead locomotive.
Most U. S. end-of-train devices transmit
only. However, in Canada, the frequency 452.9375 megahertz
is used to transmit from a train's lead locomotive to the end-of-train
device. Use of two-way end-of-train devices is gaining popularity
in the United States. Before the universal adoption of these EOT
frequencies by the AAR, Norfolk Southern
adopted its own EOT devices, which transmit on the frequency 161.115 megahertz.
This list consists of two parts:
Copious use of hyperlinks enables the viewer
to easily move around the list.
Please be aware that the American railroads'
changing operating needs often result in changes in the frequencies
used on one or more parts of the railroad's system. The best source
for up-to-date information is the railroad's operating timetable;
if this is not available, radio frequency data is often available
in publications such as Trains, RailNews, Railpace,
Railfan, etc.
Frequencies sorted by railroad
Adrian & Blissfield
- 160.650 -- [AAR channel 36] -- all operations
- 161.220 -- [AAR channel 74] -- Riga interchange
Algiers, Winslow & Western
- 160.575 -- [AAR channel 31] -- road
Algoma Central
- 160.530 -- [AAR channel 28] -- channel 1 (road)
- 160.575 -- [AAR channel 31] -- channel 2 (yard)
- 160.605 -- [AAR channel 33] -- channel 3 (yard)
Alleghany Eastern
- 160.290 -- [AAR channel 12] -- road
Alton & Southern
- 161.175 -- [AAR channel 71] -- carmen
- 160.770 -- [AAR channel 44] -- channel 1 (road)
- 160.335 -- [AAR channel 15] -- channel 2 (yard)
- 160.905 -- [AAR channel 53] -- north hump
- 161.445 -- [AAR channel 89] -- south hump
Amtrak
- 160.845 -- [AAR channel 49] -- Auto Train operations
- 161.550 -- [AAR channel 96] -- Auto Train switching
- 161.265 -- [AAR channel 77] -- carmen
- 160.920 -- [AAR channel 54] -- channel 1 (Northeast
Corridor road)
- 161.325 -- [AAR channel 81] -- MOW
- 160.305 -- [AAR channel 13] -- passenger services
- 160.635 -- [AAR channel 35] -- Philadelphia-Harrisburg
road
- 161.280 -- [AAR channel 78] -- shop switcher
- 160.545 -- [AAR channel 29] -- special agents
- 160.650 -- [AAR channel 36] -- Sunnyside Yard,
New York
- 161.445 -- [AAR channel 89] -- yard (Bear, DE)
- 160.740 -- [AAR channel 42] -- yard (Chicago)
Ann Arbor
- 161.490 -- [AAR channel 92] -- road
- 161.355 -- [AAR channel 83] -- switching
Arkansas, Louisiana & Mississippi
- 160.980 -- [AAR channel 58] -- all operations
Ashland
- 161.175 -- [AAR channel 71] -- channel 1 (road,
dispatch)
- 161.355 -- [AAR channel 83] -- channel 2 (yard)
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe
- 160.650 -- [AAR channel 36] -- channel 1 (road)
- 161.550 -- [AAR channel 96] -- channel 2 (road)
- 160.935 -- [AAR channel 55] -- channel 3 (road)
- 161.190 -- [AAR channel 72] -- channel 4 (road)
- 160.560 -- [AAR channel 30] -- channel 6 (yard)
- 160.785 -- [AAR channel 45] -- hump
- 161.010 -- [AAR channel 60] -- MOW
- 160.830 -- [AAR channel 48] -- PBX
- 160.245 -- [AAR channel 09] -- PBX (Corwith)
- 160.260 -- [AAR channel 10] -- PBX (Galesburg)
- 160.335 -- [AAR channel 15] -- PBX (West)
- 160.425 -- [AAR channel 21] -- PBX (West)
- 161.385 -- [AAR channel 85] -- piggyback ramp
- 161.205 -- [AAR channel 73] -- special agents
- 160.995 -- [AAR channel 59] -- yard
Atlanta, Stone Mountain & Lithonia
- 160.025 -- all operations
Batten Kill
- 160.905 -- [AAR channel 53] -- all operations
Belt Railway of Chicago
- 161.295 -- [AAR channel 79] -- carmen
- 160.965 -- [AAR channel 57] -- hump
- 160.695 -- [AAR channel 39] -- MOW
- 160.500 -- [AAR channel 26] -- road
- 161.445 -- [AAR channel 89] -- special agents
- 160.380 -- [AAR channel 18] -- yard
Bloomer
- 160.365 -- [AAR channel 17] -- channel 1
- 161.355 -- [AAR channel 83] -- channel 2
Buckingham Branch
- 160.470 -- [AAR channel 24] -- all operations
Buffalo Southern
- 160.260 -- [AAR channel 10] -- all operations
Burlington Northern
- 161.010 -- [AAR channel 60] -- Allouez docks
- 161.100 -- [AAR channel 66] -- channel 1 (road)
- 161.160 -- [AAR channel 70] -- channel 2 (yard,
road on ex-Frisco)
- 160.335 -- [AAR channel 15] -- hump
- 160.605 -- [AAR channel 33] -- hump
- 160.620 -- [AAR channel 34] -- PBX
- 160.665 -- [AAR channel 37] -- PBX
- 161.130 -- [AAR channel 68] -- PBX
- 160.425 -- [AAR channel 21] -- PBX (Lakes Region)
- 161.415 -- [AAR channel 87] -- road
- 161.385 -- [AAR channel 85] -- road
- 160.230 -- [AAR channel 08] -- road
- 160.560 -- [AAR channel 30] -- Superior shops
- 160.590 -- [AAR channel 32] -- Superior shops
- 160.650 -- [AAR channel 36] -- yard
- 161.355 -- [AAR channel 83] -- yard
- 161.250 -- [AAR channel 76] -- yard/road
Cadiz
- 160.350 -- [AAR channel 16] -- road
California Northern
- 160.635 -- [AAR channel 35] -- admin
- 161.385 -- [AAR channel 85] -- road
California State Railroad Museum
- 160.335 -- [AAR channel 15] -- all operations
- 160.440 -- [AAR channel 22] -- all operations
Caltrain
- 160.485 -- [AAR channel 25] -- MOW
- 160.815 -- [AAR channel 47] -- road
Canadian National
- 161.415 -- [AAR channel 87] -- channel 1 (end
to end)
- 161.205 -- [AAR channel 73] -- channel 2 (dispatcher)
- 160.935 -- [AAR channel 55] -- channel 3 (dispatcher)
- 160.665 -- [AAR channel 37] -- channel 4 (dispatcher)
- 160.365 -- [AAR channel 17] -- channel 5 (terminal
switching)
- 160.485 -- [AAR channel 25] -- channel 6 (dispatcher)
- 161.025 -- [AAR channel 61] -- channel 8 (dispatcher)
- 161.505 -- [AAR channel 93] -- CN police
Canadian Pacific
- 161.475 -- [AAR channel 91] -- channel 1 (road
and dispatcher 1)
- 161.535 -- [AAR channel 95] -- channel 2 (train
to dispatcher 1)
- 160.425 -- [AAR channel 21] -- channel 3 (train
to dispatcher 2)
- 161.115 -- [AAR channel 67] -- channel 4 (road
and dispatcher 4)
- 161.325 -- [AAR channel 81] -- channel 5 (road
and dispatcher 3)
- 160.425 -- [AAR channel 21] -- channel 6 (train
to dispatcher 4)
- 160.845 -- [AAR channel 49] -- channel 11 (MOW
2)
- 161.175 -- [AAR channel 71] -- channel 13 (MOW
1)
- 161.265 -- [AAR channel 77] -- channel 16 (MOW
3)
- 161.505 -- [AAR channel 93] -- channel 19 (MOW
4)
- 159.885 -- police
- 160.815 -- [AAR channel 47] -- RTC
Canadian Railway Museum
- 167.280 -- road
Carolina Southern
- 161.505 -- [AAR channel 93] -- MOW and other
operations
- 160.455 -- [AAR channel 23] -- road
Carthage, Knightstown & Shirley
- 160.695 -- [AAR channel 39] -- road
Cartier
- 161.130 -- [AAR channel 68] -- channel 1 (south
dispatcher)
- 160.800 -- [AAR channel 46] -- channel 2 (north
dispatcher)
- 160.980 -- [AAR channel 58] -- channel 3 (end-to-end)
- 160.740 -- [AAR channel 42] -- channel 4 (MOW)
- 161.070 -- [AAR channel 64] -- channel 5 (yard)
- 160.920 -- [AAR channel 54] -- channel 6 (yard)
- 160.860 -- [AAR channel 50] -- channel 7 (yard)
- 160.680 -- [AAR channel 38] -- channel 8 (yard)
Catskill Mountain
- 160.530 -- [AAR channel 28] -- mow
- 160.365 -- [AAR channel 17] -- road
Cedar Rapids & Iowa City (Crandic)
- 160.500 -- [AAR channel 26] -- road
- 161.055 -- [AAR channel 63] -- road
Central Indiana & Western
- 160.335 -- [AAR channel 15] -- road
Central Oregon & Pacific
- 160.320 -- [AAR channel 14] -- all operations
Central Western
- 160.590 -- [AAR channel 32] -- road
- 161.445 -- [AAR channel 89] -- road
Chicago & Illinois Midland
- 160.290 -- [AAR channel 12] -- MOW, yard
- 160.950 -- [AAR channel 56] -- road
- 160.830 -- [AAR channel 48] -- yard
Chicago & North Western
- 160.890 -- [AAR channel 52] -- channel 1 (road)
- 160.455 -- [AAR channel 23] -- channel 2 (MOW,
diesel ramp)
- 161.040 -- [AAR channel 62] -- channel 3 (road,
commuter)
- 161.175 -- [AAR channel 71] -- channel 4 (yard,
piggyback ramp)
- 160.575 -- [AAR channel 31] -- channel 5 (yard)
- 161.475 -- [AAR channel 91] -- channel 6 (Proviso
hump yardmaster)
- 160.485 -- [AAR channel 25] -- police
- 161.205 -- [AAR channel 73] -- police
Chicago & Western Indiana
- 161.280 -- [AAR channel 78] -- road
Chicago Central & Pacific
- 160.755 -- [AAR channel 43] -- channel 1 (road)
- 161.460 -- [AAR channel 90] -- yard
Chicago Rail Link
- 160.635 -- [AAR channel 35] -- road
Chicago Short Line
- 160.335 -- [AAR channel 15] -- road
Chicago South Shore & South Bend
- 161.100 -- [AAR channel 66] -- MOW
- 161.355 -- [AAR channel 83] -- road
- 161.025 -- [AAR channel 61] -- road, commuter
Chicago, West Pullman & Southern
- 160.215 -- [AAR channel 07] -- road
Conrail
- 160.800 -- [AAR channel 46] -- channel 1 (road)
- 161.070 -- [AAR channel 64] -- channel 2 (road)
- 160.860 -- [AAR channel 50] -- channel 3 (hump)
- 160.980 -- [AAR channel 58] -- channel 4 (yard)
- 160.245 -- [AAR channel 09] -- channel 5
- 160.410 -- [AAR channel 20] -- channel 6
- 160.995 -- [AAR channel 59] -- channel 7 (yard)
- 161.400 -- [AAR channel 86] -- channel 9
- 161.430 -- [AAR channel 88] -- channel 10 (track
crews)
- 160.335 -- [AAR channel 15] -- channel 11
- 160.350 -- [AAR channel 16] -- channel 12
- 160.470 -- [AAR channel 24] -- channel 13
- 161.340 -- [AAR channel 82] -- channel 14 (carmen)
- 161.385 -- [AAR channel 85] -- channel 15 (yard)
- 161.460 -- [AAR channel 90] -- channel 16
- 160.680 -- [AAR channel 38] -- channel 17 (police)
- 160.560 -- [AAR channel 30] -- channel 18 (police
mobile)
- 160.740 -- [AAR channel 42] -- PBX (Toledo)
- 161.445 -- [AAR channel 89] -- PBX, administration
- 161.130 -- [AAR channel 68] -- PBX, maintenance
- 160.545 -- [AAR channel 29] -- police
- 161.055 -- [AAR channel 63] -- track crews
- 160.305 -- [AAR channel 13] -- yard
- 161.295 -- [AAR channel 79] -- yard
- 160.365 -- [AAR channel 17] -- yard
- 160.425 -- [AAR channel 21] -- yard
- 160.500 -- [AAR channel 26] -- yard
Crab Orchard & Egyptian
- 160.350 -- [AAR channel 16] -- road
CSX
- 160.275 -- [AAR channel 11] -- carmen
- 160.890 -- [AAR channel 52] -- channel Y1
- 161.520 -- [AAR channel 94] -- dispatcher
- 160.410 -- [AAR channel 20] -- dispatcher to
train (ex-RF&P)
- 161.490 -- [AAR channel 92] -- dispatcher to
train (ex-RF&P)
- 160.785 -- [AAR channel 45] -- MOW/engineering
- 160.980 -- [AAR channel 58] -- PBX
- 161.265 -- [AAR channel 77] -- PBX (Baltimore,
MD-Martinsburg, WV)
- 161.295 -- [AAR channel 79] -- police
- 160.875 -- [AAR channel 51] -- police
- 160.920 -- [AAR channel 54] -- road
- 160.230 -- [AAR channel 08] -- road (ex-Chessie)
- 160.320 -- [AAR channel 14] -- road (ex-Chessie)
- 161.100 -- [AAR channel 66] -- road (ex-SBD)
- 161.370 -- [AAR channel 84] -- road (ex-SBD)
- 160.590 -- [AAR channel 32] -- road (ex-SBD)
- 161.550 -- [AAR channel 96] -- train to dispatcher
(ex-RF&P)
- 161.280 -- [AAR channel 78] -- yard
- 160.290 -- [AAR channel 12] -- yard
- 160.740 -- [AAR channel 42] -- yard
- 161.160 -- [AAR channel 70] -- yard
- 161.460 -- [AAR channel 90] -- yard
- 161.145 -- [AAR channel 69] -- yard (Chicago)
- 160.530 -- [AAR channel 28] -- yard (ex-Chessie)
Cumbres & Toltec Scenic
- 161.505 -- [AAR channel 93] -- road
- 160.305 -- [AAR channel 13] -- yard
Danbury Railway Museum
- 160.215 -- [AAR channel 07] -- mobile and base
Delaware & Hudson
- 161.100 -- [AAR channel 66] -- East Binghamton
yard
- 160.590 -- [AAR channel 32] -- road
- 160.530 -- [AAR channel 28] -- yard
Denver & Rio Grande Western
- 160.920 -- [AAR channel 54] -- channel 2 (road)
Depew, Lancaster & Western
- 160.920 -- [AAR channel 54] -- all operations
Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range
- 160.230 -- [AAR channel 08] -- Duluth ore docks
- 161.340 -- [AAR channel 82] -- maintenance of
way
- 160.680 -- [AAR channel 38] -- maintenance of
way
- 160.800 -- [AAR channel 46] -- north dispatcher
- 160.350 -- [AAR channel 16] -- south dispatcher
Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific
- 161.415 -- [AAR channel 87] -- channel 1 (road)
- 161.205 -- [AAR channel 73] -- channel 2 (yard)
Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge
- 160.860 -- [AAR channel 50] -- road
- 161.295 -- [AAR channel 79] -- yard
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern
- 161.475 -- [AAR channel 91] -- carmen
- 161.550 -- [AAR channel 96] -- MOW
- 160.350 -- [AAR channel 16] -- road
- 160.260 -- [AAR channel 10] -- yard
Escanaba & Lake Superior
- 160.320 -- [AAR channel 14] -- road
- 160.290 -- [AAR channel 12] -- yard
- 161.550 -- [AAR channel 96] -- yard
- 161.310 -- [AAR channel 80] -- yard
Ferdinand
- 160.275 -- [AAR channel 11] -- road
Finger Lakes
- 161.100 -- [AAR channel 66] -- all operations
Florida East Coast
- 160.770 -- [AAR channel 44] -- channel 1 (train
to dispatcher)
- 160.530 -- [AAR channel 28] -- channel 2 (dispatcher
to train)
Fordyce & Princeton
- 160.770 -- [AAR channel 44] -- all operations
Fox Valley & Western
- 160.335 -- [AAR channel 15] -- channel 1 (yard,
ex-FRVR)
- 161.250 -- [AAR channel 76] -- channel 2 (road,
ex-GB&W)
- 160.845 -- [AAR channel 49] -- channel 3 (road,
ex-FRVR)
Gateway Western
- 161.460 -- [AAR channel 90] -- operations east
of Mexico, MO
- 161.280 -- [AAR channel 78] -- operations west
of Mexico, MO and on joint line
Gettysburg
- 161.235 -- [AAR channel 75] -- road
Gold Coast
- 160.245 -- [AAR channel 09] -- dispatcher to
train
- 161.295 -- [AAR channel 79] -- train to dispatcher
Golden Gate Railroad Museum
- 160.635 -- [AAR channel 35] -- all operations
Grand Trunk Western
- 160.590 -- [AAR channel 32] -- channel 1 (road)
- 160.530 -- [AAR channel 28] -- channel 2 (road)
- 160.845 -- [AAR channel 49] -- channel 3 (yard)
- 160.950 -- [AAR channel 56] -- channel 4 (MOW)
- 160.920 -- [AAR channel 54] -- ex-D&TS road
- 161.010 -- [AAR channel 60] -- PBX
- 160.980 -- [AAR channel 58] -- PBX
- 161.280 -- [AAR channel 78] -- police
- 160.440 -- [AAR channel 22] -- police
- 160.470 -- [AAR channel 24] -- police (Detroit
area)
- 161.220 -- [AAR channel 74] -- road (ex-DT&I)
- 160.905 -- [AAR channel 53] -- special agents
- 160.740 -- [AAR channel 42] -- yard
- 161.040 -- [AAR channel 62] -- yard
Great Walton
- 160.815 -- [AAR channel 47] -- all operations
Green Bay & Western
- 161.250 -- [AAR channel 76] -- channel 1 (road)
- 161.070 -- [AAR channel 64] -- channel 2 (yard)
- 161.385 -- [AAR channel 85] -- channel 3 (yard)