SWARCO UK & Ireland has launched the PTC3 Controller Series
Marking the most significant shift in traffic control philosophy in a generation
This is not a routine product launch. It is a reset.
For more than twenty years, traffic control has evolved in small, incremental steps. Controllers became faster. Software became smarter. Networks became larger. But the junction itself stayed static. A collection of parts. A box at the roadside.
PTC3 changes that.
PTC3 is the foundation of the Living Junction and a core pillar of SWARCO’s Connected Journeys strategy. It transforms the junction from a passive asset into an active, intelligent system that connects signals, detection, pedestrians, buses, and priority systems into one adaptive ecosystem. Every element works together. Every decision is informed. Every journey is connected.
This is the point where control becomes intelligence.
Building on the proven legacy of the PTC1 Controller, PTC3 is fully TOPAS 2500B approved and fully compatible with existing configurations. Local authorities can upgrade without disruption, without replacing plinths, and without reengineering their networks. The change is evolutionary in deployment, but transformational in capability.
PTC3 is designed for a world where traffic management can no longer be reactive. It supports advanced adaptive and AI-driven strategies including SWARCO ImFlow and Smart AI, enabling real-time optimisation across junctions, corridors, and networks. Data is no longer trapped in silos. Intelligence flows across the network, allowing operators to respond dynamically to congestion, incidents, and changing travel behaviour.
Operational resilience is built in. PTC3 directly monitors ultra-low power LED signal heads, reducing energy use and extending asset life. Optional uninterruptible power supply capability keeps junctions operational during power interruptions, protecting safety and maintaining network performance when conditions are at their most challenging.
At its core, PTC3 uses SWARCO’s ITC-3 hardware platform, already deployed in more than 50 countries worldwide, combined with enhanced processing power to support faster analytics and future technologies as networks continue to expand.
According to John Pickworth, Head of Region, SWARCO UK&I, this launch represents a defining moment for the industry.
“PTC3 is the biggest step forward in traffic control we have seen in over twenty years. It is not about replacing a controller. It is about redefining what a junction is and what it can do. PTC3 is the intelligence at the heart of connected journeys, turning individual assets into living systems that actively improve safety, efficiency, and the experience of moving through our towns and cities.”
Already being trialled by local authorities across the UK, PTC3 is setting a new reference point for how modern traffic infrastructure is specified, delivered, and operated.
Available in both small and large cabinets, with the same physical dimensions as the PTC1 series, PTC3 allows seamless upgrades while reducing cost and minimising environmental impact.
For local authorities, consultants, and operators planning the next generation of transport networks, the message is clear. Junctions are no longer static. Networks are no longer fragmented. The future is connected.
Every signal. Every system. Every journey. The Living Junction, built on PTC3.
For further information on the PTC3 Controller Series or to discuss upgrade and pilot opportunities, contact comms.team@swarco.com