Bill introduced in US Senate to extend positive train control deadline

Four US senators have introduced the bipartisan Railroad Safety and Positive Train Control Extension Act in an effort to extend the deadline for full implementation of positive train control (PTC) on US railroads to 2020. Missouri has 4,400 miles of main rail track that are operated by 19 different railway companies. PTC is a technology designed to automatically stop or slow a train before certain collisions. The Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 mandates that PTC must be installed by31 December 2015. PT
March 6, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
RSSFour US senators have introduced the bipartisan Railroad Safety and Positive Train Control Extension Act in an effort to extend the deadline for full implementation of positive train control (PTC) on US railroads to 2020.

Missouri has 4,400 miles of main rail track that are operated by 19 different railway companies.

PTC is a technology designed to automatically stop or slow a train before certain collisions. The Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 mandates that PTC must be installed by31  December 2015. PTC is mandated on tracks that carry passenger rail and certain hazardous materials, and will cover around 60,000 tracks in total nationwide.

The bill was introduced by Missouri Senator Roy Blunt and co-sponsored by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, Ranking Member Bill Nelson, and US Senator Claire McCaskill, who claim the delay would help ease the regulatory burden and costs for passenger and freight railroads

“We must work to do everything we can to improve train safety and accident prevention without burdening our nation’s freight and passenger rail industry," said Blunt. "Unmanageable deadlines could result in higher costs and a disruption of service. This bipartisan bill will help ease the Positive Train Control deadline to give railroads in Missouri and nationwide enough time to fully and safely implement this new technology.”

Related Content

  • More than 4000 trucks taken off the road during European safety operation
    April 9, 2014
    A week-long police safety operation across Europe has led to the removal from the road of some 4,400 trucks for dangerous defects. The action followed checks of more than 137,000 trucks across 26 countries on 10-16 February. Co-ordinated by TISPOL, the European Traffic Police Network, the operation saw police carrying out a wide range of safety inspections that focused on speeding, alcohol, drugs, seatbelt use, tachograph infringements, excess weight, dangerous loading and document offences. A total of
    Read More
  • IBTTA names new president
    January 13, 2015
    A Miami transportation executive, Javier Rodriguez, executive director of the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX), has been named 2015 president of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association’s (IBTTA). As a transportation leader, Rodriguez is poised to lead IBTTA during this challenging time. Under Rodriguez's leadership, MDX converted its expressways to an all-electronic system. Before joining MDX in 2007, Rodriguez spent 16 years with the Florida Department of Transportation, including
    Read More
  • Harmonisation of Europe's ITS deployment still unbalanced
    January 31, 2012
    Dean Herenda, Chairman of the EasyWay project, talks about the progress made and the progress still to be made in harmonising ITS deployment across the European Union. "The deployment and use of ITS in road transport across Europe was and still is unbalanced" Although Europe can be proud of being home to some of the world's most advanced ITS solutions, the relative disparities between Member States of the European Union (EU) in terms of the extent and technological sophistication of deployments actually sta
    Read More
  • Study highlights weather effects on traffic
    July 17, 2012
    Extreme weather conditions cost the EU’s transport system at least €15 billion (US$18.44 billion) per year according to a a study carried out by the Finnish VTT Technical Research Centre. The study reveals that the greatest costs incurred are from road accidents, with the associated material and psychological effects. Costs arising from accidents are expected to decrease in volume, although time-related costs attributable to delays are projected to increase. In part, this last effect is due to climate chang
    Read More

Highlighted Content