US senators announce positive train control legislation

Following unacceptable delays in adoption of life-saving technology, US Senators Charles Schumer and Richard Blumenthal have announced the Positive Train Control Safety Act. This major rail safety bill ensures railroads are moving forward swiftly to install positive train control technology (PTC), following repeated delays in implementation of this critical technology. The bill also takes important steps to improve rail inspection practices, and enhance safety at grade crossings and work zones following rep
April 22, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
Following unacceptable delays in adoption of life-saving technology, US Senators Charles Schumer and Richard Blumenthal have announced the Positive Train Control Safety Act. This major rail safety bill ensures railroads are moving forward swiftly to install positive train control technology (PTC), following repeated delays in implementation of this critical technology. The bill also takes important steps to improve rail inspection practices, and enhance safety at grade crossings and work zones following reports of lax inspection and oversight, and numerous fatal and catastrophic accidents. Senators Dianne Feinstein, Barbara Boxer and Kirsten Gillibrand are also sponsors of the bill.

PTC is a communications and signalling system that can be used on railroads to prevent collisions caused by excessive speed and human error. The 5628 National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has found dozens of passenger and freight rail accidents over the years could have been prevented through the use of PTC, including the 2013 Spuyten Duyvil crash in the Bronx in which four lives were lost and a 2008 crash in southern California that killed 25 commuters.

The Positive Train Control Safety Act would establish a timeline for and increase transparency of implementation of Positive Train Control, as well as evaluate the effectiveness of PTC at grade crossings and ensure trains carrying crude oil or ethanol run on tracks with PTC. The legislation would also require increased coordination between government agencies, protect employees in work zones, improve opportunities for railroad employees to report safety deficiencies, and improve commuter railroad inspection practices

“Once fully implemented, positive train control will help prevent fatal crashes, like the one that occurred at Spuyten Duyvil as well as derailment of oil cars, and so, it’s of the utmost importance that all railroads quickly install this life-saving technology,” said Schumer. “ The Positive Train Control Safety Act will not only require railroads, both passenger and freight trains, to implement PTC by 2018, it will also ensure PTC be installed on routes carrying dangerous crude oil or ethanol, which will help prevent future explosive accidents. The legislation makes sure railroads are transparent about their efforts and requires regular status updates on implementation.”

Related Content

  • ITS America applauds V2I infrastructure Act
    June 5, 2015
    Regina Hopper, president and CEO of ITS America, has responded to the introduction of the Vehicle-to-Infrastructure Safety Technology Investment Flexibility Act of 2015 by US Senators Gary Peters and Roy Blunt. The Vehicle-to-Infrastructure Safety Technology Investment Flexibility Act of 2015 authorizes states to use existing surface and highway transportation funding provided by the National Highway Performance Program, the Surface Transportation Program and the Highway Safety Improvement Program to in
    Read More
  • Freight poses growing problem for city authorities
    March 3, 2017
    Wes Guckert considers possible solutions and countermeasures to the problems of increased freight deliveries in growing cities. In January 2016, the US Department of Transportation (USDoT) conducted a session on the SmartCity Challenge and Urban Freight and Logistics. This session was a follow-up to the USDoT report titled, Beyond Traffic 2045.
    Read More
  • The red light camera choice: 60 killed or save US$231 million a year
    June 5, 2015
    David Crawford investigates new cost-benefit analysis of red light cameras. US states can now realistically calculate the economic benefits of using red light safety cameras, alone or in combination with other measures, to cut road traffic accident levels. The results could be of material value in making the case for the cameras as a number of state legislatures continue to debate their acceptability.
    Read More
  • Auto safety initiative seeks to reduce driver errors
    December 2, 2013
    A push by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to use technology to reduce traffic fatalities aims to keep drunk drivers off the roads by using in-vehicle technology that immobilises their cars. They are pushing for systems that prevent drivers from starting their cars, help cars avoid collisions and prevent vehicles from starting if the occupants don’t wear seat belts. "Ninety per cent of all crashes have an element of human error," NHTSA administrator David Strickland said. "We really
    Read More

Highlighted Content