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.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Euromed countries warm to Galileo’s services
    June 6, 2014
    The EU is helping countries in North Africa and the Middle East utilise Galileo’s services. With its Galileo constellation rapidly taking shape, the European Union has opened lines of communication with countries in North Africa and the Middle East with a view to assisting their governments and businesses to utilise the satellite services that extend across the Mediterranean. The services available to countries are provided through the European Global Navigational Satellite System (E-GNSS), which includes a
    Read More
  • New study confirms dangers when cameras go dark, says ATS
    August 1, 2016
    American Traffic Solutions (ATS) has called the findings released last week by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) ‘a stark reminder of the high stakes drivers, passengers, pedestrians and other road users face when red-light safety camera programs are turned off.’ The analysis of 14 cities that had ended their red-light camera programs during 2010 to 2014, found the rate of fatal red-light running crashes jumped 30 percent compared with the expected rate had cameras remained in use, accor
    Read More
  • Thales wins San Francisco train control contract
    October 15, 2014
    Thales has been awarded a US$23 million contract by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) for the design and construction of advanced train control technology for the new Central Subway project, an extension of the existing T Line. Thales will supply its field-proven SelTrac communications based train control (CBTC) technology for the 1.7 mile project, a solution designed to improve transit options for residents in one of the city’s most densely populated neighbourhoods, provide a ra
    Read More
  • TISPOL conference sheds new light on VRUs
    June 2, 2016
    Geoff Hadwick reports on TISPOL’s efforts to protect vulnerable road users. At its annual conference in Manchester, TISPOL, the pan-European roads police organisation, called for the better protection of vulnerable road users. The statistics show a worrying trend as, since the turn of the century began, it is only the passenger car sector that is reducing its share of the overall EU fatality stats. Cyclists, motorcyclists and the elderly are all continuing to see their share of the figures worsen.
    Read More

Highlighted Content