positive train control News

Railroads Urged to Accelerate Installation of Safety System

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao urged the nation’s railroads and transit agencies to take all possible measures to meet deadlines to install a safety system called positive train control (PTC) to prevent crashes. Letters dated Dec. 27, which were made …

Trump Effort to Roll Back Rail Safety Rules Questioned Following Amtrak Crash

As investigators sift through the wreckage of this week’s Amtrak train crash in Washington state, critics have begun questioning President Donald Trump’s recent efforts to roll back or delay finalizing U.S. rail safety regulations. Making American railroads safer drew renewed …

Fatal Amtrak Crash in Washington State Stirs Safety Debate in D.C.

The deadly Amtrak crash in Washington state marked the railroad’s third fatal accident in as many years, putting the passenger rail operator under fresh scrutiny less than a month after safety regulators issued a scathing report. Bound for Portland, Oregon, …

Federal Officials Recommend Fining New Jersey Transit System

A federal inspector has recommended imposing a fine on New Jersey’s public transportation system as it falls behind on installing a mandatory safety system. A Federal Railroad Administration inspection report on June 12, reviewed by The Record, recommended federal officials …

NTSB: Crew Fatigue Main Cause of Deadly 2014 Arkansas Train Crash

Crew fatigue brought on by irregular work schedules and a moderate form of sleep apnea is the primary reason behind a middle-of-the-night train crash that killed two Union Pacific workers and injured two others in northern Arkansas, the National Transportation …

Lawmakers Discuss Merging New Jersey Transit, Other Agencies

Lawmakers on Tuesday discussed the idea of merging embattled New Jersey Transit with other state agencies to save money to use for road, bridge and rail projects, and heard from experts about safety upgrades following a fatal rail accident in …

Rail Lines in Minnesota Getting Automatic Braking Technology

New safety technology that may have prevented last week’s deadly train crash in New Jersey is being implemented along some rail lines in Minnesota and elsewhere. The new technology, known as positive train control, is designed to automatically slow or …

Chicago’s Metra Rail to Miss 2018 Rail Safety Technology Deadline

The Metra commuter railroad will miss a 2018 deadline for installing safety technology on all of its Chicago-area routes, but said it still expects to meet its obligations under a federal law requiring the expensive and complex updates. Metra is …

Major Railroads Say They’ll Again Miss Safety Deadline First Set in 2008

Three of the biggest freight railroads operating in the U.S. have told the government they won’t meet a 2018 deadline to start using safety technology intended to prevent accidents like the deadly derailment of an Amtrak train in Philadelphia last …

U.S. Safety Officials Push Self-Braking Technology for Cars, Trains, Trucks

Safety officials want to see more technology used to reduce accidents on U.S. roads, airways and railroads. In its annual “Most Wanted” list, the National Transportation Safety Board is urging government regulators and industry to move more quickly to adopt …