DC: NTSB: PTC Could Have Prevented S.C. Train Collision

Feb. 5, 2018
The head of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Sunday that the correct implementation of a key train safety feature could have prevented the early morning Amtrak crash in South Carolina.

The head of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Sunday that the correct implementation of a key train safety feature could have prevented the early morning Amtrak crash in South Carolina.

Chairman Robert Sumwalt said at a press conference that the implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC), which automatically decreases the speed of a train traveling over the limit, could have prevented the collision that left two people dead and dozens of others injured.

Railroads have until the end of 2018 to enact the costly safety feature, which lawmakers typically push for following deadly crashes. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who sits on the Senate's Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, advocated on Sunday for the implementation of PTC following reports of the crash. 

Read the complete article at http://thehill.com/policy/transportation/railroads/372259-ntsb-train-safety-feature-could-have-prevented-south-carolina