DC: Lawmakers Scold Railroads Over Delay in Safety Upgrades

A panel of lawmakers on Thursday admonished the nation’s railroads and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to meet a fast-approaching deadline to enact a key train safety feature that could have prevented two recent Amtrak crashes. 

Railroads have until at least the end of 2018 to implement Positive Train Control (PTC). Congress provided the option for a two-year extension through 2020, but mandated the railroads to meet certain stipulations, like specific hardware installation and employee training, by the end of 2018 to qualify for the delay.

Lawmakers during Thursday’s hearing rejected additional extensions, however, noting railroads initially had until the end of 2015 to enact PTC, only to receive the current 3-year extension.

Read the complete article at http://thehill.com/policy/transportation/374137-lawmakers-scold-railroads-over-delay-in-safety-upgrades