FRA report on PTC: Most railroads will miss deadline; enforcement will happen

Written by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor
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The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) sent its Status of Positive Train Control Implementation report to Congress Aug. 7.

The report is mandated by the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee and shows that most railroads will miss the Dec. 31, 2015 positive train control (PTC) implementation deadline that Congress established in 2008.

“Positive Train Control is the most significant advancement in rail safety technology in more than a century. Simply put: it prevents accidents and saves lives, which is exactly what we seek to do at The Department of Transportation every single day. We will continue to do everything in our power to help railroads install this technology,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said.

FRA noted its assistance and support to help railroads become PTC compliant, including:

  • Providing more than $650 million to passenger railroads, including nearly $400 million in Recovery Act funding.
  • Issuing a nearly $1 billion loan to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to implement PTC on the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North.
  • Building a PTC testbed in Pueblo, Colorado.
  • Working directly with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation to resolve issues related to spectrum use and improve the approval process for PTC communication towers.
  • Dedicating staff to continue work on PTC implementation in March 2010, including establishing a PTC task force.

 

“The Federal Railroad Administration will continue to use its resources and expertise to help railroads achieve the critical goal to have Positive Train Control implemented,” FRA Acting Administrator Sarah Feinberg said.

The report also cites ongoing challenges railroads face, including finding wireless spectrum availability, a limited number of suppliers with proven capabilities of providing PTC technology and potential radio interference.

FRA says that it received and approved all 41 railroad PTC implementation plans, but has only received three of the 38 required safety plans needed for system certification.

FRA reiterated its willingness to pursue enforcement efforts against non-compliant railroads noting that those efforts could be in the form of civil penalties, issuance of compliance or emergency order and pursuit of injunctions or criminal penalties with the Department of Justice.

“The Department also requested new authorities to allow FRA to review, approve and require interim safety measures for individual railroads that may fail to meet the PTC deadline, such as allowing portions of PTC to be turned on for certain segments of track rather than waiting for an entire system to be operational,” the report says. “These interim requirements will not serve as an extension of the PTC deadline; rather, they are strictly designed to protect the public safety while bringing the railroads into compliance quickly, completely and safely.”

“Reaching deadlines is important, but even more important is that when PTC is turned on, it is fully operational and enhancing safety,” The Association of American Railroads’ President and Chief Executive Officer Edward Hamberger said in June. “Freight railroads have been moving forward with PTC for years and remain 100 percent committed to ensuring this complex ‘system of systems’ gets safely installed and thoroughly vetted and tested. Our railroads have 62,000 miles to equip with PTC and getting that safely completed is a top priority.”

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