NTSB to hold forum on Positive Train Control

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will hold a public forum on Positive Train Control (PTC) on Feb. 27, 2013.

The one-day forum called “Positive Train Control: Is it on Track?” will bring together a wide range of experts to discuss the technological, the regulatory and the operational status of PTC.

“More than forty years since the NTSB issued its first recommendation addressing collision avoidance technologies on the railroad and after years of dialogue with industry officials, we continue to investigate accidents where PTC could have prevented the accident and saved lives” said NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman.

“As the industry prepares to make substantial infrastructure investments, this is a timely opportunity to engage in the dialogue and advocate for this important safety enhancement,” Hersman said.

Following a collision involving a Metrolink passenger train and a Union Pacific freight train in Chatsworth, Calif., Congress passed the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008. The president signed the act into law, which included a key provision requiring Class 1 railroads, regularly scheduled intercity and commuter rail passenger carriers to develop plans for the implementation of a PTC system by December 31, 2015.

The “Positive Train Control: Is it on Track?” forum will be held in the NTSB Conference Center in Washington, D.C. and is free and open to the public.

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