What is Positive Train Control (PTC)?

PTC is advanced technology designed to stop or slow a train before accidents occur. Specifically, the technology may help prevent:

• Accidents caused by excessive speeds
• Train-on-train collisions
• Some situations where trains are routed to incorrect tracks

In late 2008, Congress mandated installation of PTC on certain lines carrying passengers or toxic-by-inhalation (TIH) chemicals by December 31, 2015. PTC has extensive components and communications equipment that must be installed on BOTH locomotives (over 20,000 units) and along rail track (over 60,000 miles). 

Why did Congress mandate PTC?

In 2008, a California Metrolink commuter train collided with a Union Pacific train, resulting in 25 fatalities. The NTSB cited the “lack of a positive train control system on the Metrolink rail system” as a missing possible safeguard in this accident, since the passenger train conductor was texting on his phone prior to the accident. Subsequent to this tragedy, Congress mandated that the nation’s largest freight railroads, certain small freight railroads and passenger railroads install PTC on lines that carry passengers or toxic-by-inhalation chemicals by December 31, 2015. 

Why is Congress revisiting PTC after mandating it?

Multiple reviews have determined that the December 31, 2015, deadline is unrealistic.

In a 2012 report, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) identified several technical and programmatic reasons for delays in implementing PTC.  A 2013 report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found most railroads would not fully implement PTC by the deadline, and it cited issues with (1) component development and PTC installation, (2) system integration and field testing, and (3) government resources and processes.

Some delays came from federal agencies. Railroads must install over 35,000 wayside antenna structures nationwide to transmit PTC signals, and in May 2013, the Federal Communications Commission halted construction of these structures until the agency could develop a process to review historic preservation and tribal impacts. While these issues have been resolved, the FCC did not finalize a revised process until a year later, significantly delaying implementation.

What happens if railroads cannot meet the current PTC deadline?

If railroads do not meet the current deadline, current law forces them to decide between stopping service and operating in violation of the law. The federal government could also be exposed to liability if it were to allow railroads to operate without PTC after the deadline.

How much work on PTC has been completed?

FRA estimated PTC costs are over $9 billion, with railroads having already spent over $5 billion. 

What does S. 650 do?

S. 650, sponsored by Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) and 11 other Senators, responds to concerns found by government agencies about unrealistic implementation deadlines by setting new and achievable deadlines. This legislative builds upon the Commerce Committee’s hearing record over the past few years regarding the challengers that railroads, passenger lines and states face when it comes to the upcoming deadline.

Under the legislation, the primary December 31, 2015, deadline is changed to December 31, 2020, the date FRA had previously set for PTC compliance by smaller railroads. The deadline for smaller railroads is also extended five years, and the bill grants the Secretary of Transportation limited authority to grant extensions on a case by case basis—based on safety and operational risk—for up to two additional years.

Would PTC have made any difference in recent rail tank car derailments in Illinois and West Virginia or grade crossing accidents in New York, North Carolina, and California?

While the causes of those accidents are still under investigation, there is no indication from railroads or investigators that either involved a train-on-train collision, excessive speeds, or a train on an incorrect track. As such, PTC would not have prevented these accidents. The non-partisan Congressional Research Service explained some limitations of Positive Train Control noting, PTC “would not prevent incidents due to trespassing on railroads’ right-of-way or at highway-rail grade crossings, where the vast majority of rail-related fatalities occur.”

What about other railroad safety issues beyond PTC?

S. 650 only deals with Positive Train Control. There are certainly other Congressional bills that address rail safety. The Committee can consider other proposals when it takes up passenger rail reform legislation or concerns on an individual basis.

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