Class 1 Railroads Might Miss PTC Deadline Despite Valiant Efforts

Even though Class 1 Railroads embraced PTC with full steam, they need a little help. And Congress won’t give it to them.

Operators on Class 1 railroads are some of the biggest players on the playground. That’s why they are key to the Positive Train Control (PTC) legislation, one of the more exciting developments in the railroad industry. With PTC, trains regularly and automatically relay GPS information about their location, speed and direction to a central database known as a movement authority. Signals also give information about their status, all coming together to improve the safety of the operation.

Image Source: Flickr @ Theaterwiz

Using these data points, the movement authority gives the trains instructions about speed, direction, any stops and so forth, with an eye toward collision avoidance, efficiency and worker safety. These instructions are automatically obeyed by the train, reducing the chances of human error causing destructive or even deadly accidents.

The U.S. Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 mandates that most U.S. rail networks implement PTC by December 15, 2015. There have been several bills proposed that would extend this deadline, although as of July none have passed. Not many of the 41 companies affected are on track to make this vital deadline.