We have already written a couple of posts about Positive Train Control, which the CEO of Metrolink described as “perhaps the most important safety innovation in our lifetime”. (The first article explained how Positive Train Control can prevent several types of deadly train accidents and the delays in implementing it. The second article discussed whether Positive Train Control could have prevented the recent New York commuter train derailment which killed 4 people and injured dozens more.) If you did not read those articles, here is the deal in a nutshell: Following a 2008 Metrolink train crash in California, legislation was passed to require Positive Train Control and the implementation deadline was 2015. But with that date looming, most railroad companies are claiming they can’t meet the deadline.
Now, here is the latest. Following that same 2008 train crash, the National Transportation Safety Board began pushing the Railroad Administration to install cameras in train cabs to record drivers. The thought being this would deter dangerous behavior like texting while operating the train, sleeping, etc. Additional cameras would face outward to record the tracks for hazards. And, in the event of a crash, both sets of cameras would help investigators determine the cause of the accident. But to date, the Railroad Administration has not even proposed a rule (the first step in the process) to make the installation of these cameras mandatory.
Following the New York commuter train accident in December, two United States senators have publicly called out the Railroad Administration for its delay in implementing the rule. And now, finally, the Railroad Administration says they will move on the rule sometime later this year.