UNITED STATES NEWS

House bill delays rail safety mandate

Feb 9, 2012, 10:54 PM

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) – A long-sought safety feature that Congress required after a deadly 2008 rail crash would be delayed for five years under legislation that the House is expected to take up next week.

Shortly after a train collision near Chatsworth, Calif., Congress required rail operators transporting passengers or toxic materials to install equipment by the end of 2015 that would automatically stop a train that is in danger of an accident.

Federal investigators cited the lack of such a safety system, referred to as positive train control, as a contributing factor in the Chatsworth crash that killed 25 people and injured more than 100.

But a House bill that would dictate the nation’s future transportation agenda pushes back the installment deadline five years. Rail industry officials say more time is needed to deal with the complexity and costs associated with installing and operating the equipment.

“It’s still really in the product development stage,” said Rob Healy, vice-president of government affairs for the American Public Transportation Association, a trade association for commuter rail operators. “There’s not only a dearth of technology, but also expertise in terms of getting this installed.”

Rail industry officials have projected that that it would cost freight railroads nearly $6 billion to install the safety systems and that passenger railroads would spend another $2.4 billion. The federal government authorized up to $250 million over five years to help subsidize the costs, but so far has allocated $50 million specifically for the safety systems. Meanwhile, many commuter lines are already struggling to keep up with existing maintenance needs.

Federal safety officials are voicing concerns about the proposed delay.

“We know from too many accidents that PTC would improve safety and save lives,” said Deborah Hersman, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.

California’s senators also oppose the delay. Just a few weeks after the Chatsworth accident, Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer successfully included the 2015 deadline as part of a broader rail safety bill. Feinstein said she will urge colleagues to stick with the current deadline when the Senate takes up its version of the transportation bill.

Feinstein said she knew of no independent reports or research demonstrating a need for a delay and that every passenger rail system has submitted a plan to meet the deadline.

“I am aware that deploying modern rail safety systems comes at a cost,” Feinstein said in a written statement. “But I believe there could be a far greater cost to human life if we choose to delay implementation of this critical safety technology.”

A Republican aide not authorized to speak publicly about the bill said that House Republicans are still committed to requiring the technology and are not attempting to quash it. Democrats have also questioned whether language in the bill would allow freight lines carrying toxic materials to delay implementation beyond 2020, but the aide said that’s a misinterpretation of the bill and not what Republicans intend.

The Chatsworth crash occurred when a Metrolink commuter train collided head-on with a Union Pacific freight train in the Chatsworth section of Los Angeles. Federal safety officials said the passenger train’s engineer didn’t stop at a red signal. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the engineer had been texting seconds before he drove through the signal. With positive train control technology, workers would have been able to monitor the movement of the train, warn the crew as danger approached, and automatically stop the train if the crew failed to heed the warning.

Veolia Environment, a company based in France, and Metrolink, which provides commuter rail service in Southern California, agreed to pay a $200 million award that was divided among victims of the crash. Veolia’s subsidiary employed the engineer cited by federal officials as responsible for the crash.

Metrolink officials say they are fully committed to putting in place a positive train control system before the current 2015 deadline. Richard Katz, chairman of the Metrolink Board of Directors, said it will cost the commuter system more than $200 million to install the system and that the project is expected to be completed in the first half of 2013. He said that, rather than focus on a delay, Congress should focus on helping the industry overcome the technological hurdles that exist, such as by providing adequate radio spectrum.

“We made the hard decisions and delayed some other things because we thought it was the most important life-saving technology in generations,” Katz said. “… Every year you delay, someone will die who doesn’t have to.”

Paul Hedlund, a Los-Angeles based attorney whose firm represented several of the Chatsworth crash victims, said he believed that the delay has more to do with saving the rail industry money than with overcoming technological issues.

“Nothing is ever quite ready for prime time. It’s always, `it could be better,'” Hedlund said.

The rail industry maintains a strong presence in Washington. In 2011, rail operators spent about $46 million lobbying Congress on an array of legislation, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

United States News

A sign marks a roadside rest stop that has been made to look like the historic security gate that a...

Associated Press

Birthplace of the atomic bomb braces for its biggest mission since the top-secret Manhattan Project

Los Alamos was the perfect spot for the U.S. government’s top-secret Manhattan Project.

48 minutes ago

Associated Press

Suspect arrested after shooting at the Oklahoma State Fair injures 1, police say

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — One person was injured when shots were fired during an argument between two groups of people at the Oklahoma State Fair on Saturday, sending a crowd of people running for safety, police said. One person was arrested on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon after the evening shooting, Oklahoma […]

3 hours ago

Associated Press

Former NHL player Nicolas Kerdiles dies after a motorcycle crash in Nashville. He was 29

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Former NHL player Nicolas Kerdiles died Saturday after a motorcycle crash in Nashville, according to police. He was 29. The one-time hockey player for the Anaheim Ducks drove his motorcycle through a stop sign early Saturday and hit the driver’s side of an SUV, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department. […]

3 hours ago

Associated Press

Hazing lawsuit filed against University of Alabama fraternity

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — A student and his parents have filed a lawsuit against a University of Alabama fraternity, saying he suffered a traumatic brain injury while being hazed as a fraternity pledge earlier this year. The lawsuit filed last week accuses Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and others associated with it of fraud, negligence and […]

3 hours ago

This illustration provided by NASA depicts the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft at the asteroid Bennu. On Wedn...

Associated Press

NASA recovers asteroid samples in largest haul of material from beyond the moon

NASA’s first asteroid samples fetched from deep space parachuted into the Utah desert Sunday to cap a seven-year journey.

3 hours ago

Associated Press

Louisiana man who fled attempted murder trial captured after 32 years on the run

ARCADIA, La. (AP) — A Louisiana man who fled his 1991 trial for attempted murder has been arrested more than three decades later after authorities found him hiding in Mexico, authorities said. Greg Lawson, 63, was brought back to the United States on Thursday after being located in Mexico, the FBI said. Lawson was accused […]

4 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Home moving relocation in Arizona 2023...

BMS Moving

Tips for making your move in Arizona easier

If you're moving to a new home in Arizona, use this to-do list to alleviate some stress and ensure a smoother transition to your new home.

...

Mayo Clinic

Game on! Expert sports physicals focused on you

With tryouts quickly approaching, now is the time for parents to schedule physicals for their student-athlete. The Arizona Interscholastic Association requires that all student-athletes must have a physical exam completed before participating in team practices or competition.

...

Ability360

At Ability360, every day is Independence Day

With 100 different programs and services, more than 1,500 non-medically based home care staff, a world-renowned Sports & Fitness Center and over 15,000 people with disabilities served annually, across all ages and demographics, Ability360 is a nationwide leader in the disability community.

House bill delays rail safety mandate