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Metrolink expands PTC testing to entire network
7 years after the legislation and a small railroad (314 miles) with presumably a very motivated reason barely makes the original deadline for implementation. Note that it is still only “testing”. It may be in place but it has yet to be fully proven in real life.
That much of the vast continent wide network is not going to achieve that arbitrary deadline is completely understandable. It is in fact remarkable that even one operator MAY have succeeded.
In the past most safety improvements became mandated only after the technology had already been invented and proven in the field. Admittedly in this case much (not all) of the hardware technology existed and could be built or adapted but few realize what a challenge it must be to bring all the data streams seamlessly together. Remember that has to happen with 100% reliability. 99.9999~% is not good enough to meet the mandate. One minor fault and sooner or later a train will find it, just as happens today.
What about UP and BNSFtrains operating on Metrolink trackage? Does this mean all leading locomotives must be equiped with PTC as well? As far as I know, most railroaders are not proficient with this technology yet.
Even if the system is still under going testing it is a vast improvement over what came before. There are bound to be bugs to work out when in full service. Same was true with working out systems to prevent mid-air collisions.
99.9999% should be MORE than acceptable ! I don’t give a damn what the “mandate” is, nothing in this world is 100% dependable, and that’s just reality in life, period !!!