Join the discussion on the following article:
Senators push for rail safety reforms
Here’s an incentive I like to recommend to the senators for rushing PTC installation, give the private railroads a tax break on their PTC investment so they don’t have to divest capital funds from other vital capacity-building projects.
Here we go again clueless politician that know nothing were is chuckles picture with the story
Giving railroads tax breaks. Yeah they need it, CN made over 700 million in profits last quarter, that is quarter. Yep barely making it.
A mixed bag. RRs are already pedalling as fast as they can toward PTC. There just aren’t any more resources that can be brought to bear to speed up implementation. The limit is people and knowledge at this point, not $$.
Grade Xing money from the Feds? I think the RRs would jump all over this!
Inward facing cameras? Meh. Probably inevitable. Won’t change behavior, it will just give more closure when bad things happen.
Federal infrastructure funding? Amtrak needs a bunch to get the NEC in good shape. They shouldn’t let this opportunity go by without working every angle they can. Is Boardman up to the challenge? Time will tell.
Mr. Oltmann contradicts himself in his first and fourth points. Money is a large part of Amtrak’s slowness to install a PTC system. Adequate funding should come first since they also need to upgrade much of the NE Corridor infrastructure.
Once the other railroads were forced to take action, rather than just study the problem, politics has been as much of a problem as people and technology. The money has been there, but the class I’s wanted to hold out in hopes of getting some government assistance and then the issue of getting communication band widths and towers caused some major delays.
Grade crossings are a whole different ball of axle grease. Urban areas developed and/or expanded around railroads. For many locations the solution could be like the trench which now carries UP trains through Reno, NV. That solution will be expensive, and should not be the full responsibility of the railroad. Highways which link towns and cities often were built to follow the existing railroad tracks, but there is generally enough space at a rural crossing to allow for a grade separation where a crossing now exists.
Sen. Charles “Chuckie-Say-Cheese” Schumer will NOT be pleased, in that you didn’t include his photo in this article.
Didn’t the idiots in the US Congress just cut almost 300 million from Amtrak’s budget because of this accident as punishment.
PTC is very complex. Install on one RR where equipment is locked to that segment is not as complex. Several RRs however passing engines between each other is different. Also the FCC I read has a 2 year backup on approving frequency lisences needed for PTC technology. Also building antenna substations approvals are needed due to environmental reasons and approval in native American territories. RRs have spent a ton of money in billions on PTC but you can only move as fast as the government buracracy allows.
The Senate wants all these (expensive) safety improvements, but promptly cuts $262 million from Amtrak’s budget.
You can’t have it both ways, guys!
Isn’t Blumenthal the guy who nearly got himself killed by standing too close to the edge of a platform (for–surprise–the TV cameras) when a train came up from behind at high speed? I guess that makes him a rail safety expert-- at least as far as now knowing NOT what to do!
I think you mean what not to do instead of not what to do. Or are you in the same class with John Boehner. I hope not. The man is well intentioned and with people killed now is not the time to be sarcastic but to problem solve.
Here we go again!! Political grand-standing by Chuck-you-Schumer and Blumenthal before the facts of the tragedy are even gathered. What a disgrace to Congress and the citizens of this country. No shame or brains!! To them, only a chance for another photo-op. Very,very sad!