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Amtrak CEO: trains may not run on tracks w/o PTC or waiver


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#1 pennyk

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Posted 15 February 2018 - 04:02 PM

Trains, 2/15/18:
 

 

 


Amtrak CEO says passenger trains will not run over track without PTC or PTC waiver
 

WASHINGTON — Amtrak's CEO says the passenger railroad will not operate trains over track sections that are not compliant with positive train control laws.

Amtrak CEO Richard Anderson is scheduled to testify before the U.S. House of Representatives' Transportation and Infrastructure committee this morning on PTC and its implementation throughout the U.S. rail network.

 


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#2 KevinKorell

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Posted 16 February 2018 - 12:11 PM

Progressive Railroading, 2/16/18:

 


 

PTC hearing: Amtrak to suspend operations over non-compliant routes after 2018

 

 

 

Amtrak will consider suspending service on tracks that don't have positive train control (PTC) in place by the Dec. 31 deadline, the railroad's president told a House subcommittee yesterday.

 

 

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#3 KevinKorell

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Posted 16 February 2018 - 06:52 PM

WPIX-TV, PIX-11 in New York, NY, 2/16/18:

 


Amtrak: NJ Transit could be banned between Trenton and NYC

 

Amtrak could prevent New Jersey Transit trains from using its tracks between Trenton and New York if the state transit agency doesn't finish installing technology that's designed to prevent crashes.

 

 

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#4 CNJRoss

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Posted 24 February 2018 - 05:42 PM

"PTC: Ignore the circus. Here’s what’s really going on" (Railway Age - 2/26/18) has a more in-depth discussion of Amtrak's standing on PTC.



#5 CNJRoss

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Posted 15 July 2018 - 07:48 AM

Trains Magazine 'Observation Tower' blog, 7/13/18:
 

 

blog_observationtower.jpg

 

Is Amtrak missing the big picture on PTC and safety?

 

 

‘Safety is always the first priority.’ This phrase, or some variant of it, is drilled into the psyche of every railroader, and for good reason. Every other goal, cause and criterion should always take a back seat to safety. But there is such a thing as losing sight of the proverbial forest for focusing too much on individual trees when it comes to safety, and it is possible to overreact to safety lapses. I fear that Amtrak is falling into both of these traps based on its approach to positive train control and related matters in light of the fatal accidents in December in DuPont, Wash. and in February in Cayce, S.C.

 

Traveling on a train that is protected by PTC is, of course, preferable to traveling on one that is not PTC protected. But even on a non-PTC-equipped train, a passenger is, statistically, many orders of magnitude safer than he or she would be in a car.  .  .  .

 

SNIP

 

Congress and federal regulators consider it safe for passenger trains to operate without PTC on line segments where there is little traffic and/or other safety technology, such as the Santa Fe’s cab signaling with Automatic Train Stop, is in place. Yet the way Amtrak officials have discussed their approach to these portions of the system leads one to believe that they are averse to running trains without PTC, even where it is not required and not really necessary.

 

In one case — the PTC-exempt segment of the Southwest Chief route between Dodge City, Kan. and Albuquerque, where Amtrak is virtually the only user — the railroad is proposing permanently replacing the train with an overnight motorcoach on that segment,  .  .  .

 

More here.



#6 CNJRoss

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Posted 22 July 2018 - 12:12 PM

Rail Passengers Association fact sheet:

 

Potential PTC Red Flags (.pdf)

 

As PTC exemption was cited as a cause of the Southwest Chief bus bridge suspension plan, Amtrak may

duplicate it elsewhere. Find below:
 
I.  Unmet PTC Required segments with passenger service
II. FRA Exempted PTC segments with passenger service
III. The criteria for FRA PTC exemption

 






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