In an effort to avoid significant disruptions to passenger and freight rail services, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee introduced The Positive Train Control Enforcement and Implementation Act of 2015. This legislation will extend the deadline for railroads to implement Positive Train Control technology.
Most commuter and freight railroads have reported difficulty in meeting the original deadline of December 31, 2015. Maintaining the current deadline would force freight railroads to suspend shipments and commuter railroads to cease operations thereby causing a significant disruption to commuters. Bill Shuster, chairman of Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said “Railroads must implement this important but complicated safety technology in a responsible manner, and we need to give them the necessary time to do so.” Jeff Denham, chairman of Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee, stated “This extension will ensure our nation’s railroads can continue to function and hold them accountable to implement necessary safety measures on a public timeline.”
Under The Positive Train Control Enforcement and Implementation Act of 2015 the new deadline for full compliance will be December 31, 2018.
Positive Train Control Enforcement and Implementation Act of 2015
