Government Accountability Office
Public Report
Dated 4/30/2020
Positive train control (PTC) is a communications-based system designed to automatically slow or stop a train in certain cases where it is not being operated safely. Over a decade ago, a federal law was enacted requiring the implementation of PTC by 42 railroads—including 30 commuter railroads, Amtrak, and several Class I and Class II/III freight railroads—to prevent train-to-train collisions and other types of accidents.1 The National Transportation Safety Board stated in 2018 that since the enactment of this law, it had investigated 22 rail accidents that could have been prevented by PTC. By statute, railroads were required to implement PTC by December 31, 2018, unless they met certain statutory requirements and requested an extension.2 Few railroads completed implementation by year-end 2018, so the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) granted nearly all of the 42 railroads required to implement PTC an extension up to December 31, 2020. However, FRA is not authorized to grant further extensions.
View the full GAO report here:
Public Report
Dated 4/30/2020
Positive train control (PTC) is a communications-based system designed to automatically slow or stop a train in certain cases where it is not being operated safely. Over a decade ago, a federal law was enacted requiring the implementation of PTC by 42 railroads—including 30 commuter railroads, Amtrak, and several Class I and Class II/III freight railroads—to prevent train-to-train collisions and other types of accidents.1 The National Transportation Safety Board stated in 2018 that since the enactment of this law, it had investigated 22 rail accidents that could have been prevented by PTC. By statute, railroads were required to implement PTC by December 31, 2018, unless they met certain statutory requirements and requested an extension.2 Few railroads completed implementation by year-end 2018, so the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) granted nearly all of the 42 railroads required to implement PTC an extension up to December 31, 2020. However, FRA is not authorized to grant further extensions.
View the full GAO report here:
