Despite a historic pace for the installation of new railroad signaling and monitoring technologies, U.S. freight and commuter railroads will not meet the Federal Railroad Administration-imposed deadline to equip infrastructure assets with positive train controls (PTCs) by Dec. 31, according to an August report from the agency.
Railroads could face penalties for non-compliance. FRA spokesman Michael Booth recently told ENR that the agency is prepared to use its enforcement tools to maximize safety, save lives and make railroads adhere to regulations. "On January 1, 2016, the [FRA] will assess each railroad's PTC implementation status and apply its enforcement tools, which include civil penalties, to bring railroads into compliance as quickly as possible," Booth says.