Stewards of public transportation and rail systems throughout the U.S. are facing both certain deadlines for installing positive train control (PTC) systems and uncertainty regarding the future of grants due to a proposed budget that has left some projects in limbo.
With a deadline for installing PTC looming at the end of this year, 12 railroads are at risk of not meeting it, said Ronald Batory, Federal Railroad Administrator. Commuter railroads need to have a demonstration segment up and running, with two more years to complete the installation and one year to “iron out the wrinkles,” he told attendees of the American Public Transportation Association’s annual rail meeting last month in Denver. After 2021, the FRA will assess fines.