Proposed PTC rule would save $340 million
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefU.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on Tuesday announced proposed changes to the Federal Railroad Administration’s regulations governing installation of positive train control (PTC) systems.
“PTC is now required on routes carrying poison inhalation hazard (PIH) materials, and on routes carrying intercity and commuter passenger service,” noted the DOT announcement. If railroads “reroute the shipment of PIH hazardous materials off such a rail line and choose to not install PTC there, the company must currently request FRA approval and conduct a complex set of analyses. The amendments proposed today would eliminate the need to perform those analyses, but do not impact the existing requirements to install PTC on lines used to provide passenger rail service.”
DOT said affected railroads are expected to save $340 million in the first several years, with total savings of up to $1 billion over 20 years, by not installing PTC systems on as much as 14,000 miles of track.
The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) will be published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, August 24. The FRA invites comments on all aspects of the proposal. Interested parties are invited to submit comments by October 24. Comments received after that date will be considered to the extent possible without incurring additional expenses or delays.
