releases: https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-must-ensure-safety-of-freight-and-passenger-rail-operations-without-creating-lapse-in-service
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| https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-must-ensure-safety-of-freight-and-passenger-rail-operations-without-creating-lapse-in-service | Donnelly: Must Ensure Safety of Freight and Passenger Rail Operations Without Creating Lapse in Service | 2015-10-05 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Democrat | House | IN | Joe Donnelly | D000607 | www.donnelly.senate.gov | legacy | Donnelly: Must Ensure Safety of Freight and Passenger Rail Operations Without Creating Lapse in Service Senator recently joined bipartisan group of colleagues urging Senate to extend deadline for rail operators to implement positive train control Monday, October 5, 2015 Washington D.C. U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly joined a bipartisan group of Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Senate leadership, urging Congress to extend the Dec. 31, 2015 deadline for rail operators to implement positive train control (PTC). Donnelly said, I am aware of the concerns raised by the South Shore Line and other railroad operators. I am continuing to work with my colleagues, Republican and Democratic, to find an appropriate resolution that ensures the safety of freight and passenger rail operations without creating any lapse in service. Donnelly and the bipartisan group of Senators wrote, in part, in a September 30 letter: We cannot afford a disruption of rail service, which could occur if Congress does not extend this deadline. Myriad businesses rely on dependable service and would be unnecessarily hurt by a slowdown in service, whether it is a farmer looking to this years harvest, a sawmill moving logs or an energy company delivering fuel. Additionally, millions of passengers that depend on reliable service to commute locally as well as nationally will face preventable challengesIt is important that we extend this deadline in a responsible way that ensures smooth implementation of this new technology with measurable benchmarks. It is also imperative that Congress take up this issue immediately as railroads will begin to alter their service standards weeks before the actual deadline. In 2008, Congress required the implementation of PTC on railroads that carry passengers or have high-volume freight traffic with toxic- or poisonous-by-inhalation hazardous materials. PTC is a communications and signaling system that has been identified by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as a technology capable of preventing incidents caused by train operator or dispatcher error. PTC is expected to reduce the number of incidents due to excessive speed, conflicting train movements, and engineer failure to obey wayside signals. PTC is required on about 60,000 miles of railroad track by December 31, 2015. Many railroad companies are uncertain of their ability to fully implement PTC by this deadline. Text of the letter follows. A signed PDF is available here. September 30, 2015 The Honorable Mitch McConnell Majority Leader S-230, US Capitol Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Harry Reid Minority Leader S-221, US Capitol Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Leader McConnell and Leader Reid: We write to address the approaching statutory deadline for the full implementation of positive train control (PTC) safety technology. As reported in a recent GAO study, it is increasingly clear that our nation's freight and passenger railroads are unable to meet the December 31, 2015 implementation deadline. We believe it is important to ensure that the railroads complete implementation of PTC in an expeditious manner without any unnecessary disruptions to our national rail network. With this in mind, Congress must act now to extend the looming deadline to provide certainty to businesses and individuals that rely on the railroads while providing a clear timeline for meeting the PTC requirements set forth in the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (RSIA). When implemented, PTC will be a critical safety component of our national rail network. Full implementation is critical to the safety of the men and women who operate our nation's trains, the millions of passengers that move around the country and the thousands of manufacturers, farmers and ranchers that depend on rails to move world-class products to market. That is why it remains essential for Congress to hold railroads accountable to efficiently complete the PTC requirements set forth in RSIA. We must also do so in a way that acknowledges current constraints as the Senate did when it passed the bipartisan DRIVE Act. Railroads play a vital role in our nation's economy. We cannot afford a disruption of rail service, which could occur if Congress does not extend this deadline. Myriad businesses rely on dependable service and would be unnecessarily hurt by a slowdown in service, whether it is a farmer looking to sell this year's harvest, a sawmill moving logs or an energy company delivering fuel. Additionally, millions of passengers that depend on reliable service to commute locally as well as nationally will face preventable challenges. It is important that we extend this deadline in a responsible way that ensures smooth implementation of this new technology with measurable benchmarks. It is also imperative that Congress take up this issue immediately, as railroads will begin to alter their service standards weeks before the actual deadline. We appreciate your attention to this time-sensitive manner, and stand ready to work with you. Sincerely, U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly (and see signed letter for full list of signers.) ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |