Railroad companies across the country are urging Congress to extend the Dec. 31 deadline for upgrading safety technology on trains that carry goods, including oil and gas, as well as commuters.
FuelFix.com reports the issue is the communications system Positive Train Control, which is meant to help coordinate trains nationwide in an effort to help prevent crashes and derailments. Safety advocates say the railroad industry has been slow to adopt the federally mandated safety upgrades, but industry heads say installing the satellite-based system has been more challenging than anticipated.
“You cannot purchase PTC systems off the shelf at Best Buy,” says Michael Melaniphy, president of the American Public Transportation Association, which is pushing Congress for more time. Otherwise, Melaniphy says, “there will be a transportation crisis in this country with severe economic consequences.”
The consequences could severely impact the energy industry, which has moved to the rails as a way to move crude and refined products across the U.S. in recent years.
FuelFix.com has the story.
