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National Transit Group Seeks Deadline Extension for Train Accident Prevention Technology

Soon after the Metrolink train crash near Chatsworth Los Angeles in 2008, Los Angeles train accident attorneys had called for the use of high-tech on commuter rails in order to prevent such accidents in the future.  In response, Senator Dianne Feinstein Democrat-California sponsored a bill to deploy the systems, known as positive train control systems, across the country.  The deadline to roll out the systems was set as 2015.  Now, a national group of transit companies have asked for an extension of the deadline.

According to the American Public Transportation Association, the deadline of 2015 is not practical.  The organization says that the majority of the nation’s railroads have determined that there are too many technology issues and questions surrounding radiofrequency availability and links to the technology.  Further, according to the group, there’s little federal funding for the project, and this will make it difficult for the rollout to be completed by the deadline.

Metrolink has criticized the American Public Transportation Association for its opposition to the deadline.  Any delay in implementation of the positive train control system technology on all computer railroads across the country, would make the system more expensive for Metrolink.  A delay would mean that private companies would have less incentive to develop new train control technologies that will be necessary to link the system together.  Besides, federal officials would also neglect the issue of radio signals, which is important to the system.

Positive train control technologies are already used in many foreign countries, and also in some American urban transit networks.  The system uses positioning data from satellites, computers and radio signals to monitor the speed of the train and its location.  When the system detects that the train is a collision path, it takes over the controls of the train to avoid an accident on the railway.

The Metrolink crash of 2008 involved a commuter plane that crashed head-on into a Union Pacific freight train near Chatsworth, Los Angeles on September 12, 2008.  Investigations after the crash found that the crash was caused by an engineer who was distracted at one of the controls, and missed a red light.  As a result, the train ended up on the same track as a Union Pacific freight train, leading to a devastating head-on crash, that left 25 people dead and more than 100 people injured.  Some of the people who were injured continue to deal with the effects of their injuries.  This week, some of the people who are claiming compensation for their injuries began the process of presenting their claims to a judge.

Soon after the crash, Metrolink train accident attorneys called for the adoption of sophisticated positive train control system technologies not only on Metrolink tracks, but also commuter railroad tracks around the country.  Unfortunately, it seems like the American Public Transportation Association is taking advantage of the fading memories of the crash.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of train accidents in Los Angeles. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire to discuss a personal injury matter,  you can reach us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not representing any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

 

 

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