Page 16 - Train Control News Today

This a condition -- a situation in which perhaps the tracks should not have been used altogether, because everything would have to be done manually, or is that customary, when things go down electronically, that this is -- the next best thing? >> well, unfortunately, a lot of work on the rails and the ra railroads in this country occur while the trains are moving. because, of course, the trains have to keep going and moving on. thats one of the reasons why more automation is requested. because o...

Information about other things on the track. at this point, we dont know if the csx train was moving or had been parked on the tracks but that will raise questions about the signaling, what were they able to see in those dark hours of the in the morning. but, most importantly, again, positive train control because this is exactly one of the things that -- supposed to prevent. this is a fair populated area and also near ft. jackson. lots of folks recognize that game where a lot of soldiers go thr...

This is just now in columbia. its near the intersection of the road to charleston, a highway, and a highway that also goes to charlotte, north carolina. so while this is a rural area but really not. immediate tracks go through large cities all around there. whether this is an area that would be slated to get positive train control soon, i doubt it, because amtrak has several two or three trains a day through there and 91 southbound and 92 northbound, a mirror image of this is -- >> mary, i think...

In this case, probably would have prevented the accident. >> yeah. we are hearing similar questions and concern from mary schiavo when the government will complement these plans to add positive train control after the train crashes we have seen the past several months. peter goelz of the national transportation safety board, thank you. >> thank you. >> we will be back with the breaking news out of south carolina. but some people still like cable. just like some people like pre-shaken sodas. havi...

Lead conductor was in the passenger section not in the cab. instead the engineer and a conductor in training were in the cab. the engineer still allowed to operate the train. >> under amtrak policy he couldnt operate the train unless he was qualified and familiar with this territory. so the answer would be yes, within the preefs two weeks hed been qualified to operate on the territory. >> reporter: but the ntsb says the crew did not hit the emergency break before the derailment. it was automatic...

Automatically. amtraks ceo is apologizing profusely. he calls this a wake-up call. >> we have to continue to improve and evolve the safety culture at amtrak. none of us want to ever happen at a site like this. we owe a greater duty and responsibility to our passengers and the communities we serve. >> reporter: and we do understand that ptc, the positive train control, that could have automatically slowed this train was installed on this set of track but not set to go into effect until the second...

Dupont, washington with breaking developments from overnight. >> reporter: the question is why amtrak launched its high-speed passenger train service before activating special technology, control technology that might have prevented what we saw here, positive train control, slowing a speeding train. >> huge supporters, positive train control, capital allocated to get it done, putting all the resources on, no one wants positive train control more than amtrak. >> railroads are under government ord...

We have all our capital allocated to get it done. >> he said the system should be in place on this stretch of track by next spring. congress has ordered the nations railroads to install this technology but under pressure from the railroad industry, a 2015 deadline was pushed to the end of next year. >> national transportation safety board has been begging the railroad industry to implement positive train control. every time it gets close our congress pushes it back. it pushes it back and keeps d...

The 30-mile-per-hour limit. >> the emergency brake was automatically activated after -- when the accident was occurring, rather than being initiated by the engineer. >> reporter: the train was making its first passenger run between seattle and portland on newly upgraded track, filled with rail lovers like zach willhoite and jim hamre, two of the three people who died. >> it was like being inside an exploding bomb. >> reporter: beverly and charlie heebner were excited for that maiden run, too. >>...

A new kind of network designed to save you money. call, visit, or go to xfinitymobile.com. confusion and contradiction in the wake of that deadly amtrak crash in washington state that killed three people. officials say the stretch of track where the train derailed did not have positive train control. a system that automatedly slows down and stops a speeding train. a different safety system was in place, one that most likely would not have prevented the derailment. >> we have confirmed that ptc