Passenger Trains > Trains reports Amtrak will not to operate on lines w/out PTC

Story in Trains News Wire reporting that Amtrak CEO Anderson was going to tell Congress today that on lines "where a railroad is required to install PTC yet has made insufficient progress to apply for a waiver, 'Amtrak will suspend operations until such time as the carrier becomes compliant with the law'"

In Wall Street Journal he is reported as having said today “We have a question about whether we’re going to operate at all” in those territories, he said, “and I doubt we will.” Seems to be related to lines where PTC is supposed to be in place by 12/31/18.

In his testimony, Mr. Anderson said that many railroads whose tracks Amtrak uses outside the northeast were expected to seek extensions of the 2018 deadline from the FRA. In those cases, he said, “the question we must ask ourselves is whether we continue to operate over such routes until PTC is turned on, and if so, what additional safety protections are appropriate to reduce risks?”

For areas where railroads haven’t made sufficient progress on installing PTC to qualify for an extended schedule from FRA, Amtrak “will suspend” its operations, he said.

Some operating railroads are going to love this bluster from Anderson. They will delay, delay, delay and Amtrak will simply go away. They don't want passenger trains on their railroad and this is an easy way to get rid of them.

Here's a link to Anderson's prepared testimony. A lot of interest here--including musings about changing operating practices in dark territory.

https://transportation.house.gov/uploadedfiles/2018-02-15_-_anderson_testimony.pdf

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA

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Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 04/07/18 13:09 by darkcloud.

Amtrak suspending service is irrelevant. Either the train lines need to be upgraded or the host railroad needs to have the waiver/extension. Amtrak cannot run on lines that are not upgraded or under an extension/waiver.

It would be like you or I saying that we would refuse to drive on a street where we were forbidden to travel. Irrelevant!

This is like making PTC the magic potent that will prevent all disasters. It won't. Off the top of my head:

Cascade 501 was PTC preventable
You can argue whether the Silver Star was or not as the whole signal system had been shut down, which would have rendered PTC in-operarable anyway.
The backhoe wreck with the Palmetto was not.
The GOP special to WV was not,
188's wreck was also ASC/ATC preventable, though they made a decision not to deploy it on the curve in that direction, but it'is in effect now.

Non-Amtrak:
MN SPuyten Duyvil is like 188's situation
NJT Hoboken Terminal, PTC not required in a terminal area.
LIRR Brooklyn Terminal, ditto.

I know there were a couple on Metra RI that were, as well as the VIA Rail wreck on the Niagara branch,with 3 engineers in the cab no less.
Of course there was Chatsworth, CA

justalurker66 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Amtrak suspending service is irrelevant. Either
> the train lines need to be upgraded or the host
> railroad needs to have the waiver/extension.
> Amtrak cannot run on lines that are not upgraded
> or under an extension/waiver.
>
> It would be like you or I saying that we would
> refuse to drive on a street where we were
> forbidden to travel. Irrelevant!

Right. It is the law. Not only Amtrak, but even the host railroad will not be able to legally run trains.

MEKoch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Some operating railroads are going to love this
> bluster from Anderson. They will delay, delay,
> delay and Amtrak will simply go away. They don't
> want passenger trains on their railroad and this
> is an easy way to get rid of them.

Your point: "They don't want passenger trains on their railroad and this
is an easy way to get rid of them" is well-taken. The question is could such railroads legally deny the American public their rail service convenience and necessity?

Secondly, I doubt seriously that Anderson would leave a prestigious airline position to come over to dismantle Amtrak. He came over to fix the problems and he'll succeed.

The Class I's will not say they can no longer operate after 12/31/18 because their share prices would crash (except for Buffet's RR).

Who is going to define "sufficient progress"?

Let’s ask the bigger question...which lines do not have PTC or a waiver?
Nick

Posted from iPhone

jst3751 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Who is going to define "sufficient progress"?


The FRA

This could prove to be a problem for the SW Chief on the Rail Runner in New Mexico.

So, when does Amtrak plan to begin installing PTC equipment on it's locomotives?

Fourth paragraph: "...I will chronical some of the many steps we’ve taken..."

He probably meant "chronicle" although recent Amtrak mishaps appear chronic.

Understand that Rail Runner has obtained some money and they have put the project out to bid.

mundo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Understand that Rail Runner has obtained some
> money and they have put the project out to bid.

Once the contract is awarded there is very little chance there will be sufficient progress by December to obtain a waiver, much less have PTC installed. Lamy to Dalies is one example of where Anderson will need to walk back his pronouncement.

Realist Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So, when does Amtrak plan to begin installing PTC
> equipment on it's locomotives?


Most of the P42's already have it.

RollinB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> mundo Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Understand that Rail Runner has obtained some
> > money and they have put the project out to bid.
>
> Once the contract is awarded there is very little
> chance there will be sufficient progress by
> December to obtain a waiver, much less have PTC
> installed. Lamy to Dalies is one example of where
> Anderson will need to walk back his pronouncement.

========================

Unless Amtrak has now conjured up a way to kill off everything outside the NEC.

Posted from Android

Well maybe the government should start paying for PTC, they’re the only ones who want that junk anyway.

Posted from iPhone