Many Commuter Railroads Still Have Significant Additional Implementation Work and Opportunities Exist to Provide Federal Assistance, U.S. GAO Reports
Mar 5, 2018
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) should identify and adopt a method for systematically communicating information to railroads and use a risk-based approach to prioritize its resources and workload, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a February 28, 2018 report on the status of “Positive Train Control” (PTC) installation nationwide.
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Forty-one railroads, including 29 commuter railroads are required by statute to implement PTC. Commuter railroads unable to implement a PTC system by December 31, 2018, may receive a maximum 2-year extension if they meet certain statutory criteria.
The GAO was asked to review commuter railroads’ PTC implementation. Among other objectives, this statement discusses (1) commuter railroads that may not be positioned to meet the PTC deadline or to qualify for an extension, and factors affecting their progress, and (2) the extent to which FRA’s management and oversight approach has helped ensure that commuter railroads meet the deadline or qualify for an extension.