I can't even being to express my heartache and anger over the Amtrak tragedy in my home state of Pennsylvania. It was a tragedy all the more because it was PREVENTABLE. Better track and updated safety equipment would have prevented this! Crumbling and outdated infrastructure will cause more deaths and tarnish the name "railroad." It should be a word that inspires wonder and joy, power and reliability. Not fear. My prayers and thoughts go out to everyone who has suffered and everyone who still loves and dreams of the railroad.:crying:
I've now heard a few different explanation variants. One stated the speed limit to be 50mph, another 70mph. Yet another story says the train actually increased speed shortly pre-accident. I hope there will be a definitive answer as to why the train was doing 100+ mph. Ongoing topic here: http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?164208-Amtrak-derailment-today-in-Philadelphia
So do I, but the fact remains that the proper equipment on the track would likely have slowed the train to a safe speed. Our do-nothing government doesn't want to spend the money on the infrastructure improvements we so desperately need.
Our "do-nothing government" did spend the money. It turns out that the positive train control system was indeed installed on this section of track, but Amtrak had not turned it on yet. Don't get me wrong, I am the last person that would defend the government's spending habits. I just think it is important to focus what actually caused the accident. Sent from my LG-E980 using Tapatalk
Just wait. Someone in CONgress will start hollering about installing PTC on all of the Amtrak motive power and lines. I wonder where the money will come from, as that same ship of fools just drastically cut Amtrak funding?
Let's not blame infrastructure in this case. however. That track is some of the best maintained in the world. Doug
Installing PTC along the NEC is already fully funded by Congress. The cuts only apply to Amtrak's capital spending, not their safety or operations budgets. The cuts are equal to the amount Amtrak was given last year to buy new equipment, and did not spend yet.
Yes, the PTC hardware is already there. The problem is bandwidth allocations for the system which is an administration issue, not infrastructure. Doug
True. I'm thinking ahead here, of potential fallout/knee jerk reactions. Any such additional money, for application to other routes would be directly related to Amtrak, the political football kicking would quickly come into "play". Even so, cuts to capital spending are out of line. As numbers of people using the service have grown, no way that budget line can remain static. It also must grow.