Congress is set to receive an update Wednesday on the progress and implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC). This technology came back into the spotlight after the deadly Amtrak train derailment last December in Dupont.
PTC is technology that could have slowed or stopped the train automatically and wasn’t in use on the stretch of track where the train derailed, according to Amtrak President Richard Anderson.
The train was traveling 80 miles per hour in a 30 mile per hour zone, the NTSB said. Three people died, and dozens were injured in the crash.
The Federal Railroad Administration says more than 40 railroads are required to implement PTC on about 60,000 miles of track by the end of the year.
Congress set the deadline for the technology to be in place so on Wednesday they will hear about the progress. In 2008, it was mandated for PTC to be installed by 2015. However, Congress extended that deadline to December 31, 2018.
Senator Patty Murray, D-Wash., will be among the members of Congress pressing the President of Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration. Murray’s spokesperson said she would also be asking about how training has changed for crew members since the derailment.
The hearing will be live-streamed. Murray’s team expects her questioning to begin around 1 p.m. Pacific.
If you are interested in watching the live stream, you can see it by clicking this link.
