PTC Deadline Postponed

Railroads have more time to prepare for PTC. As part of the Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2015 signed into law Oct. 29, railroads have through 2018 to install positive train control (PTC) technology.

The PTC deadline had been Dec. 31.

PTC is a GPS-based train electronic system that automatically stops a train if it anticipates train-to-train collisions or derailments caused by excessive speed.

PTC is mandated on lines that carry toxic-by-inhalation materials, including anhydrous ammonia and chlorine, as well as lines carrying five million tons a year and lines with regularly scheduled passenger or commuter services.

Several agricultural groups sought the deadline extension. They argued that the majority of railroads would not have met the 2015 deadline, which would have meant millions of dollars in federal fines for rail companies and likely prompted the companies to discontinue some services. S