Newly Proposed Rules Aim to Prevent Train Accidents

It's late June and the news is buzzing with reports out of Washington, D.C. that two commuter trains have collided. The first train had stopped to wait for the tracks to clear and was rear-ended at full speed by a second train. The final death toll is nine people, though many more are injured. The question remains — why didn't the operator of the second train stop? Killed in the crash, that mystery remains unanswered.It's not always on the news, but accidents involving trains do occur and more often than you may think. In Illinois, there are dozens of accidents every year. Many of these are avoidable and newly proposed rules by the Federal Railroad Administration and Secretary of Transportation add to efforts already underway to curtail these numbers.In 2008, the Rail Safety Improvement Act required the implementation of Positive TrainControl (PTC) systems for all major freight railroads, intercity and commuter train operators. Plans for implementation are due to the Federal Railroad Administration by mid-April in 2010. By the end of 2015, all PTC systems must be in place and functional.The newly proposed rules add onto the RailSafety Improvement Act by determining how compliant PTC systems must function and the framework for assessment in determining that PTC has been properly implemented.PTC is designed to reduce the potential for train accidents and collisions. The technology acts as a sort of emergency auto-pilot — regulating train speed and movement when the operator fails to make an appropriate calculation or take the necessary actions to avoid catastrophe.Trackside equipment working in conjunction with the onboard PTC systems can also give warnings to train operators or initiate necessary action.For example, if water on the tracks has made passage difficult or inadvisable, the trackside equipment should alert the operators so that they would have time to react.Such equipment would have helped to prevent a train accident last June, when 18 tankers filled with ethanol derailed near Rockford, Illinois. One person was killed and three more were injured following tanker explosions, and the ensuing fire necessitated the evacuation of hundreds of nearby residents. It's thought that heavy rains may have washed out the track, thus causing the tragic crash.PTC implementation is meant to help avoid tragedies like the Illinois tanker explosion and the commuter crash in D.C. By adding an additional layer of oversight and, if necessary, action, officials hope to cut into the number of accidents and injuries involving trains.If you or a family member was injured by or on a train, please contact a lawyer with experience handling train accidents to discuss your situation.