Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 22 december 2017

Toll of railroads’ speed control lag: 150 crashes, 298 dead

trak crash south of Seattle are going too fast and can
that killed three people take over control of a train
and one in Florida that’s when an engineer is dis-
expected to start service in tracted or incapacitated.
the coming weeks. “We have recommended
Data provided to AP on PTC for decades,” Bella
Wednesday shows the Dinh-Zarr, a member of the
crashes the NTSB says NTSB, said Tuesday. “Unfor-
could’ve been prevented tunately the deadline was
by positive train control moved farther into the fu-
have caused 298 deaths, ture, and every year that
6,763 injuries and nearly we wait to implement PTC
$385 million in property to its fullest extent means
damage. The records list that more people will be
crashes though May 2015 killed and injured.”
— when an Amtrak train A 2008 Metrolink crash in
derailed in Philadelphia, California that killed 25
killing eight people — and people pushed PTC to be-
The engine from an Amtrak train that crashed onto Interstate 5 on Monday, is transported away do not include Monday’s come a hot-button issue
from the scene, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017, in DuPont, Wash. Federal investigators in the deadly wreck outside of Seattle, on Capitol Hill. Lawmak-
train wreck want to know whether the engineer was distracted by a second person in his cab as
his train hurtled into a curve at more than twice the speed limit. The train took a 30 mph curve at which experts say likely ers mandated railroad
80 mph and plunged off an overpass, sending rail cars plummeting onto a busy highway south could have been prevent- companies install the GPS-
of Seattle. ed by the technology. based PTC technology by
(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) The board first recommend- 2015, but rail agencies said
By MICHAEL BALSAMO that federal safety investi- the deadlines for railroads ing using “automatic train they didn’t have enough
MICHAEL SISAK gators have been pushing to implement positive train control” after two Penn time to install the expen-
Associated Press for close to five decades, control for years. Central commuter trains sive, complicated system.
Nearly 300 people have according to rail crash All the while, new high- collided in Darien, Con- Despite rebukes from the
died in train crashes that data obtained by The As- speed train routes continue necticut on Aug, 20, 1969, federal agency that regu-
could have been prevent- sociated Press. to spring into operation killing four and injuring 43. lates train travel, congress
ed if railroads across the But despite overwhelm- without the technology, The GPS-based technology extended the deadline
U.S. implemented critical ing evidence it could save including the new route is designed to automati- until the end of 2018 and
speed-control technology lives, Congress extended involved in Monday’s Am- cally slow or stop trains that now, in some circumstanc-
Ex-Marine deported to Mexico 15 years ago returns to US es, railroads can apply for
an extension until 2020.
Positive train control was
By JULIE WATSON a McDonald’s several feet “I’m very thankful and hap- Fletcher, a former Cali- installed on 24 percent
Associated Press from the border crossing. py,” said Chavez, his voice fornia state lawmaker, of the nation’s passenger
SAN DIEGO (AP) — A for- “I believe it now that I am quivering. His son then founded the Honorably route miles and 45 percent
mer Marine who was de- over here.” hugged him. Discharged/Dishonorably of freight route miles as of
ported to his birth country He said it will be an unfor- The return gives hope to Deported Coalition. “We September 30, the date of
of Mexico 15 years ago be- gettable Christmas be- hundreds of other deport- are here today because a the Federal Railroad Ad-
cause of a conviction for a cause he will spend it with ed U.S. military veterans, group of people said if you ministration’s most recent
minor offense returned to his family. said Nathan Fletcher, a are willing to die for a coun- quarterly update to its on-
the United States on Thurs- “I’ll be able to wake up Marine combat veteran try, that country would not line tracker for the tech-
day after winning his battle Christmas morning, hug whose organization lob- leave you behind, that nology. “Railroads need
to regain permanent U.S. them and let them know bied on Chavez’s behalf. country would not let you to stop the foot-dragging
residency. I’m home,” Chavez said, his “For those of us who have be deported,” he said. Ear- and implement Positive
Marco Chavez said he father standing by his side. served and fought for this lier this year at the request Train Control without de-
felt speechless when he His father, Antonio Chavez, country, we can’t rest until of Fletcher’s organization, lay - inaction puts lives at
walked into the United told reporters in English and they all come home,” said California Gov. Jerry Brown risk,” U.S. Sen. Richard Blu-
States. Spanish that he was grate- Fletcher, among the first to pardoned Chavez for a menthal, a Democrat from
“I was in disbelief,” he told ful to have his son finally welcome Marco Chavez 1998 conviction for animal Connecticut, said Thursday
reporters gathered outside home. back with a big hug. cruelty in a dog beating.q on Twitter.q