The chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, Deborah A.P. Hermsman, is eyeing a locomotive and a rail car equipped with beneficial train control technology and testing gear at a downtown Metrolink rail yard.
The said project includes global positioning system (GPS), digital radio communications, and computers to monitor trains and take control of them if necessary to prevent train accidents such as derailments and other collisions.
According to reports, Metrolink officials plan to install the system on its 500-mile California commuter rail network by December next year. It was actually two years earlier than the federal’s requirement for the system to be deployed nationwide. Meanwhile, field testing of the equipment is taking place during nights and weekends.
Due to this sophisticated train safety system, the Metrolink has gained appreciation not only from the board’s chairwoman but also from the other federal officials and local transit leaders upon seeing the rail transit’s dedication to the project.
Incidentally, the concept of the project came in light of the 2008 Chatsworth crash that killed 25 people and injured some 135 more individuals. The said incident was blamed to a Metrolink engineer who missed a red light because of texting. Apparently, if the system has been installed, such train collisions can be avoided.
Meanwhile, in a previous discussion, the Federal Railroad Association recommended that Congress should delay the deadline of the project because many local railroads will not be able to meet the deadline for some technical reasons. However, Hermsman noted that if the 2015 deadline is rolled back, more rail accidents might occur.
Moreover, critics say that such project is too costly and will not work. On such comment, Hermsman further claimed that such issue was already brought up by the aviation industry, which initially refused to install the system in the aircrafts at first. Nevertheless, the system eventually became a standard requirement for many types of aircraft and has in fact, significantly reduced plane accidents.
While hoping for the best, a Los Angeles injury attorney is right now looking forward to the success of this project in the railway industry since he already witnessed its efficiency in the aviation industry.
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