The clock continues to tick toward a shutdown of critical railroad services that would have far-reaching consequences for the nation’s economy. But Congress can avert this crisis by giving rail operators more time to safely implement complex braking technology across the nation’s rail system.
In 2008, Congress required railroads to install an automatic crash-avoidance braking system – called Positive Train Control (PTC) – which would kick in when an unsafe situation arises. To comply with this mandate, the rail industry developed a completely new and untested technology that it is now working to install on 60,000 route-miles of track.
Unfortunately, the Dec. 31, 2015 deadline Congress set for installing PTC is unworkable given the complexities of the technology. Despite enormous progress and $6 billion spent by the industry on implementation to date, freight rail operators will not meet this deadline.
At the heart of this challenge is the fact that PTC is not ready-to-go technology. More than 70 railroads had to create a system from scratch that would work seamlessly across all tracks, regardless of which operator owns those trains and tracks.
Achieving this interoperability is easier said than done. Before the research and development process surrounding the new technology could take place, railroads needed to build a consensus on interoperability requirements among rail operators, customers and the Federal Railroad Administration.
PTC needs real-world testing to identify and fix any problems, a time-consuming, but extremely necessary safety-check process that could leave serious issues undetected if rushed. This is why railroads have told Congress they need until 2018 to install PTC and an additional two years to validate that the nationwide systems work as envisioned.
Without an extension, many freight and passenger railroads will be forced to shut down to avoid breaking the law. A shutdown of this size would have far-reaching consequences for Georgia and the entire country, while leaving millions of commuters without a way to get to work.
Freight railroads ship essential cargo through the state, including chemicals often used as fertilizer for farming or for purifying drinking water. Without these products, Georgia’s agriculture industry could be dealt a serious blow, and municipalities may have to find a new source for clean drinking water. Of course, states throughout the country will be similarly affected as these shipments and others, such as grain and coal, grind to a halt.
This scenario would have vast economic repercussions. According to the American Chemistry Council, a rail shutdown of only one month would cut GDP growth by 2.6 percent in the first quarter and pull $30 billion from the economy.
Only Congress has the ability to extend the PTC deadline, but time is quickly running out. Lawmakers must come together now to pass an extension and avert the economic disaster that awaits if the nation’s rail industry is forced into a shutdown.
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