Speed Control Was Installed, Not On at Time of Amtrak Crash

U.S.News ^ | May 14, 2015 | By Alan Neuhauser

[Jim Robinson]

A computer system that allows speeding trains to be slowed remotely – potentially averting deadly derailments – was installed in the section of track in Philadelphia where Tuesday’s fatal Amtrak crash occurred but had not been turned on, congressional sources tell U.S. News.

“The PTC was installed in the section of track where the Philadelphia accident occurred, but for whatever reason had not been turned on, the PTC in that section,” Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Pa., tells U.S. News, referring to "positive train control."

His account was corroborated by Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md.

“The tracks had PTC, the train had PTC,” Harris says.

Both congressmen are members of the House Appropriations Committee, which contacted Amtrak for more information about the crash.

The train, Amtrak Northeast Regional 188 from the nation's capital to New York City, was hurtling at more than twice the recommended speed limit when it jumped the tracks just after 9 p.m. Yet the technology that could have slowed it had not been enabled – allegedly because of delays in installing the system, Harris, Dent and a third congressional source say, citing communications between the Appropriations Committee and Amtrak.

"According to Amtrak, PTC was installed in the section of track where the Philly accident occurred," a committee source writes in an email to U.S. News. "There have been delays in 'turning it on' associated with FCC dealings and getting the bandwidth to upgrade the radios from 900 MHz to something higher (for more reliability)."

Amtrak's application for the bandwidth needed to use the positive train control system was approved in "early March," an FCC official says.

[17th Miss Regt]

Maybe the evil Mossad sabotaged the train to get back at the President’s wise policies towards the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian lands and their oppression of the Palestinian peoples.

[PA Engineer]

The place where the accident occurred has a speed reduction from 80 mph to 50 mph due to the curve at Frankford Junction. The clown that was driving the train was moving at 106 mph through the 80 mph zone, and he hit the 50 mph zone at 102 mph.

FYI. According to the NTSB, the train was traveling at 70mph until one mile before the turn and then accelerated to 107mph going into the turn when the emergency braking was applied. This was information that was released late yesterday.

[uncitizen]

this could have been done remotely, like what was done to that journalist whose Mercedes ran into a pole at 100+ mph and killed him.

[tophat9000]

So this system uses a radio link??..and what happens if someone decides to jam or hack the link?

[TexasGator]

“So it is on the track and not on the train? That’s interesting.”

Paragraph 4:

“The tracks had PTC, the train had PTC,” Harris says.

[Washi]

Well, that’s obviously a result of underfunding!

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Thank you. I missed that.

[SierraWasp]

Will it sorta be like the trial of CASEY JONES??? (wait! does anyone even remember that legendary tale? prolly not!)

[Neoliberalnot]

The more one considers this event the more one wonders if this was not intentional. I think the mental case put in charge as an engineer attempted to murder every passenger and kill himself. What engineer would not be able to sense a train going 106 mph versus 50 mph. He did not lose consciousness, he knew exactly what he was doing but he failed to kill himself and all a board.

[Neoliberalnot]

50,000+ trains passed that same curve without a hint of a problem, yet this one is going over TWICE the allowed speed.””

It was an Intentional act.