Testing of Amtrak Cascades trains will occur on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018 and Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018 on railroad tracks between Tacoma, Lakewood, Joint Base Lewis-McChord and DuPont. Train equipment testing is part of the ongoing implementation of positive train control (PTC) systems on the Amtrak Cascades corridor.
Trains will be tested at speeds up to 79 mph between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. throughout the weekend. In addition, other trains continue to be active on this corridor during day and nighttime hours. As always, pedestrians and drivers are cautioned to stay clear of the tracks at all times and obey signals at crossings.
Testing of the PTC systems is being conducted in preparation for the return of Amtrak service to the Point Defiance Bypass in spring 2019.
Cindy Walston says
September 15, 2018 at 11:27 amIt is incredible to me that the speed of this train is so much more important than the safety of our citizens.
David Anderson says
September 17, 2018 at 9:05 amA September 16, 2018 story by Amy Moreno for King5 News is subtitled, “Railroad officials were already moving toward the safety system, called Positive Train Control, before last year’s deadly train derailment in DuPont.”
Already moving forward?
On December 19, one day after the DuPont derailment last year, The Seattle Times editorial board revealed that “safety regulators have called for PTC systems for decades, but Congress and the U.S. railroad industry have been slow to implement this lifesaving technology.”
Mandated in 2008 by Congress, PTC was required by the end of 2015.
Already moving forward?
‘High on speed, slow on safety’ would have been a more accurate headline.
Marty says
September 17, 2018 at 11:38 amTelevision news reporters like Amy (a term used loosely), read from an editorailized script. Although not fake news, per se, it’s morphed into entertainment/opinion news, and to me, that’s not a good thing.