New Technology Could Have Prevented Fatal Amtrak Derailment
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A critical safety device could have prevented the devastating Amtrak crash last month that killed three people with Maryland ties. WJZ has learned Amtrak spent the day testing it in our area.
WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren with details of the race to meet a deadline to install the safety equipment.
That deadline is by the end of the year. This is a government mandate. WJZ has learned Amtrak tested the Positive Train Control system from Washington, D.C. through Maryland and into Delaware.
A security camera captured Amtrak Train 188 barreling down the tracks at more than twice the speed limit. Moments later, it crashed, killing eight people--including three with ties to Maryland.
Federal investigators admit that never should have happened.
"We know that a properly installed and functional Positive Train Control, or PTC, would have prevented this accident," said NTSB Chairman Christopher Hart.
PTC uses GPS, wired and wireless technology to slow the train down. Documents WJZ obtained show it is now being tested on the tracks through Baltimore.
"Clearly, the system could have been installed prior to the last accident," said Marc Rosen, a lawyer specializing in transportation cases. "It needs to go to the government for funding. It's subject to the whims of politicians, who can't agree on anything."
Rosen represented those killed in the 1987 Amtrak crash in Chase, Maryland--the deadliest crash ever on the Northeast Corridor.
"This is one of the busiest sectors of the rail system that exists," Rosen said. "It's important that it's safe. There's no excuse. It has to be done"
Just getting the system up and running could cost almost $1 billion dollars.
"Everything we've done since the accident has been driven by a sincere hope that we could do something, however small, to mitigate the suffering and loss that everyone endured," said Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman.
But a lawyer for some of the victims of Tran 188 lashed out at Amtrak.
"'What can we do now to add safety elements after yet another tragedy?' And that's despicable," said Andrew Duffy, who represents some Train 188 victims. "Far too little, far too late."
In addition to the testing being done here, Amtrak will test the PTC system at five different spots in the Philadelphia area starting Wednesday.
Amtrak is also spending money to put cameras in the engineer's cabs of all trains by the end of the year.