Amtrak: NJ Transit Could Be Banned Between Trenton And NYC
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Amtrak could prevent New Jersey Transit trains from using its tracks between Trenton and New York if the state transit agency doesn't finish installing technology that's designed to prevent crashes.
Amtrak President and CEO Richard Anderson told a House subcommittee on Thursday Amtrak is worried passengers are being put at risk by delays in installing positive train control.
In a filing to federal regulators, NJ Transit reported that through December, the braking system had been installed in 35 of its 440 locomotives and on none of 11 track segments.
Thirty-five of 124 needed radio towers had been fully installed and equipped, and 143 of 1,100 employees had been trained in the new system, according to the report.
New Jersey Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said measures have been taken to meet the Dec. 31 deadline.
In December, NJ Transit said those measures have included adding key management staff and entering into an agreement with its prime contractor, Parsons Transportation Group, to accelerate the project.
Last month, Gutierrez-Scaccetti said "nobody can say right now" if the deadline will be met. At a board meeting this week, she said she has "seen progress on PTC but I'm not going to comment on what day it's going to be done."
NJ Transit is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system with more than 200 million passenger trips annually on its trains, buses and light rail.
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