Letter to The Honorable Mitch McConnell, Majority Leader and The Honorable Harry Field, Minority Leader - Ensure Safety of Freight and Passenger Rail Operations Without Creating Lapse in Service

Letter

The Honorable Mitch McConnell

Majority Leader

S-230, US Capitol

Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Harry Reid

Minority Leader

S-221, US Capitol

Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Leader McConnell and Leader Reid:

We write to address the approaching statutory deadline for the full implementation of positive train control (PTC) safety technology. As reported in a recent GAO study, it is increasingly clear that our nation's freight and passenger railroads are unable to meet the December 31, 2015 implementation deadline. We believe it is important to ensure that the railroads complete implementation of PTC in an expeditious manner without any unnecessary disruptions to our national rail network. With this in mind, Congress must act now to extend the looming deadline to provide certainty to businesses and individuals that rely on the railroads while providing a clear timeline for meeting the PTC requirements set forth in the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (RSIA).

When implemented, PTC will be a critical safety component of our national rail network. Full implementation is critical to the safety of the men and women who operate our nation's trains, the millions of passengers that move around the country and the thousands of manufacturers, farmers and ranchers that depend on rails to move world-class products to market. That is why it remains essential for Congress to hold railroads accountable to efficiently complete the PTC requirements set forth in RSIA. We must also do so in a way that acknowledges current constraints as the Senate did when it passed the bipartisan DRIVE Act.

Railroads play a vital role in our nation's economy. We cannot afford a disruption of rail service, which could occur if Congress does not extend this deadline. Myriad businesses rely on dependable service and would be unnecessarily hurt by a slowdown in service, whether it is a farmer looking to sell this year's harvest, a sawmill moving logs or an energy company delivering fuel. Additionally, millions of passengers that depend on reliable service to commute locally as well as nationally will face preventable challenges.

It is important that we extend this deadline in a responsible way that ensures smooth implementation of this new technology with measurable benchmarks. It is also imperative that Congress take up this issue immediately, as railroads will begin to alter their service standards weeks before the actual deadline. We appreciate your attention to this time-sensitive manner, and stand ready to work with you.