The MTA has finally finished installing federally mandated, live-savꦬing technology on the Long Island Rail Road and the Metro-North, officials said Wednesday.
The technology, called Positive Train Control, automatically stops trains before they crash or derail. Federal officials mandated the tech’s installation way back in 2008.
“The completion of PTC marks the end of literally a decade of complex work,” MTA Chairman Pat Foye said at a press conference in Queens.
“This technology can help stop accidents before they occur, and keep our customers and employees safe,” Foye said.
“It’s a major advance for transit not only here in New York, but across the nation.”
Experts believe PTC could have prevented some of the decade’s most deadly train crashes, including the 2013 Metro-North derailment that killed four commuters and a 2015 Amtrak crash in Philadelphia that killed eight.
The MTA and other federally regulated railroads received multiple deadline extensions to install the 🎐technology, which was initially supposed to be operation♛al by the end of 2015.
“It’s wonderful news that Positive Train Control has been installed and is in place on Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North,” said Lisa Daglian of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee, the MTA’s in-house advocacy group.
“Riders want to know that their trip is going to be reliable and safe, and PTC is an important aspect of safety on the rails.”