Congress Needs to Step up to Prevent Future Amtrak Crashes

Statement of Richard Harnish, executive director of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association (MHSRA), in response to the recent Amtrak crash in Philadelphia.

“I am saddened by the tragic events this week on the Northeast Corridor. It is discouraging to know that this horrific accident could have been prevented. We need to learn from this event to make sure crashes like this don’t happen again.”

“Passenger train travel is 20 times safer than driving and 2.5 times safer than flying, but any fatal accidents are unacceptable. Congress needs to invest in proven safety systems that would have prevented this type of crash.”

“This crash highlights how urgent it is to install Positive Train Control (PTC). PTC is used across the world, and is a proven system. In Philadelphia, it would have automatically slowed the train when it went above the speed limit, preventing the crash.”

“Congress enacted an unfunded mandate in the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 for all passenger railroads to install PTC by 2015. PTC installation has been delayed because of the lack of funding. Congress needs to invest in the safety of our transportation system.”

“The fact that the crash happened on a 50 mph turn on a high-speed line, shows how outdated our infrastructure is. On high-speed lines across the world, curves like this would have been straightened out to allow for continuous high-speed travel. Hazards like this curve need to be removed to prevent accidents of this nature and allow for much better service on the line."

“Countries across the world that have invested in modern high-speed rail systems enjoy stellar rail safety records. Japan’s high-speed trains have carried over 10 billion passengers – and have never had a fatal accident. It’s time for the U.S. to catch up.”