Threats of All Trains Stopping on Jan. 1st, 2016

I haven't seen this on here yet.

It's a pretty scary idea, I have a feeling that not many Americans realize how tied our economy is to the transportation sector, namely: trucks and trains.

In a candid letter to a U.S. senator, BNSF Railway’s chief executive, Carl Ice, said September 9 that BNSF would in effect shut down most of its network rather than violate a federal law mandating that positive train control be operational by December 31. CSX Transportation has said it, too, questions whether it should violate federal laws, and other Class I carriers are likely to follow suit. This set up the real possibility of a national transportation crisis at the beginning of 2016. The public may be unaware of how closely the U.S. economy is tied to railroads, but the reality is that without railroads, this country will quickly cease to function normally. Imagine, for instance, no electricity to heat homes.

Source

Another crisis for our law makers to avert?

Who am I kidding, they never avert anything. Maybe after some time it will be cleared up, but with all eyes focused on the looming Federal shut-down of Oct. 1st, I have a feeling that this may creep up too quickly for us to do anything about.

Transportation of energy supplies will cease, at least temporarily, at one of the coldest times of the year. That is DANGEROUS.

Anyone who has a better handle on this situation care to shine some light on it?

a reply to: gatorboi117

Sounds like extortion for funding or something else if you ask me.

This isn't the first time and most definetily won't be the last time tactics like this have been used.

I think better safe than sorry. Sounds like the system isn't working as intended so I know I wouldn't want to travel by high speed train in those circumstances

This is just an example that no matter what the government demands or how much they stomp their feet, deadlines don't make it happen.

Huh. My brother in law is a conductor. I'm going to ask him tonight, if he has heard anything about this. But maybe it hasn't gone down that far on the chain yet? Seems like there would have been some type of rumbling.

After re-reading the story, you sure can't blame the railroad for this one.
Seriously, you (government) expect someone to meet a deadline, then suspend issuing the permits needed to meet it for over a year?

That sounds about right for the government.

Looks like full installation of the system and training wouldn't be till 2020...

www.aar.org...

originally posted by: yadboy
Looks like full installation of the system and training wouldn't be till 2020...

www.aar.org...

Heard about this today. Shortlines like where I work are not required to impliment PTC however we will be dead in the water because the class 1s will not be moving any of what we ship.

Speaking as an engineer and conductor PTC won't do anything that a responsible crew and dispatcher doesn't do already. This deadline came about because of the Philly amtrak accident which by all indications was the result of, frankly, idiocy.

That sounds funny, like the y2k bug. But that didn't happen.

That's not going to happen, unless it is a for the New Year's Eve celebration purpose Maybe a flash mob!