Freight and commuter railroads across the U.S. achieved enough milestones by a Dec. 31, 2018, federal deadline for installing automatic train control systems to avoid potential federal penalties. But only four of the 41 carriers covered by the statutory mandate had the required locomotive and wayside Positive Train Control (PTC) equipment fully deployed and also fulfilled other requirements. They are the New York-New Jersey Port Authority Trans-Hudson, California's North County Transit District, Oregon's Portland & Western Railroad, and the Southern California Regional Rail Authority's Metrolink. The other 37 railroads made sufficient progress to gain a two-year extension to meet all requirements while work continues, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) said in a year-end statement. PTC systems seek to prevent trains from collisions and excessive speeding. The National Transportation Safety Board has long identified the lack of such systems as a significant safety problem.
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