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Yesterday, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) introduced a bill (S. 301) that proposes to reduce the number of route miles on which railroads must install positive train control (PTC) by Dec. 31, 2015.

The Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 mandated that PTC be installed on about 73,000 miles of track used to transport passengers and certain hazardous materials by 2015’s end. The legislation wouldn’t roll back the congressional mandate, but reduce the number of track miles on which PTC must be installed, said Hutchinson in a news item posted on the United Transportation Union’s website.

“Traffic patterns for shipping toxic chemicals are changing,” she said. “This means that at least 10,000 route miles used to move chemicals in 2008 are no longer expected to [be used to] transport these products in 2015.”

In late January, railroad chief executive officers met with Obama Administration officials to discuss how railroads are concentrating movements of toxic inhalation hazard materials on fewer miles of track and why the PTC mandate should address traffic patterns expected in 2015 rather than the patterns that existed when the rail safety act was enacted in 2008.

“We must rein in the regulatory bureaucracy in order to unleash innovation and investment, and spur job growth,” said Hutchison.

Co-sponsored by Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), S. 301 was referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

The bill is an “important first step in bringing common sense” to PTC implementation because of the proposed change in traffic pattern years, said Association of American Railroads President and Chief Executive Officer Ed Hamberger in a prepared statement.

“Safety is and has always been our priority and we’re eager to work with the FRA to implement a realistic blueprint for the installation of PTC that will not divert critical investment from other safety measures and infrastructure,” he said. "We must work together to ensure that our world class freight-rail network can continue to deliver for America’s economy, and is not slowed down by mandates that hamper our ability to serve our customers effectively and safely.”