House railroad subcommittee schedules PTC hearing

The U.S. House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials will host a Feb. 15 hearing on positive train control (PTC) implementation.

The committee anticipates it will receive testimony from Amtrak, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Railroad Administration, private rail operators, public transit agencies and labor organizations.

"PTC implementation is crucial to the safety of rail transportation for passengers, motorists and pedestrians alike. I look forward to hearing how efforts are progressing nationwide," said subcommittee Chairman Jeff Denham (R-Calif.) in a press release.

Congress mandated PTC in railway safety legislation passed in 2008. Initially, the legislation called for PTC to be implemented by the end of 2015. However, Congress extended the deadline to the end of 2018 or, under certain circumstances, the end of 2020.

Last month, U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao urged Class Is, intercity passenger railroads and state and local transit agencies to implement PTC by Dec. 31.