Railroad Safety and Positive Train Control Extension Act - Revises the railroad safety risk reduction program.
Extends from December 31, 2015, to December 31, 2020, the deadline for submission to the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) by each Class I railroad carrier and each entity providing regularly scheduled intercity or commuter rail passenger transportation of a plan for implementing a positive train control (PTC) system on certain of its tracks.
Authorizes the Secretary to extend the implementation deadline, upon application, in one-year increments, if specified circumstances exist.
Directs the Secretary to revise federal regulations requiring a Class II or III railroad (including a tourist or excursion railroad) to equip its locomotives with an onboard PTC system to operate in PTC territory.
Extends for five years the time for such railroad to meet the deadline for equipping its locomotives with a PTC system.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1462 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1462
To extend the positive train control system implementation deadline,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
August 1, 2013
Mr. Thune (for himself, Mr. Blunt, Mrs. McCaskill, and Mr. Pryor)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To extend the positive train control system implementation deadline,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Railroad Safety and Positive Train
Control Extension Act''.
SEC. 2. IMPLEMENTATION DEADLINE.
(a) Technology Implementation Plan.--Section 20156(e)(4) of title
49, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:
``(4) Positive train control.--
``(A) In general.--Except as required by section
20157 (relating to the requirements for implementation
of positive train control systems), the Secretary shall
ensure that each railroad carrier's technology
implementation plan required under paragraph (1) that
includes a schedule for implementation of a positive
train control system complies with that schedule.
``(B) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this
section shall be construed as requiring the
installation of positive train control on railroad
tracks if--
``(i) positive train control is not
required on those tracks under section 20157;
and
``(ii) the railroad does not choose to
implement positive train control as a
technology on those tracks under this
section.''.
(b) Extension of Deadline.--Section 20157 of title 49, United
States Code, is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(1)--
(A) by striking ``Not later than 18 months after
the date of enactment of the Rail Safety Improvement
Act of 2008, each'' and inserting ``Each''; and
(B) by striking ``by December 31, 2015'' and
inserting ``by December 31, 2020''; and
(2) in subsection (a)(1)(B), by striking ``transported''
and inserting ``transported on or after December 31, 2015''.
SEC. 3. AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION TO EXTEND
IMPLEMENTATION DEADLINE.
(a) In General.--Section 20157 of title 49, United States Code, as
amended by section 2(b) of this Act, is further amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ``Each Class I'' and
inserting ``Except as provided under subsection (i), each Class
I'';
(2) by redesignating subsection (i) as subsection (j); and
(3) by inserting before subsection (j), as redesignated,
the following:
``(i) Implementation Extensions.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary may extend in 1-year
increments, upon application, the deadline for implementing a
positive train control system under subsection (a)(1) for an
applicant, if the Secretary determines that--
``(A) full implementation will likely be infeasible
due to circumstances beyond the control of the
applicant, including funding availability, spectrum
acquisition, resource and technology availability,
software development and testing, availability of
alternate risk reduction strategies, and
interoperability standards;
``(B) the applicant has demonstrated good faith in
its positive train control system implementation;
``(C) the applicant has presented a revised plan
for implementing a positive train control system
indicating how the applicant will fully implement a
positive train control system as soon as feasible, but
not later than December 31, 2022; and
``(D) the extension will not extend later than
December 31, 2022.
``(2) Considerations.--In making a determination under
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consider--
``(A) whether the affected areas of track have been
identified as areas of greater risk to the public and
railroad employees in the applicant's positive train
control implementation plan under section
236.1011(a)(4) of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations
(relating to PTC Implementation Plan content
requirements); and
``(B) the risk of operational failure to the
affected service areas and the applicant.
``(3) Review.--Not later than 10 days after the Secretary
receives an application under paragraph (1), the Secretary
shall review and approve or disapprove the application.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 20156(e)(2) of title 49, United
States Code, is amended by striking ``as defined in section 20157(i)''
and inserting ``as defined in section 20157(j)''.
SEC. 4. EQUIPPING LOCOMOTIVES OPERATING IN POSITIVE TRAIN CONTROL
TERRITORY.
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act,
the Secretary of Transportation shall revise section
236.1006(b)(4)(iii)(B) of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations
(relating to equipping locomotives operating in PTC territory) to
extend each deadline 5 years.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
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