The MTA has suffered a setback as it tries to meet a federal deadline to install Positive Train Control on Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road.
Positive Train Control, or PTC, uses radio transponders on the tracks to stop trains that are going too fast or have run through signals. Tests conducted on the LIRR’s Port Washington line failed to stop trains in 16 of 52 attempts.
The results were revealed during an MTA committee meeting on Monday.
The U.S. Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 requires all railroads to install PTC by the end of the year or face stiff fines.
Metro-North President Catherine Rinaldi says the MTA will focus on meeting minimum standards by year’s end, which will trigger a two-year extension to complete the system.
The National Transportation Safety Board says several fatal train accidents over the past few years could have been prevented by PTC.
