Mike Quigley: “Mark Twain once said that ``action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often.'' Since last week's tragic Amtrak…”

“Mark Twain once said that ``action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often.'' Since last week's tragic Amtrak accident, we have heard plenty of words about the need for stronger rail safety measures and investments in our infrastructure, but it is time for Congress to back up these words with action. It is time for Congress to put its money where its mouth is. We know how to prevent tragic accidents like the one that happened on Amtrak last week. We even mandated new technology called positive train control that would have prevented it. But what Congress has refused to do is to pay to actually get it done. Positive train control is a game-changer for rail safety. The technology would have likely prevented 140 train accidents that have caused more than 280 deaths and $300 million in property damage since 1969. But this safety technology is also incredibly complex and expensive to implement. We have mandated technology that is expected to cost billions, and we are forcing the Nation's railroads to foot the entire bill. Much of this last week's focus has been on Amtrak, but despite last week's accident, Amtrak is actually on target to implement positive train control by the end of the year. For the already cash-strapped commuter railroads around the country, it is a completely different story. For them, Congress' refusal to fund positive train control has pretty much stopped implementation in its tracks.…”