Co-authored by Jacob Exline of The Collins Law Firm, P.C.
A renewed emphasis on safety for public transportation has emerged after last month’s deadly Philadelphia Amtrak crash and Illinois is making sure to jump on board. A high-speed train line between Chicago and St. Louis that will reach speeds of up to 110 mph will be completed after the installation of a speed regulating safety system.
The Illinois Department of Transportation has entered into an agreement with the U.S. government to install a safety feature that will automatically slow down trains traveling at dangerously high speeds. The system, known as positive train control, relies on GPS in order to function. Once it has been installed, it will be one of the first train lines with such safety features outside the Northeast. Transportation Safety Experts have stated that technology like the positive train control could prevent crashes like the Philadelphia Amtrak crash.
High-speed trains with positive train control technology are expected to be up and running between Chicago and St. Louis by 2017. For high-speed train passengers these safety upgrades can’t come soon enough. Hopefully, the lessons learned from Philadelphia will lead to increased safety technology on train lines throughout the country.
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