Congress Considers new Federal Safety Regulations of Mass Transit

[mark1447]

In the aftermath of the Washington Metro's deadliest crash over two years ago, Congress is considering federal regulation to make mass transit systems safer nationwide.

 

According to the Washington Post:

 

This week two bills that address safety are expected to go before the House and Senate for debate. One of the proposals would give the Federal Transit Administration oversight and the authority to set standards.

 

Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Md. above left.), who has introduced similar legislation in the past, commented, "We have federal safety standards for planes, trains and automobiles. It's shocking we don't have them for the 7 million Americans who rely on metro systems every day."

 

More + Source:

 

Congress Considers Federal Regulation of Mass Transit

[WMATA]

Riding the subway is still far safer than getting behind the wheel of an automobile. What happened on the Metrorail in 2009 occurred because of poor management and safety culture at WMATA. Should the Rohrs be retired? Sure. But without replacements, the system would be crippled because they make up 25% of the fleet. The ATO system (currently being upgraded) was screwed up because the geniuses at WMATA decided to intermix components from different manufacturers causing compatibility issues.

 

This is an isolated issue, not a national issue. The feds need to butt out.

[KeystoneRegional]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[qjtransitmaster]

I think the ATO technology is completely flawed. I really hope the FTA steps foot into all the agencies and also ban Automatic Heavy Rail/Light Rail operations. I heard from many sources that ATO is dangerous and creepy, I'd agree.

 

No it needs to be perfected and held to a higher standard and in event of emergency a hack override that lets dispatch takeover should the system fail.

[KeystoneRegional]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[WMATA]

No it needs to be perfected and held to a higher standard and in event of emergency a hack override that lets dispatch takeover should the system fail.

 

Agreed. One isolated incident shouldn't take away from technology that has potential. As a somewhat regular Metrorail rider, I can tell you that ATC is missed. Rides are much jerkier and the braking isn't always very smooth. That causes more wear and tear on the cars.

[Sand Box John]

KeystoneRegional

I think the ATO technology is completely flawed. I really hope the FTA steps foot into all the agencies and also ban Automatic Heavy Rail/Light Rail operations. I heard from many sources that ATO is dangerous and creepy, I'd agree.

 

You obviously have no clue as to what the problem is. In the case of WMATA (the agency that started all the fuss), they did not maintain their hardware to the manufactures designed specification. When the hardware is maintained to the manufactures designed specification the system work flawlessly.

 

The culture at WMATA is also part of the problem. Here is an example Passing the Suck

 

The part that failed, in the WMATA case, is the line side hardware use to transmit cab signals. This technology has been in use for close to 100 years.

 

I also believe Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) is justifying her desire to place frederal regulations on transit agencies is partly do to the fact that WMATA operates across state lines.

[KeystoneRegional]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[Sand Box John]

KeystoneRegional

I understand the point your making, but many T/O's, C/R's, even Passengers say that Automatic Train Operation is quote on quote "Dangerous". Really, the best thing to use is living human beings and trippers. I think this technology should be only used on People Movers, Monorails and Short Distance non-Heavy/Light Rails.

 

Theses employees have vested interested in maintaining status quo.

 

My beef is the use of microprocessor based technology replacing hard wired relay logic. Microprocessor based technology requires software, hard wired relay logic doesn't require software.

 

These employees are comparing apples to oranges, Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) uses microprocessor based technology driven with software, hard wired track circuit relay logic doesn't require software.

 

I'm not a big fan of CBTC because of its dependence on the use of software driven microprocessor based technology. The promoters of CBTC claim higher throughput. I say you can't put 10lbs of shit in a 5lb bag.

 

The hard wired relay logic used to protect the safe operation of trains on NYCT is virtually the same as the hard wired relay logic used to protect the safe operation of trains on WMATA. The only difference being is the use of high frequency track circuit to transmit cab signal to allow the automatic operation of trains.

 

I will note that virtually all of the signal system manufactures are now selling microprocessor based technology that emulates hard wired relay logic as a replacement.

[KeystoneRegional]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[Sand Box John]

KeystoneRegional

I trust the employees more than a computer either way because the WMATA Red Line accident could be completely prevented but what I heard is that the human to computer over-ride failed, thus the accident happened, and that WMATA is not going to use this technology until furthur notice, and the T/O's are now in full operation on the train.

 

What you believe you heard is incorrect. This was a failure of a high frequency track circuit transmitter not a computer. The failure was the result of negligence by supervisory and maintenance employees to install the proper hardware and properly calibrate it to the manufactures designed specifications.

 

Had the operator been operating her train in manual mode into the same malfunctioning track circuit she still would have crashed into the stopped train.

 

The was not a failure of the technology, this was a failure of the employees to properly maintain the technology.

 

Full automatic operations will resume when all of the track circuit transmitters in question are replaced and calibrated to the manufactures designed specifications.

 

There are at least a half a dozen other transit agencies in North America that use the exact same technology to maintain the safe operations of train in both manual and automatic mode. These agencies are not having to jump through the same hoops that WMATA is because they have been diligent about keeping their hardware calibrated to the manufactures designed specifications.