We all learn something each day. And I can admit when I'm wrong. See my post above about how we don't have the technology available yet, then read this column by Don Phillips.
"For almost a century, electronic and mechanical methods have been available to automatically stop trains if an engineer fails to heed a signal telling him to slow or stop. High-speed trains like the French TGV and the German and Japanese systems have such protection. Yet the cost and complexity of these systems have left the vast majority of the world’s trains dependent on the alertness of the engineer.
In the United States this week, the government approved use of a system by the freight railroad BNSF, formerly the Burlington Northern Santa Fe that could turn out to be a simple and relatively cheap solution to the prevention of train collisions.
It is far too early to tell if this system or some version of it will be a worldwide solution to the collision problem. At a minimum, it is the forerunner of a new generation of rail safety equipment.
Using satellite systems, including the Global Positioning System, the new Electronic Train Management System will determine the exact location and speed of all trains. If the system detects a possible collision, it will first send the engineer an alert. If the engineer fails to acknowledge the alert and take action, the system will slow the train and stop it in time to prevent a collision.
The system goes beyond collisions, enforcing speed limits and stopping trains if a switch is improperly set. It is also capable of adding other safety overlays without the need for expensive wire lines or track equipment.
“This is a major achievement that marks the beginning of a new era of rail safety,” said Joseph Boardman, head of the Federal Railroad Administration, which approved the system.
All the approving words, however, cannot make up for the fact that such modern systems were successfully tested over a quarter-century ago. A different era of railroad management, upset at the cost of the systems, ignored the tests. The major differences today are that railroads are far more profitable, a new generation of lower-cost equipment is available, and Boardman is dedicated to moving more rapidly on such major safety systems."
[/b]
