Several Republican Congress members pressed the FCC to...
Several Republican Congress members pressed the FCC to speed review procedures affecting rail safety technology deployment. Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster, R-Pa., Communications Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., and Transportation and Infrastructure…
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Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Chairman Jeff Denham, R-Calif., expressed these concerns in a Thursday letter (http://1.usa.gov/1cy8Xs8) to acting FCC Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn. Rail antenna construction must comply with FCC environmental and historic review procedures, the representatives said, saying the procedures may impact how railroads move forward with installing positive train control. Congress mandated such PTC installations in 2008 as part of the Rail Safety Improvement Act, with a deadline for the end of 2015. “PTC antenna installation activities by the railroads have been essentially put on hold until the FCC staff advises the railroads that they can start again,” the letter said. “The delay caused by this freeze and the FCC’s environmental and historic review processes adversely affects the railroads’ ability to deploy PTC and delays implementation of safety systems mandated by Congress.” They asked the FCC to advance these procedures and provide updates.