CBTC type train control systems, of which PTC is just one example, are indeed common in Europe. Unfortunately, they have not been accident free - by any means. In fact, one relatively new German system has certain (rather esoteric) logical holes in its boat, that have already caused two fatal accidents (as of late 2009). Turns out that it was knowingly put in service that way by German signal Engineers. They didn't think it would happen very often so it would be OK. But it happened right away - on their watch even; and they still intend to do nothing about it. Some losses are acceptable, apparently.

It will of course take a huge public outcry to change that attitude. But that's not very likely. In America, we have a long long history of public outcry; that began to get results well over a hundred years ago. It is the resulting public regulation of railroad safety that finally enabled competing private companies to all pay the added costs of safety - together. But in Europe, there is no such mind set - never has been. Add to that, the fact that it is a government railway. And the history of European governments being answerable to their people is a very short indeed.

But collisions are not the only type of fatal accident. Derailments are not really that uncommon. What are the results going to be if that happens. Again, the German ICE train, built not even close to American standards, failed miserably with well over 100 deaths. When a wheel tread fractured at 200kph (@ 120mph), the train completely disintegrated. Looked like an airplane crash site.

Compare that to Amtrak at Chase Maryland; where a train traveling in excess of 110mph hit a freight which ran a red. Safety controls similar to PTS had been tampered with. Of course the collision jack-knife the whole train. 16 people died, 40 were injured, and the rest of the 585 passengers were unhurt! Those Federal Standards make a huge difference.

No PTC system can ever protect the passengers when derailments happens. But vehicles built with sufficient structural integrity and crash management techniques can. It's not as though these trains just fell out of the sky; there is no justifiable reason such accidents should look as if they did!

No PTC system available today can ever prevent all collisions either. Those holes in the German ETMS (European PTS), or at least similar holes, are still present in American systems. As I have said before, having put in several thousand professional hours over the last ten years working on it, I firmly believe this stuff is still not yet ready for prime time. It is being rushed. You can't legislate invention.

The attempt may in fact result in PTS causing more accidents that it prevents. With more time to weed out the flaws, it could prove to be the new "Sliced Bread", but with the rush, its infantile failures may cause congress to demand it be turned off.

Then we are back to square one!

OPB