Which is why there needs to be something else backing us up. The saddest part is that specific something actually exists. It's time for the politicians, industry and company officials to stand with us and spend whatever amount is necessary to implement these systems. To not do so would is tantamount to saying our lives are not worth the costs of these systems.
Yikes. I posited it as probable fact, you verified it.
As much as air-travel also can't be completely safe, if the same situation existed in air-travel (and I have heard and read horror stories there too) if the case was the same as trains, there would be absolute outrage. Air-control, for all its limitations, has secondary and tertiary back-up systems, including proximity detection with warnings to change course, and which direction/attitude/altitude.
In the big scheme of things, PTC (of whatever type, CBTC looks to be the best choice since digital com has improved exponentially, and it connects passenger com at the same time) is not an expensive investment, contrary to so many rail companies dragging their undercarriage on it. It probably pays for itself in closer headways and speed, and less track needed per throughput. But shareholders rarely look at it that way, especially hedge companies looking for a quick return.
I bite my fingers as I type...but it's time to mandate both the Missing Link and PTC. Sometimes big business doesn't know what's best for them. If it applies equally to all the Class Ones due to Gov't fiat, GDP productivity will increase. Over a number of years, it would be paid down. That takes leadership...I defer from typing something cynical on that...
I wonder what the insurance companies have to say on it?
Excellent post as always, Vegeta.
Edit to Add: I brought up the question of "insurance companies"...here's a reader post to an article on the matter. (Many of these commenters are obviously rail employees)
American-American-2390509Jan 19, 2012
"Investigators with the agency have identified 21 train wrecks since late 2001 that, they say, would have been averted by PTC. In all, the accidents caused 53 deaths and nearly 1,000 injuries."
The cost is estimated at 13 billion to install the PTC system. They have spent almost 1 billion on K Street lobbyists. I can imagine they have already spent another 12 billion and more paying to replace/repair all of the damage prior to Chatsworth and probably an equal sum was spent afterwards. However, that 'cost' would come from the Insurance Corporations and not the Railroad corporations directly. Therefore, it is cheaper to kill people then it is to install preventable measures. I get it, these 1% RR owners won't be riding on these trains so no discernable loss on their part, just pay the higher premiums and the insurance corporation spreads that cost over the Auto and Home Insurance divisions through higher premiums to the 99%. Then the insurance corporation can post higher profits for Wall Street. A vicious cycle and we are all forced to power the proverbial hamster wheel. This article, in and of itself, is the exact reason why we must regulate the unregulated Insurance Industry. If it is intelligently proposed that the RR industry is no longer 'insured' until they meet the required Safety Standards (insurance corporations aren't going to insure a 99%'rs car that doesn't meet safety standards), i.e. they are solely and financially responsible for every aspect of the so-called 'rare' life taking train accident, then I imagine they wouldn't have wasted their money on K-Street and these life saving devices would be in place already, for years. However, the unregulated Insurance Industry is able to pass the bulk of those train crash costs on to it's pool of Auto/Home/Medical customers, who are literally blameless for the irresponsibility of the RR corporations and their denial to provide modern day RR safety is in and of itself a criminal act. They are crying to their K Street funded politicians because the government told them they could not increase their already existing 'yearly 99% taxpayer subsidies' to pay for the cost of Operating their own Corporations in an OSHA approved manner, like Main Street is required to, yet the 1%'r corporations like these RR's have the money to purchase a loophole from the affected 'states' politicians. They are all running their businesses that way, taking huge Tax deductions and receiving huge Tax refunds all the while posting record profits for Wall Street. I need to purchase a politician toot sweet! The IRS is charging me a $1600.00 fine for not reporting $3000 in 2009. Anyone know of an available politician not already purchased by K Street?
http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_...ght-safety-rules-with-help-from-gop-and-obama