From: nilknocgeo@earthlink.net   
      
    wrote in message   
   news:155400412431484761.892577dpeltier-my-deja.com@news.aioe.org...   
   > John Albert  wrote:   
   >> NORFOLK, Va. - Norfolk Southern has released a seven-minute video   
   >> on YouTube this week promoting its installation of positive train control   
   >> technology.   
   >>   
   >> "Norfolk Southern is committed to implementing a   
   >> positive train control (PTC) system that will strengthen an already safe   
   >> rail network," the company says on its YouTube page. "However, far too   
   >> many technological and regulatory barriers exist today, and despite our   
   >> best efforts, the 2015 deadline for full implementation of PTC will not   
   >> be   
   >> met."   
   >>   
   >> =====   
   >>   
   >> This was predicted by me in this forum, some years ago when the PTC   
   >> legislation was first passed by Congress.   
   >>   
   >> Of course, one can pass any law one wants, mandating anything one wants,   
   >> in the time frame that one wants -- as Congress did with PTC.   
   >>   
   >> Just pass a law, and it becomes reality, right?   
   >>   
   >> 2015: Reality bites.   
   >>   
   >> The reality is that PTC remains (as yet) an unreachable goal -- even with   
   >> deep-pocket railroads like NS that have probably dumped many millions   
   >> into trying to make something workable. The only problem is that the   
   >> systems under development just ain't "workable" yet.   
   >>   
   >> Prediction:   
   >> 1. Deadline in 2015 will come and go without PTC implementation   
   >> 2. FRA will make a lot of noise, then go quiet on the subject   
   >> 3. Congress will pass additional legislation extending the deadline for   
   >> PTC implementation. I predict somewhere between 2022 and 2025...   
   >>   
   >> .... if it can eventually be made workable at all...   
   >>   
   >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gdjuKx6aYM&feature=player_emb   
   dded&list=UUFyf_43M-VpQ2-TJs220TEw   
   >   
   > PTC is currently live on several BNSF subdivisions, basically the same   
   > system that all the freight roads are adopting. It's expensive and only   
   > prevents a small subset of all accidents, but it works well enough for   
   > what   
   > it is.   
   >   
   > No, there is no way all the big railroads will all meet the 2015 deadline.   
   > It is likely that none of them will - one may have been on track until the   
   > Feds realized that the radio tower licenses they had been issuing were   
   > supposed to go through an unworkable permitting process, halting   
   > installation of all towers that had not been previously approved.   
   > Furthermore, radio spectrum in the chosen bands is not available in all   
   > areas, and the suppliers, engineers, contractors, and railroad signal   
   > departments have not been able to ramp up capacity to match the pace   
   > required by the deadline. In the case of suppliers and contractors, you   
   > certainly can't blame them, because there's a big risk they will have a   
   > whole lot of excess capacity once PTC is done.   
   >   
   > BUT, the problem isn't that the system doesn't work, it's that the system   
   > can't be deployed fast and wide enough.   
   >   
   > Dan   
      
   Could you tell us what radio frequencies are not available and where?   
      
   --- SoupGate/W32 v1.03   
    * Origin: LiveWire BBS -=*=- UseNet FTN Gateway (1:2320/1)