Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Safety system now in use in LA might have prevented NJ train crash
Listen
• 0:55
Metrolink was the first rail line in the country to use Positive Train Control, a technology that prevents collisions.
(
Paul Kimo McGregor via Flickr
)
Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of a New Jersey train crash that killed one and injured about 100 others Thursday morning, but experts say it might have been prevented by safety technology now in use in Southern California.
Positive Train Control, a GPS-based system to prevent train collisions, uses technology installed in both train cars and tracks. The system basically allows the trains and tracks to talk to each other, sending alerts if trains miss a signal, travel too fast or enter tracks they’re not supposed to.
The system can even override the operator and stop or slow a train, if necessary.
Metrolink, the regional rail network that runs through six Southern California counties, was the first commuter line in the country to use Positive Train Control. The technology is now operating in 99 percent of Metrolink's system, according to a recent report from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Support for LAist comes from
The safety measures came in response to the Chatsworth Metrolink crash in 2008. The collision killed 25 people when an engineer missed a stop signal and crashed into a freight train at full speed.
Soon after the crash, the federal government required all rail lines in the country to adopt the Positive Train Control safety systems. But most have lagged behind and missed the initial 2016 deadline. The deadline has been extended to 2018.
Many rail operators have complained of the cost of meeting the mandate to install the technology since it came without full federal funding.
Metrolink spent about $210 million to install its system and Amtrak and freight companies that share stretches of track with Metrolink paid millions more.
Metrolink's experience with Positive Train Control hasn't been all positive: the technology was blamed for significant delays in service last year as misfires caused trains to stop hundreds of times without apparent reason.
The system also cannot prevent collisions when cars cross into train tracks at intersections, as has been the case in multiple deadly Metrolink crashes.
The agency has added heavier locomotive cars to the front of all trains so passenger cars will not be directly exposed to collisions in those cases.
Support for LAist comes from
Positive Train Control is not required on L.A. Metro's subways and other light rails.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Isolated showers can still hit the L.A. area until Friday as remnants from the tropical storm move out. -
First aspiring spectators must register online, then later in 2026 there will be a series of drawings. -
It's thanks to Tropical Storm Mario, so also be ready for heat and humidity, and possibly thunder and lightning. -
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5425437/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3897+0+0/resize/640x396!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
L.A. County investigators have launched a probe into allegations about Va Lecia Adams Kellum and people she hired at the L.A. Homeless Services Authority. -
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass suspended a state law allowing duplexes, calling more housing unsafe. But in Altadena, L.A. County leaders say these projects could be key for rebuilding. -
This measure on the Nov. 4, 2025, California ballot is part of a larger battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year.
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/45c201e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3894+0+0/resize/786x486!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
Best of LAist