Congress hasn't been known for doing anything exceptionally well lately. It couldn't even pass a budget before the start of the fiscal year. And now it's on track to foul up railroad operations.
The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District warned recently that it won't meet a Jan. 1 deadline for implementing the federal safety mandate requiring what's known as positive train control.
Positive train control is a system of computerized control, command and communications that has the potential to remove much of the risk of human error in train operations.
NICTD General Manager Michael Noland said most railroads won't be able to meet the deadline for fully operational positive train control.
"Our inability, as well as most railroads, to meet this deadline is not due to a lack of effort, attention or commitment," Noland said. It's a matter of logistics.
Noland said the South Shore requested bids on the project in 2014, expecting to pay $43 million. Those sole bidder wanted $120 million.
Metra's board of directors passed a resolution saying it would end service on the Metra tracks if the deadline isn't extended. The South Shore operates on Metra tracks for part of its route to and from Chicago.
Freight railroads have also warned they could be forced to cease operations rather than pay a hefty fine for failing to meet the deadline. That would also affect passenger service using those tracks.
Congress is running out of time to extend its overly optimistic deadline for implementing positive train control.
It's not that the safety improvement isn't needed, but that the deadline is unrealistic. The railroads, including the South Shore Line, are already working to implement this, but most won’t meet the deadline. The federal government shouldn’t hold that against them.
Congress, for all its dysfunction, must keep the trains running. Extend the deadline.