Would More Technology Mean Safer Trains?
15:02 minutes
In 2008, Congress passed a law requiring most rail networks to install “positive train control” collision technology by 2015. Engineering professor Christopher Barkan discusses train safety systems, how “positive train control” might prevent accidents, and whether railroads will be able to meet the deadline.
Segment Guests
Christopher Barkan
Christopher Barkan is a professor, George Krambles Faculty Fellow, and executive director of the Rail Transportation and Engineering Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Urbana, Illinois.
Related Links
- NYT: Train Engineer Was Dazed Before Crash, Lawyer Says
- Progressive Railroading: Train control in a commuter-rail context: Uncertainty still clouds positive train control implementat
- Verge: Regulators and railways spar over Positive Train Control, a controversial safety system that won’t arrive in time
- PopSci: How To Prevent America’s Next Train Crash
Meet the Producer
About Alexa Lim
@AlexaLim22Alexa Lim was a senior producer for Science Friday. Her favorite stories involve space, sound, and strange animal discoveries.