National Transportation Safety Board officials have determined that an Amtrak train was going more than 100 mph when it crashed, killing eight people and injuring more than 200 people in Philadelphia. Investigators say if a specific system had been installed on that stretch of tracks, it could have automatically slowed the train and saved lives.
"I can say confidently positive train control would have prevented this accident," said Robert Sumwalt of the NTSB.
Thursday, Aamtrak's president and CEO vowed to get that done.
"Today, we're committing to - I'm committing to - meeting the requirement of positive train control," said Joe Boardman. "That will happen on the northeast corridor by the end of this year."
Positive train control is an electronic system designed specifically to avoid collisions and overspeed derailments through a system of transponders and GPS that allows computers to take over when an operator isn't handling a train correctly.
It was federally mandated to be in place on all major railways by the end of this year, but the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee has passed a bill giving railroads a five-year extension.
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut says he will fight it.
Politics
"This technology is affordable and feasible, and the failure to implement it is reprehensible and irresponsible. That's why I opposed the delay in the 2015 deadline," said Blumenthal. "That delay will come to the floor of the U.S. Senate and I will fight it there."
