WASHINGTON  - U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.) provided the following statement on the passage of a bicameral, bipartisan measure to keep America’s railroads open. The House passed the measure contained in H.R. 3819 on October 27, 2015, by voice vote, and the Senate passed the legislation today by voice vote. The measure extends the positive train control implementation deadline from the end of this year to December 31, 2018, to reflect the reality noted in studies that the current deadline is unrealistic that no freight or passenger railroad has yet to achieve the legal requirements of full implementation.

“This legislation averts what would have been a catastrophic shutdown of railroad service while putting accountability provisions in place to ensure that implementation of positive train control moves forward. I urge the president to sign this bipartisan, bicameral measure into law as soon as possible to end the uncertainty surrounding the looming deadline for rail passengers and shippers across the country. After two years of intensive oversight work from the Senate Commerce Committee, I am pleased the Congress came together to pass a tough, bipartisan, and accountability-focused measure to ensure that we never need another extension.”
 
A fact sheet on the measure is available here.