Event Preview – PTC World Congress (Florida, 15-17th April 2014)

“Safety is our highest priority, and we believe the installation of this equipment will make our nation’s railroads safer.” – Ray LaHood, former U.S. Secretary for Transportation

With just under a month to go until the Positive Train Control (PTC) World Congress, SmartRail World gets a sneak preview of the event that is bringing the American railroad industry together in Florida next month for two days of expert insight, practical case studies, in-depth discussion, technology launches and networking on April 15^th-17^th 2014.

$19 billion in dedicated funding for rail as President Obama lays out vision for 21st century transportation infrastructure.

President Barack Obama shakes hands with a worker as he and Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx tour the Metro Transit Light Rail Operations and Maintenance Facility in St. Paul, Minn., Feb. 26, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

February 26^th  saw US President Barack Obama speak at the historic Union Depot train station in Saint Paul, Minnesota and launch a competition for $600 million in competitive transportation funding and outline his vision for investing in America’s infrastructure with a $302 billion, four year surface transportation re-authorization proposal. Railways are a major part of the the programme along with other aspects of public transport and will also work with Congress to act to ensure critical transportation programs continue to be funded and do not expire later this year.

The proposal increases average transit spending by nearly 70 percent annually, for a total program of $72 billion over four years, which will enable the expansion of new projects (e.g., light rail, street cars, bus rapid transit, etc.) in suburbs, fast-growing cities, small towns, and aging rural communities, while still maintaining existing transit systems.Whilst $19 billion in dedicated funding for rail programs including nearly $5 of billion annually for high performance and passenger rail programs with a focus on improving the connections between key regional city pairs and high traffic corridors throughout the country.

Ray LaHood, former US Secretary of Transportation, confirmed as speaker at 3rd Annual Transit Communications Congress.

In a week when the installation of Positive Train Control (PTC) across the US rail networks looks likely to be delayed, one of the key architects of the regulation , Ray LaHood, confirms as a speaker at the 3^rd Annual Transit Communications Congress. Ray LaHood who served as the 16th Secretary of Transportation from 2009 to 2013 announced the regulation requiring PTC to be installed on the nation’s major rail lines in 2010, stating that “Safety is our highest priority, and we believe the installation of this equipment will make our nation’s railroads safer.” But since the announcement a combination of financial issues, technological challenges and objections from the railroad industry and its allies in Congress see the system unlikely to be installed until at 2020 at the earliest.

The 3rd Annual Transit Communications Congress is proud to announce Ray LaHood who served as the 16th US Secretary of Transportation from 2009 to 2013 as the event’s latest confirmed speaker. Mr. LaHood will be officially opening the congress and presenting an overview on the importance of transit development and meeting passenger needs.