Amtrak and the Washington department of transportation had started publicizing the switch to the new route in October. Railroads are under government orders to install positive train control by the end of 2018 after the industry lobbied Congress to extend earlier deadlines, citing complexity and cost. Play Video 0:43 Aerial footage shows aftermath of deadly Amtrak derailment near Seattle - videoUnion Pacific, the country’s largest freight carrier, said it was spending about $2.9bn on the technology. Many of its locomotives are equipped for positive train control. The National Transportation Safety Board first recommended the use of “automatic train control” in 1970, a year after two Penn Central commuter trains collided, killing four people and injuring 43.

Source: The Guardian December 20, 2017 01:47 UTC