President Bush signs Rail Safety Improvement Act
It requires high-tech braking systems for certain trains by 2015. The bill was toughened in the wake of the deadly Sept. 12 Metrolink crash in Chatsworth.
President Bush signed the Rail Safety Improvement Act on Thursday, requiring that passenger and certain freight trains have high-tech emergency braking systems by 2015.
He also signed a companion measure providing more than $12 billion for Amtrak, which recently reported a record ridership of 28.7 million in fiscal year 2008.
The bill was toughened in the wake of the Sept. 12 Metrolink-Union Pacific freight train crash that killed 25 people and injured 135 in Chatsworth. Metrolink and local freight carriers recently said they would install so-called positive train controls even sooner in the Los Angeles Basin, where commuter trains often share tracks with freight traffic.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the Republican presidential candidate, voted against the bill earlier this month. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), the Democratic candidate, voted for it. Obama's running mate, Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) -- a frequent Amtrak rider -- did not vote.
steve.hymon@latimes.com
