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Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by Olog-hai on Tue May 9 12:53:37 2017

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Associated Press
May 9, 2017 12:30 PM EDT

Amtrak engineer won't be charged in deadly crash

By Maryclaire Dale
Associated Press
The speeding Amtrak engineer involved in a derailment that killed eight people and injured about 200 others in Philadelphia won’t face criminal charges, the city district attorney’s office said Tuesday.

Prosecutors said they can’t prove engineer Brandon Bostian acted with “conscious disregard” when he accelerated the train to 106 mph on a 50 mph curve.

Federal investigators concluded that Bostian lost track of his location, or “situational awareness,” before the May 12, 2015, crash after learning that a nearby commuter train had been struck with a rock. They found no evidence he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol or distracted by a cellphone.

Lawyers Thomas R. Kline and Robert Mongeluzzi, who represent more than 30 victims and their families, described their clients as bitterly disappointed and said many remain in constant pain two years later.

“There is a longing for accountability when you are disabled and in excruciating pain every day,” Mongeluzzi said. “The person who was the primary and sole cause of this escaped punishment and you paid the price.”

Kline believes that Bostian should at least face reckless endangerment charges, a misdemeanor, if not the more serious charges that require a finding of intent.

“If he is allowed to escape responsibility, then it is an invitation for every culpable person who operates a vehicle — whether it be a train or a car or a bus or a boat — to say, ‘I forgot where I was,’” Kline said.

But the District Attorney’s Office concluded there was not enough evidence to prove that he consciously disregarded any risks to his passengers. The train had left Philadelphia minutes before, heading toward New York.

“We cannot conclude that the evidence rises to the high level necessary to charge the engineer or anyone else with a criminal offense,” the office said in an unsigned statement.

The current district attorney, Seth Williams, remains in office although his law license has been suspended amid a federal bribery indictment set for trial May 31. A deputy is overseeing legal decisions, the office has said.

Amtrak has taken responsibility for the crash and agreed to pay $265 million to settle related claims.

Bostian has a personal injury suit pending against Amtrak, saying he was left disoriented or unconscious when something struck his train before the crash. His lawyer has rarely commented on the case and did not return a call for comment Tuesday.

The National Transportation Safety Board called Amtrak’s long failure to implement automatic speed control throughout the busy Northeast Corridor a contributing factor.

Friends describe Bostian as a conscientious train enthusiast who had worked his way up to his dream job. In the lawsuit, Bostian said the crash left him with physical and psychological injuries that now make it difficult for him to work.

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(1435516)

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by Bill from Maspeth on Tue May 9 13:02:47 2017, in response to Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by Olog-hai on Tue May 9 12:53:37 2017.

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Good.

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(1435522)

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by Olog-hai on Tue May 9 13:32:54 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by Bill from Maspeth on Tue May 9 13:02:47 2017.

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Why and how so?

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(1435523)

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by AlM on Tue May 9 13:39:25 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by Olog-hai on Tue May 9 13:32:54 2017.

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No evidence of criminality, so no charges are justified. It's called justice.

We all wish that whatever happened in the cab of the locomotive hadn't distracted him so badly, but that doesn't mean that he engaged in criminal conduct by getting distracted.

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(1435524)

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by Steamdriven on Tue May 9 13:51:13 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by AlM on Tue May 9 13:39:25 2017.

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It's been reported that there's a crowd of skells who amuse themselves by throwing the largest thing they can chuck at passing trains. Bricks, scrap metal, and entire concrete blocks. Baltimore refuses to crack down on them, and the press chose to create a near-blackout on the phenomena. I'm guessing that after whatever incident transpired Mr Bostian thought he was leaving the second curve not the first, onto 110 mph territory.

Prediction: The fine people who've been throwing stuff at the trains will not be sought, will not be caught, and will not be prevented from further entertaining themselves. That's the 'woke' justice system in Baltimore.

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(1435525)

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by Bill from Maspeth on Tue May 9 13:55:04 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by Olog-hai on Tue May 9 13:32:54 2017.

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We beat this topic to death in the past and I am not going to get into it again.

But I will simply say this: the DA had 2 years to bring charges, he didn't. Why? Because he knows damn well he doesn't have a case.

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by Spider-Pig on Tue May 9 14:00:53 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by Steamdriven on Tue May 9 13:51:13 2017.

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Baltimore?

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(1435527)

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by orange blossom special on Tue May 9 14:09:43 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by AlM on Tue May 9 13:39:25 2017.

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Too bad Loretta isn't still AG and we could make this racial, then we can just go against that whole post.

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by Jackson Park B Train on Tue May 9 14:31:22 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by Bill from Maspeth on Tue May 9 13:02:47 2017.

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agree

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by R30A on Tue May 9 14:51:24 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by orange blossom special on Tue May 9 14:09:43 2017.

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She WAS AG when the incident happened.


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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by Steamdriven on Tue May 9 15:19:04 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by Spider-Pig on Tue May 9 14:00:53 2017.

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I may have the locations crossed up a bit, but in an article about the crash it was reported that along the same route, and not far (in travel time) from the crash site there's a stretch in Baltimore where trains are routinely attacked. IDK how close the Frankford curve is to Baltimore, but the usual punk hangout and need not be right at the crash site for vandalism to be a cause of the accident.

There doesn't seem to be a clear picture of what happened or why. Vandalism could have been involved, or not.

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by orange blossom special on Tue May 9 15:35:03 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by R30A on Tue May 9 14:51:24 2017.

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Yep. Investigators acted stupidly, and she didn't press charges quick enough.
Probably distracted by unmaking Trump and that 400% increase in spying on American citizens.

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by piyer on Tue May 9 16:04:54 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by Steamdriven on Tue May 9 15:19:04 2017.

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The accident happened a few miles north of Philadelphia, Baltimore is about 100 miles south of Philadelphia - so the two aren't all that close. However, there have been reports of things striking trains near Philadelphia too.

As I recall, some years ago there was a story in TRAINS magazine about how where once engineers expected a friendly wave from people trackside, now (then) they braced themselves for a rock or a gunshot.

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(1435543)

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by Dutchrailnut on Tue May 9 17:52:14 2017, in response to Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by Olog-hai on Tue May 9 12:53:37 2017.

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Just because there are no criminal charges, does not mean there won't be Amtrak charges, and Mr.Bostonian will never run another train for Amtrak.

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(1435556)

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by Henry R32 #3730 on Tue May 9 19:52:24 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by Bill from Maspeth on Tue May 9 13:02:47 2017.

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IMO he didn't escape punishment at all; his own conscience will be more than enough. Survivor's guilt x 1000 knowing he was the cause of it (even if it was an honest mistake). It will be far worse than anything the system could dole out (hell at least prison and fines provide the illusion of making amends).

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(1435560)

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by AlM on Tue May 9 20:18:34 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by Henry R32 #3730 on Tue May 9 19:52:24 2017.

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Also, he will never again operate a train, which was his life's ambition.

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by jimmymc25 on Tue May 9 21:39:05 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by Jackson Park B Train on Tue May 9 14:31:22 2017.

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100%


Jimmymc25

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(1435573)

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by Olog-hai on Tue May 9 22:21:53 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by Bill from Maspeth on Tue May 9 13:55:04 2017.

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We beat this topic to death in the past

No, I don't think we did.

he knows damn well he doesn't have a case

Oh, we've heard that before too.

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by Olog-hai on Tue May 9 22:24:23 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by AlM on Tue May 9 13:39:25 2017.

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No evidence of criminality

Negligence isn't criminal anymore?

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(1435577)

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by Bill from Maspeth on Tue May 9 22:43:07 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by Olog-hai on Tue May 9 22:21:53 2017.

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You conveniently ignore the fact that 2 years have passed since the accident. The Statute of Limitations is up this Friday. This is why there will be no charges. If there was a case, why wasn't one prepared by now?

Finally, I suggest you look back to the aftermath of the accident on SubChat and see how much back and forth, how posters felt, and how the same points were made over and over and over as the thread got longer and longer and longer.

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by pragmatist on Tue May 9 22:44:29 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by Olog-hai on Tue May 9 22:24:23 2017.

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not usually,most forms of it are typically dealt with as a civil litigation

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by Olog-hai on Tue May 9 22:47:39 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by pragmatist on Tue May 9 22:44:29 2017.

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Is there going to be a civil case then?

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by pragmatist on Tue May 9 22:52:09 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by Olog-hai on Tue May 9 22:47:39 2017.

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If I recall correctly Amtrak has admitted civil liability and will pay out the maximum permitted by law. There was a considerable amount of activity in reference to congressional action to raise that cap since large numbers of people were involved, the dollars per victim would not be that high.

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by Henry R32 #3730 on Wed May 10 02:07:45 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by pragmatist on Tue May 9 22:52:09 2017.

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Is there any pro-rating due to damage incurred? Someone with a stubbed toe shouldn't get the same as someone with a broken back...

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by pragmatist on Wed May 10 07:23:56 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by Henry R32 #3730 on Wed May 10 02:07:45 2017.

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The lawyers have settlement conferences with the court. Court will probably appoint someone "administrator" to be in charge of that process Will probably look like a piranha feeding frenzy. I don't know for sure this is what will happen, but it's how this type of thing is typically handled.

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by randyo on Wed May 10 18:14:11 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by Dutchrailnut on Tue May 9 17:52:14 2017.

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I would suspect that if Mr. Bostian has not been charged by Amtrak by now, he probably won’t be. In all likelihood even if he is barred from train operation, he probably will be kept on in a non operating position and maybe even at regular engineer’s pay since it can be agued that the incident occurred due to a medical condition.

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PA Attorney General charges Brandon Bostian with 8 counts of involuntary manslaughter, other charges

Posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 12 23:47:48 2017, in response to Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by Olog-hai on Tue May 9 12:53:37 2017.

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Associated Press
May 12, 2017 7:51 PM EDT

The Latest: Engineer charged in deadly Amtrak crash

Pennsylvania's top prosecutor has charged a speeding Amtrak engineer with causing a catastrophe, eight counts of involuntary manslaughter and other crimes in a 2015 derailment that came after he accelerated to 106 mph in a 50 mph zone.

Prosecutors said Friday they have been in talks with engineer Brandon Bostian's attorney to have him surrender and be arraigned on the charges. A judge says Bostian lives in Massachusetts. Bostian's lawyer hasn't returned messages seeking comment this week.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro has expanded on charges filed a day earlier by a Philadelphia judge asked to approve a private criminal complaint sought by the family of a woman killed in the May 12, 2015, crash. The judge ordered city prosecutors to charge Bostian with two misdemeanors.

Philadelphia prosecutors had earlier declined to charge Bostian, citing insufficient evidence. The crash killed eight people and injured about 200 others.

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Re: PA Attorney General charges Brandon Bostian with 8 counts of involuntary manslaughter, other charges

Posted by LuchAAA on Fri May 12 23:52:17 2017, in response to PA Attorney General charges Brandon Bostian with 8 counts of involuntary manslaughter, other charges, posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 12 23:47:48 2017.

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What this guy did seemed reckless, but now they'll get a conviction and you'll see prosecutors going after guys going much much less over the speed limit.

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by Steamdriven on Sat May 13 10:08:07 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by piyer on Tue May 9 16:04:54 2017.

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The accident happened a few miles north of Philadelphia, Baltimore is about 100 miles south of Philadelphia - so the two aren't all that close. However, there have been reports of things striking trains near Philadelphia too.
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Aha, I'd mixed Philly with Baltimore. Both local governments seem to allow vandalism directed against the NEC.

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Re: PA Attorney General charges Brandon Bostian with 8 counts of involuntary manslaughter, other charges

Posted by sloth on Sat May 13 11:22:16 2017, in response to Re: PA Attorney General charges Brandon Bostian with 8 counts of involuntary manslaughter, other charges, posted by LuchAAA on Fri May 12 23:52:17 2017.

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Amtrak put a downward code on the curve in the opposite direction, didn't they? Meaning they considered it dangerous enough to safeguard against human error for an engineer failing to decelerate from 110 mph, but decided the risk of premature acceleration wasn't worth the same precaution? The more you think about that, the less sense it makes.

Bostian should have known where he was, but if a restricted curve isn't coded, it's marked with a sign that is about half the size of what you'd see on a highway, and those signs are sometimes obstructed from view, discolored from age, or flat out missing. So an argument could be made that the lion's share of negligence belongs to the carrier.

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Re: PA Attorney General charges Brandon Bostian with 8 counts of involuntary manslaughter, other charges

Posted by Olog-hai on Sat May 13 11:47:20 2017, in response to Re: PA Attorney General charges Brandon Bostian with 8 counts of involuntary manslaughter, other charges, posted by sloth on Sat May 13 11:22:16 2017.

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Well, how rigorous is training to qualify on a certain route?

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Re: PA Attorney General charges Brandon Bostian with 8 counts of involuntary manslaughter, other charges

Posted by Joe V on Sat May 13 11:56:35 2017, in response to Re: PA Attorney General charges Brandon Bostian with 8 counts of involuntary manslaughter, other charges, posted by sloth on Sat May 13 11:22:16 2017.

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The "downward code" is done by signal indications in the age old ATC system, a subject matter the NSTB Final report totally "forgot", instead went on a PTC charade.

The curve had that restriction westbound, but deemed by Amtrak as unneeded eastbound. Then FRA refused the corridor to be re-opened after the wreck until is was implemented eastbound.

It will be very hard for these so-called criminal lawyers to send him to jail and prove he was criminally, not civilly liable, beyond a reasonable doubt.

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Re: PA Attorney General charges Brandon Bostian with 8 counts of involuntary manslaughter, other charges

Posted by Joe V on Sat May 13 11:58:18 2017, in response to Re: PA Attorney General charges Brandon Bostian with 8 counts of involuntary manslaughter, other charges, posted by Olog-hai on Sat May 13 11:47:20 2017.

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He had done the route many times, including several hours before southbound on an Acela (whose cab signal system was OOO) at a restricted speed, reducing his rest time in DC.

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Re: PA Attorney General charges Brandon Bostian with 8 counts of involuntary manslaughter, other charges

Posted by sloth on Sat May 13 12:21:04 2017, in response to Re: PA Attorney General charges Brandon Bostian with 8 counts of involuntary manslaughter, other charges, posted by Olog-hai on Sat May 13 11:47:20 2017.

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Someone with actual knowledge of Amtrak's procedures could answer you better. The LIRR is operated as one district, so you get certified as an engineer and qualified on the territory at the same time. And main track speed restrictions would only come up on a practical exam, or while operating as a trainee. Chronic failure to comply with speed restrictions would result in termination of employment.
Once in awhile they qualify a bad apple. But it doesn't seem like the case with this guy. If there was a disciplinary paper trail I'm sure the papers would have run with it.

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Re: PA Attorney General charges Brandon Bostian with 8 counts of involuntary manslaughter, other charges

Posted by Olog-hai on Sat May 13 13:56:11 2017, in response to Re: PA Attorney General charges Brandon Bostian with 8 counts of involuntary manslaughter, other charges, posted by Joe V on Sat May 13 11:56:35 2017.

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There's a huge difference between 50 mph and 106 mph. What do you think would happen if a hogger took a Regional around the reverse curve in Elizabeth NJ at 106 mph (MAS 50 mph)?

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Re: PA Attorney General charges Brandon Bostian with 8 counts of involuntary manslaughter, other charges

Posted by Joe V on Sat May 13 14:14:36 2017, in response to Re: PA Attorney General charges Brandon Bostian with 8 counts of involuntary manslaughter, other charges, posted by Olog-hai on Sat May 13 13:56:11 2017.

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At Elizabeth 20 years ago, that almost happened. The conductor pulled the brake. From then on, an ATC speed code was put in effect there.

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by SUBWAYMAN on Sun May 14 20:22:21 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by Steamdriven on Sat May 13 10:08:07 2017.

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How would the government allow vandalism?

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by Jackson Park B Train on Sun May 14 21:00:44 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by SUBWAYMAN on Sun May 14 20:22:21 2017.

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FWIW, The cover story of a WaPo Sunday Mag about kids (???) throwing rocks at the Metroliners (later reprinted in Trains IIRC) was so long ago the original EMUs were still running. So, "allow" is a bit over the top, but clearly the variopus authorities do not PREVENT this behavior either. Presumably you remember the "grates" over cab windows on F40PHs?

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by Jackson Park B Train on Sun May 14 21:13:11 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by Jackson Park B Train on Sun May 14 21:00:44 2017.

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IINM it is Frankford

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by Steamdriven on Sun May 14 22:10:14 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by SUBWAYMAN on Sun May 14 20:22:21 2017.

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By not charging the vandals with a felony for such acts.
It's probably the same group of people doing that and similar stuff around town, and they're probably repeat customers of the local PD.

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by ElectricTraction on Sun May 21 17:21:02 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by Jackson Park B Train on Sun May 14 21:00:44 2017.

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The T had those for years. This isn't a new problem, or one isolated to any single NEC city.

Amtrak was criminally negligent twice over, in not utilizing cab signal technology that's been available since the 1930's, and not utilizing PTC technology that's been available since the 1990's.

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by Joe V on Sun May 21 17:30:22 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by ElectricTraction on Sun May 21 17:21:02 2017.

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The ATC was negligence.
The PTC was not - that was an unfunded mandate on a slow timetable for installation, and the railroads all had problems getting bandwidth from the FCC.

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by pragmatist on Sun May 21 17:31:33 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by ElectricTraction on Sun May 21 17:21:02 2017.

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It is doubtful that PA has jurisdiction to charge Amtrak criminally, the only actions were the civil lawsuits for negligence filed. They have conceded civil liability and settled the lawsuits en masse.

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by Jackson Park B Train on Sun May 21 18:48:53 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by ElectricTraction on Sun May 21 17:21:02 2017.

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PTC was/is irrelevamnt. The PRR installed speed enforcement worked just fine until Amtrak DISABLED it. Note that FRA insisted it be returned to service before allowing the RR to operate again.

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by ElectricTraction on Sun May 21 20:48:44 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by Joe V on Sun May 21 17:30:22 2017.

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The PTC was absolutely negligence. The technology has been around for 18 years, but not more widely used, even with the mandate in place. In my neck of the woods, Amtrak, CDOT, P&W, and MBTA has been on PTC since 1999-ish.

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by Joe V on Mon May 22 19:11:48 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by ElectricTraction on Sun May 21 20:48:44 2017.

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No it was not negligence.
No MBTA has not had PTC since 1999
No the mandate has not been in place.

http://www.rtands.com/index.php/cs/mbta-set-for-full-ptc-implementation-by-2020.html

"MBTA will have all hardware required for PTC installed on all commuter rail lines and two pilot lines by the end of 2018, with full PTC implementation by 2020.

The deadline for PTC implementation is Dec. 31, 2018. However, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) can grant a 24-month extension provided certain criteria are met."

All the other railroads you mentioned have not had it in place since 1999 either.

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Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged

Posted by bklynsubwaybob on Mon May 22 22:08:27 2017, in response to Re: Brandon Bostian, hogger in Amtrak Franklin Junction crash, will not be charged, posted by Steamdriven on Tue May 9 15:19:04 2017.

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I use to operate the Franklin Shuttle back in the '70s. It was common to have derelict autos, washing machines and the like being tossed at us. We had to duck a lot and sometimes you'd drop to the floor holding the controller in full multiple. Sometimes striking the object, sometimes derailing the train. Other times dropping the dead man or throwing it into emergency. Strange things happen when strange things happen.

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