The U.S. Senate passed a rail safety bill 74-24 on Wednesday in the wake of the Sept. 12 Metrolink crash in Chatsworth that killed 25 people and was dubbed the worst in the regional rail carrier’s history.
The bill, which passed the House on Sept. 24, would mandate that tracks where passenger and freight trains share rail lines be equipped with “positive train control” systems featuring more advanced communications measures. It would also provide more than $12 billion in funding to Amtrak over the next four years.
But President Bush has indicated he might not sign the legislation based on its Amtrak funding provision, despite the number of votes each congressional house culled to override such a veto threat.
