Relating to positive train control systems, and making penalties applicable

236). This bill requires every class I and class II railroad corporation to ensure the railroad upon which the corporation’s trains operate and every train controlled by the corporation, including trains controlled by an agent of the corporation, is equipped with and makes use of a PTC system. A railroad corporation is responsible for all costs associated with the installation and maintenance of the PTC system. A PTC system is designed to prevent railroad train-to-train collisions, over-speed derailments, incursions into established work zones, and movements of railroad trains through switches left in the wrong position. PTC systems are required to enable all system equipment to communicate and function with all other system equipment, including by sending and receiving movement authority, and information about the system equipment’s location. PTC systems must restrict train movement, only allow specific movements where specified, and halt any train that does not move in accordance with the provided specifications. The federal surface transportation board (STB) is an independent federal agency that is charged with the economic regulation of various modes of surface transportation including primarily freight rail. The STB has defined three classes of railway carriers, designated as class I, class II, and class III, respectively, according to annual revenue criteria. The STB thresholds, last adjusted for inflation in 2019, for a class I carrier includes a carrier earning revenue greater than $504,803,294. A class II carrier is a carrier earning revenue between $40,387,772 and $504,803,294. By operation of law, a violation of Code chapter 327D is a schedule “four” penalty, a fine of not less than $500 nor more than $5,000 per violation.