ASSEMBLY, No. 1620

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 29, 1996

 

 

By Assemblyman DeCROCE

 

 

An Act concerning the New Jersey Transit Corporation and supplementing P.L. 1979, c. 150 (C.27:25-1 et seq.).

 

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

    1. Notwithstanding the provisions of any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, in developing a program to improve its capital equipment and facilities, the New Jersey Transit Corporation's highest priority shall be to install and maintain automatic train control systems on all its lines and trains.

 

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

 

STATEMENT

 

    This bill provides that the New Jersey Transit Corporation's highest priority in developing a program to improve its capital equipment and facilities shall be to install and maintain automatic train control systems.

    When automatic train control systems are in use, trains are equipped with automatic brakes and trains and rails are equipped with computerized signals. This equipment notifies engineers when they are exceeding the speed limit or passing a red "stop" signal. If an engineer does not respond, the control system applies the brakes. Automatic train control systems are designed to prevent human error from causing an accident.

    The recent tragedy in which two New Jersey Transit trains collided might have been avoided if automatic train control systems had been installed on the Bergen and Main lines. It is imperative that New Jersey Transit install automatic train control systems on all its lines to help prevent another such tragedy.

 

                             

 

Makes installation of automatic train control systems NJT's highest priority.