ASSEMBLY TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 1620

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: JANUARY 9, 1997

      The Assembly Transportation and Communications Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 1620.

      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.