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House Passes Westchester Rep. Maloney's Rail-Safety Legislation

NORTHERN WESTCHESTER, N.Y. -- Following three major grade crossing accidents in New York in the past month, the House of Representatives passed two key provisions authored by Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D- Westchester) as part of the Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act (PRRIA) on Wednesday. 

U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney.

U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney.

Photo Credit: File

The new legislation, which passed  by a vote of 316-101, allows states and local governments to make safety improvements and lateral or vertical relocation of rail lines in order to improve the safety of grade crossings for train passengers, motorists and pedestrians.

“These accidents are a wake-up call. While every driver should use caution at rail crossings, there are hundreds of high-hazard, dangerous crossings in New York that need significant improvements, and this investment gives local communities the resources they need to upgrade or relocate crossings,” Maloney said in a statement. “The implementation of basic GPS and Wi-Fi technology that can stop or slow trains remotely is long overdue, and by working across the aisle, our commuter and freight trains will soon have access to existing funding to install this critical Positive Train Control technology.”

In addition, the bipartisan PRRIA bill will help commuter rail lines like Metro-North fund and implement Positive Train Control (PTC) systems.

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