New Mexico’s commuter rail system has pieced together enough funding to complete a $60 million safety upgrade required by the federal government.
The state’s congressional delegation announced Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded a $29.4 million grant to the Rail Runner Express, the last piece of financing needed for the project.
The safety project is implementing Positive Train Control (PTC), which involves the installation of equipment designed to automatically slow trains when they reach unsafe speeds and prevent them from crashing into each other. The upgrades are expected to be completed by the end of 2020, well after this year’s federal deadline for PTC installation.
It is expected to cost about $55 million to $60 million altogether. About 80% of the funding comes from federal resources, and the rest will come from revenue generated by a gross receipts tax that supports operation of the train.
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Source: Albuquerque Journal
