Canada board continues push for PTC following near-collision

In its investigation report into a near-collision between two Go Transit commuter-rail trains, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) reiterated its support for positive train control (PTC) or other physical fail-safe systems.

On March 14, 2024, a Go Transit train departed the Aldershot station in Burlington, Ontario, and passed a stop signal, according to a press release from the TSB. The train then ran through a switch and entered a track occupied by another Go train traveling in the opposite direction. Crews were able to stop their respective trains, avoiding a collision by about 549 feet.

"In this occurrence, a catastrophic collision involving 400 passengers was narrowly averted," said Yoan Marier, TSB chair. "For more than 25 years, we have been calling on [the] industry and regulators to expedite the implementation of physical fail-safe train control systems and put strong interim measures in place while these systems are being developed and installed."

The investigation found that the crew departing Aldershot station thought the opposing train had already passed and expected the signal to be permissive. During departure preparations, the conductor and locomotive engineer were both preoccupied and did not observe the stop signal, according to the report.

Since 2023, the TSB has investigated eight separate collisions or near-collisions involving signal indications not being followed. PTC systems automatically stop or slow trains when crews do not respond to systems. PTC has been fully implemented across the United States since 2020 on high-hazard routes, TSB officials said. The board has issued three recommendations for implementing PTC systems since 2000.

Most recently in 2022, the TSB issued a recommendation for Transport Canada to expedite implementation of PTC on key routes and high-speed corridors. Transport Canada has cited progress, with proposed regulations targeted for 2026 or 2027. TSB has assessed the response as unsatisfactory, noting that meaningful risk reduction is unlikely before 2030.