A recent collision involving three Norfolk Southern trains in Pennsylvania has brought attention to the limitations of the automated braking system designed to prevent such incidents. The National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary report on the March 2 derailment revealed that the positive train control system did not activate to stop the trains due to specific circumstances.
The automated system was unable to prevent the second train from crashing into the back of a stationary train, nor could it halt the third train from colliding with the derailed cars obstructing its path less than a minute later. Railroad safety expert Chris Barkan noted that the positive train control system was not designed to address such scenarios.
