THE PRESS IS ON FOR SAFE PASSENGER CARS

An interim version of the first new safety standards for passenger rail equipment in many years is expected to emerge soon, setting the stage for development of a final version by 1999. Designing the new norms are members of the Passenger Rail Equipment Safety Standards (PRESS) taskforce, representing all 14 U.S. commuter rail operators, plus Dallas Area Rapid Transit, which plans to start commuter operations in the near future. Also participating are Amtrak, which operates seven of the existing commuter systems under contract with local agencies, and the American Public Transit Association (APTA). This initiative comes as a voluntary effort in the context of proposed rulemaking by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) as mandated by the Federal Railroad Safety Authorization Act of 1994.