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[quote user="jeffhergert"] [quote user="Bucyrus"]   So part of the mandate orders research and development, which by its very nature is impossible to deliver on a schedule, or deliver at a predicable cost.         <div style="clear:both;"></div> [/quote] I think the mandate came about because enough people in the right positions believe that PTC is available right now, today and has been available for some time.  That the only reason the railroads have not already adopted PTC is only because they don't want to spend the money. Since PTC in some form has been looked at since at least the 1980s and some vendors, railroads in other countries and transit systems have or claim to have PTC like capabilities, I can see where people could think this.  Especially if the people's only knowledge comes from "experts" with an agenda or short media clips of said experts.  It doesn't help when TV shows and movies purportedly set in current times show technologies that are still more sci-fi than reality.  We've come along way, but sometimes not as far as we think. Jeff    <div style="clear:both;"></div> [/quote]   Jeff, I think you have perfectly described the situation. People with authority make a knee jerk decision with only a simplistic understanding of what they are mandating, egged on by a bunch of special interests who stand to gain by the mandate, and are doing their best to create the perception that PTC is a sure fire solution, ready to go.  And in these days of fashionable, corporation hating, it is very easy to sell the idea that this public safety improvement is being held up only by the greed of the railroad companies who don’t want to spend money to save lives because it adds nothing to their bottom line. I know how projects can get underestimated, and this could be a real humdinger.
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