Department of Transportation Testing for Electronically Controlled Pneumatic Brakes on Trains

The Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act requires the U.S. Department of Transportation to reconsider the suitability of electronically controlled pneumatic brakes for trains carrying crude oil or ethanol to determine whether such brakes would reduce the incidence of train derailments and the associated safety risks, relative to other braking systems. A new report from the National Academies finds it is unable to make a conclusive statement about the emergency performance of ECP brakes, based on the results of the testing and analysis provided by DOT.
Source: News from the National Academies - Category: Science Source Type: news