Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal is calling on Congress to invest more in the nation's transportation infrastructure, including the implementation of positive train control on most rail lines.
Positive train control uses GPS and sensors on tracks and signals, to quickly correct train operator errors.
The National Transportation Safety Board said that positive train control would have prevented recent crashes, like the 2013 Spuyten Duyvil crash in the Bronx, which killed four passengers, and Tuesday's Amtrak crash outside Philadelphia.
In a conference call, Blumenthal said the crash was the consequence of "a failure to invest" in infrastructure.
"The approach to infrastructure in this country has been, all too commonly, patch and pray," said Blumenthal. "Patch the problem with temporary fixes, like potholes, and pray for the best."
The 2008 Rail Safety Improvement Act mandated that most rail lines in the country incorporate positive train control by the end of 2015.
The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee passed legislation earlier this year that extends that deadline by five years. Blumenthal unsuccessfully proposed a one-year extension on rail lines that meet certain criteria, but stressed any delay in implementing positive train control will cost lives.
"I am angry and saddened that this preventable, tragic accident will be repeated," said Blumenthal.
Last month, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates Metro-North, received a $1 billion federal loan to finish installing positive train control on its entire line.
