Transportation security

Congress votes to delay rail safety mandate by 3 to 5 years, fund transportation programs

Congress passed a bill Wednesday that delays for at least three years the mandate for railroads to put long-sought safety technology in place, and extends the government's authority to spend money on transportation programs.

Federal accident investigators say the technology, known as positive train control or PTC, would have prevented an Amtrak derailment in Philadelphia last May that killed eight people and injured about 200 others. Amtrak had installed the technology on tracks where the crash occurred, but it hadn't yet been tested and so wasn't turned on.

The Senate passed the bill by a voice vote. The House passed the measure the previous day. It now goes to the White House, where President Barack Obama is expected to sign it into law.