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The Utah Transit Authority's FrontRunner commuter rail is among 14 U.S. railways reporting "zero percent" progress toward implementing new, required automated safety systems to help prevent crashes.

UTA says, however, that description is misleading and results from a federal reporting system that it notes gives no credit for the partial work it has completed. The agency says it "actually is far along" in implementation.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) released data Wednesday about progress by 41 railways nationally that are required to install "positive train control" (PTC) systems. The original implementation deadline was Dec. 31, 2015, but Congress extended it to the end of 2018.

PTC integrates computer, satellite and radio technology to automatically slow trains moving too fast, to help them avoid collisions with other trains or to stop them from entering work zones or passing switches left in the wrong position.

Such systems gained extra attention last year after an Amtrak train far exceeding speed limits derailed near Philadelphia and killed eight people.

PTC is active in parts of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, but not where the accident occurred.

FRA said UTA reported at the end of June that it has made zero percent progress in implementing PTC in FrontRunner locomotives and track segments, and included that none of its mileage has operational PTC. It said no UTA employees had been trained in the systems, and the agency had not submitted a required PTC safety plan.

"UTA is actually far along with full PTC implementation, as the original design and construction of UTA's FrontRunner system included 100 percent of train-to-train collision avoidance measures before they were mandated by Congress," UTA Chief Development Officer Steve Meyer said.

He added that "the remaining items of the positive train control system are currently being designed and constructed."

He said FRA officially reports that UTA is zero percent complete in various areas of implementation "because their reporting requirements don't allow agencies to claim partial credit on those items."

Other railways are given credit for some work toward completion "because they are making improvements on individual items before moving onto the next item in the same category," he said. "For example, they are completing improvements one locomotive at a time.

"UTA is working on PTC components concurrently. So while UTA is far along with full PTC implementation, we don't receive credit until each item is 100 percent complete."

Meyer added, "UTA will have the full PTC system in place by the end of 2017, and we are working closely with FRA to keep them informed on our timely progress."

Meyer also said that "safety is UTA's number one priority, and FrontRunner's safety record is among the best in the country."

While UTA officially showed zero progress in reports, FRA said 22 percent of all the nation's passenger track mileage now has PTC systems operating.

It said 29 percent of passenger locomotives nationwide are equipped with PTC systems and 41 percent of passenger rail employees have completed training.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said Wednesday that such slow progress underscores the need for Congress to provide more funding to implement the safety systems.

"Positive train control should be installed as quickly as possible," Foxx said. "This is lifesaving technology available now, and railroads should aggressively work to beat the deadlines Congress has put in place."

FRA Administrator Sarah E. Feinberg said, "The official deadline for positive train control may be years away, but the urgency for railroads to activate it is now. Every day that passes without PTC, we risk adding another preventable accident to the list that is already too long."

Earlier this week, FRA awarded $25 million in grants to 11 railways to help with implementation, but UTA was not among the recipients.

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced last month that commuter railroads can apply for a share of $199 million in upcoming PTC grants.