Sen. Chuck Schumer is asking federal officials to investigate why the MTA allowed 4,000 pieces of faulty Positive Train Control (PTC) equipment to be installed.

PTC technology slows trains going around dangerous curves using satellite technology that communicates with the train. Experts believe if had it been installed earlier, the fatal crash like the one in Spuyten Duyvil could've been prevented.

"To learn that the billion dollar project that I helped get funding for has been set back because of a surprise equipment failure," Schumer said a press conference Sunday, "is a stun of a glitch."

All railroads are required to install PTC, but our regional commuter lines have struggled to meet federally mandated deadlines.

During last week's board meeting, MTA officials revealed (on p. 68) that 100%, or 4,000 undercar scanner/ antennas are being recalled.

In a statement, Ronnie Hakim, MTA managing director Ronnie, blamed the companies that provided the equipment.

"We are deeply concerned with the outright and shocking failures displayed by Siemens and Bombardier and we’ve expressed that forcefully and directly as recently as Monday," Hakim said. "We are holding them to their contractual requirements to complete PTC implementation well within the federally mandated deadline and they will be required to correct their mistakes at their own cost, out of their own pockets."

In December, the MTA was given a new PTC completion deadline of 2020. "I asked the MTA, 'what's your next excuse? The dog ate my PTC?' This is crazy already," Schumer said Sunday.

In response, a spokeswoman issued a statement on behalf of Siemens and Bombardier that said the companies would cover the cost of recalibrating the equipment.

"Safety is our top priority," the statement said. "We are confident that we will deliver a tailor-made PTC solution that meets the highest standards for safety and reliability on or before the 2020 deadline."