Metra is no longer at risk of shutting down in January after the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation Tuesday extending the deadline for rail systems to install federally mandated safety features.

The House approved a bill extending the deadline by three years for certain freight and commuter rail systems across the country to install the safety system. The deadline, which used to be the end of this year, is now the end of 2018. The safety system, called Positive Train Control, aims to prevent collisions and derailments by automatically slowing trains before those accidents occur.

Railroad companies across the United States were struggling to meet the previous deadline partly due to lack of funding, said Mike Walczak, transportation director for the Northwest Municipal Conference, which includes Evanston.

Without the necessary funding and proper technology to implement the system, Metra announced in September that it would be unable to install PTC by the previous deadline. It would be illegal for Metra to continue operating without the system in place, leaving the railroad system subject to civil and criminal penalties.

“This news can finally put the minds of our customers and employees at ease, knowing that Metra’s train will continue operating in January,” said Don Orseno, Metra executive director and CEO, in a news release. “As always, Metra remains committed to implementing PTC as quickly and safely as we can.”

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