I'm not sure this is easily seen as politics
 

There are robot cars that can drive all around the country. If someone gets hurt that is tragic indeed.

But how can you have a train that runs into a platform? I'm sure there is a complicated red tape reason more than a technical reason.

Budget calisthetics.

No money for the safety features directed by law.
So I wonder how much more needy projects, than stopping a train wreck.

No it is not red tape. It is the budget GAME.

A game nobody challenges what is being spent where.

So if there is a choice it always the needs of the people that get short changed.

100% politics first....we the people somewhere on page two (maybe).

I can't imagine it's expensive. A drone sounds far more complicated.

It's actually quite expensive (almost all of which is being paid by the railroads and not the government), which is why the mandated date for railroads to complete their PTC (Positive Train Control) systems have been extended twice.

Even with PTC in place however, what happened in Hoboken would not have been part of the system since PTC is primarily to keep two trains from running into each other and to ensure they don't speed around curves.

Some European and other countries already have a system at terminals that in fact do apply the brakes of a passenger train, if the sensors determine that it is going too fast and won't be able to stop before it hits the bumper blocks.

The recent incident is a real tragedy that could have been prevented, but it also must be recognized that this kind of accident is very rare for passenger and commuter trains.