On May 16, WORC and member groups Dakota Resource Council, Powder River Basin Resource Council, and Northern Plains Resource Council, submitted comments to the Federal Railroad Administration urging the agency to adopt rules requiring railroad companies to have at a minimum two-person train crews.
For several years, the railroad industry has been allowed to operate trains with one-person at the helm. The main reason is the technology enabling computerized control of the railroads. In recent years though, it has been shown that although the technology has allowed a greater degree of control over trains, technology does not substitute for an additional crew member. Derailments involving one-person crews such as the Lac Megantic, Quebec, disaster and other train accidents involving hazardous cargo have highlighted the shortcomings of computerized train control technologies such as Positive Train Control.
In addition, the increased shipment of hazardous cargo across our region due to oil development in the Bakken and the slow movement of state legislatures to pass needed rail safety and emergency management measures further justifies the need for two-person train crews.
Comments supporting two-person train crews
The comments support increasing the minimum crew size to two-crew members for the following reasons:
- Two-person crews provide significant safety improvements,
- Positive Train Control does not substitute for a person,
- Increased rail shipments of hazardous materials and increased accidents on the rails in our region reinforce the need for additional crew members to avoid accidents,
- States are ill-prepared for rail emergencies, and
- Two-person crews are best accomplished at the federal level.
Support from Labor For Two-Person Crews
Other supporters of the two-person crew are labor unions, including Railroad Workers United, United Transportation Union, and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. Railroad Workers United specifically has a resolution stating that two-person train crews are required to safely operate trains. A final rule is expected by Fall 2016.