THE US Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has announced a proposed rule requiring a minimum of two-man crews on over-the-road inter-state rail routes, reports the American Journal of Transportation.
'This proposed rule will improve safety for America's rail passengers - and rail workers - across the country,' said US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Without guidelines, railroads may be subjected to disparate requirements in every state in which they operate, resulting in potential safety risks, says the FRA.
Protesting the new rule, Association of American Railroads president Ian Jefferies said: 'In 2019, the fra reconsidered a rule that was very similar to the one today and retracted it after finding a complete absence of a safety justification for that rule.
'We knew then, and we know now, that there is no plausible safety justification for regulating the number of individuals physically located inside the cab,' Mr Jefferies said.
The rule would prohibit the operation of some trains with one-man crews transporting certain hazardous materials.
'We are committed to data-driven decision making,' said FRA administrator Amit Bose. 'In cases where railroads wish to operate with fewer than two crewmembers, we are proposing that they perform a rigorous, thorough, and transparent risk assessment and hazard analysis, and FRA will provide an opportunity for public comment on these submissions.'
Technology has led to reductions in train crews, from about five in the 1960s to two by the end of the 1990s. Current industry practice is to have two-man crews consisting of a locomotive engineer and conductor.
Railways would now petition the FRA for permission to re-introduce one-man operations.
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'This proposed rule will improve safety for America's rail passengers - and rail workers - across the country,' said US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Without guidelines, railroads may be subjected to disparate requirements in every state in which they operate, resulting in potential safety risks, says the FRA.
Protesting the new rule, Association of American Railroads president Ian Jefferies said: 'In 2019, the fra reconsidered a rule that was very similar to the one today and retracted it after finding a complete absence of a safety justification for that rule.
'We knew then, and we know now, that there is no plausible safety justification for regulating the number of individuals physically located inside the cab,' Mr Jefferies said.
The rule would prohibit the operation of some trains with one-man crews transporting certain hazardous materials.
'We are committed to data-driven decision making,' said FRA administrator Amit Bose. 'In cases where railroads wish to operate with fewer than two crewmembers, we are proposing that they perform a rigorous, thorough, and transparent risk assessment and hazard analysis, and FRA will provide an opportunity for public comment on these submissions.'
Technology has led to reductions in train crews, from about five in the 1960s to two by the end of the 1990s. Current industry practice is to have two-man crews consisting of a locomotive engineer and conductor.
Railways would now petition the FRA for permission to re-introduce one-man operations.
SeaNews Turkey
