Bill in Washington

[lwjabo]

I'm told there is a bill being worked on in Washington that would require two people on the lead locomotive when operating on the main line. Don't know the all of it right now. There seems to be a petition going around to support this bill. I hope all on JREB will look into this.

[E. Hodgson]

I'm told there is a bill being worked on in Washington that would require two people on the lead locomotive when operating on the main line. Don't know the all of it right now. There seems to be a petition going around to support this bill. I hope all on JREB will look into this.

Congress can't agree on anything else I don't see this going far if it is true!

[Michael Knight]

The bill is HR 3040 which would mandate, at minimum, two-person crews. Currently, there are 78 co-sponsors of the bill in Congress.

Here is an article that explains more and has information.

Tell Congress: Support Two-Person Crews

Now is the time to contact your legislators in the House of Representatives and ask them to co-sponsor and support H.R. 3040.

Introduced in the House Aug. 2 by U.S. Reps. Michael Michaud (D-Maine) and Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), this legislation will require that "no freight train or light engine used in connection with the movement of freight may be operated unless it has a crew consisting of at least 2 individuals, one of whom is certified under regulations promulgated by the Federal Railroad Administration as a locomotive engineer ... and the other of whom is certified under regulations promulgated by the Federal Railroad Administration as a conductor pursuant to section 20163."

The legislation reflects the concern over crew size that arose from the tragic July 6 derailment of a Montreal, Maine & Atlantic fuel train in Lac Mégantic, Quebec, which killed 47 and destroyed the center of the town. The MM&A train was crewed by a single person.

Under current Federal Railroad Administration regulations and railroad operating rules: a single person crew cannot make a Class I air brake test; one person cannot act as a first responder when a collision at a road crossing occurs; one person cannot inspect his or her train when it breaks in two or derails, including when there is the possible release of hazardous materials; and one person cannot inspect his or her train when cars in that train become defective.

Tell your member of Congress that public safety should be the top priority when it comes to rail safety regulations.  Tell them to co-sponsor and support H.R. 3040.  After you are done, share this message with your friends, family and co-workers and ask that they join in our efforts to protect the public.

Here is a link that you may use to show your support of H.R. 3040

http://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4038/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=7508

[lwjabo]

I can see a lot of problems and dangers if the rails get there wish on this. The UTU will fight it but the Teamsters? I just don't see them going to bat for anyone but them self. Note they have a no strike clause on NS so even if they wanted to they can't. When they were talking of removing just the trainmen it was never going to be long trains again. Even limiting them to 75 cars on some lines. Well that never happened and even the Triple Crowns went to 150 trailers. They also said limited switching with just a Conductor. That was proven to be BS also. I did more switch moves in the terminals after the reduction than ever did before. Now I worked 19 years before I started working on the ground by my self. Starting in 1992 I begain working Conductor only. So worked that way till December of 2005. I have went on the law in my initial terminal switching and brake test. I never heard of anything like that before 1992. When NS took over the old IC line that went through Jackson Tn. They were to run trains from St. Louis to Jackson and then from Jackson to Birmingham. They kept going on the law and many times switching in St. Louis. Also they would not require engineers to line switches when the Conductor was on the ground. That also was BS. Many times I would be 50 plus cars back when the engineer came up on switches lined against them. They were told by the tower to line the switch. I also can say I went on the law more after we went to two than I did before. Now considering my local and work train days were over by this time.

[jjohns5182]

Make things worse, if everything is electronic then all that will need to happen is for terrorist to learn how to hack and they can derail trains by hacking into the computer and throwing switches. With nobody physically on the train who is going to even try and stop it when things go bad and that remote somehow breaks.