WASHINGTON — A bill that would restrict freight train crews to no fewer than two people has made another appearance in Congress.
The Safe Freight Act of 2017 (H.R. 233) was filed Jan. 3 by Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska.
The bill states, “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.” The crew would be a certified engineer and conductor.
The bill was referred to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. If passed by Congress, the measure would pre-empt Federal Railroad Administration efforts to create a “train crew staffing” regulation.
The FRA’s rulemaking started in 2014. The agency held a public hearing on the subject last July. A tentative date for the final rule is sometime this month.
Young’s bill is not new. Bills with identical language were filed in January 2013 and March 2014. Both died in committee.
Just remember we have a friendless drone Washington DC.
Off all modes…trains should be the best candidate for driverless, as they operate on their own property in a controlled environment.
Excellent point Mr Jennings
And quite ironic.
Think of the structural difference. ; a track vs. an open roadway.
Maybe – maybe not – never is too strong a word. Maybe both engineer and conductor would skimp on tying down the brakes. There was an accident recently where it appears that both the engineer and conductor were asleep, ran a red signal, and went head on into another train – killed them both.
In the end maybe the computer will be better than a human and there will be no engineer or conductor on board. Same technology as a driverless truck, but even simpler.
Too bad there were not two crew members before the Lac-Megantic, Quebec tragedy in July 2013. It would never happen.
I think we need to require the same of trucks. One person in the cab per trailer. This is something that needs to be left to the carriers and their unions.
We will see what happens…
This has no chance of passing a Republican congress.
We can have driverless trucks…driverless subways…driverless air drones…but locomotives need two in the cab. Certainly a great example of intermodal research, regulation, and thought!
Anyone in DC looking into driverless trucks yet? Pulling tandems and triples? They testing them now.