LANSING, Mich. — A Michigan legislator has introduced bills seeking to require two-person operating crews in the state, as well as limiting train size.
Both bills introduced by State Sen. Erika Geiss (D-Taylor, Mich.) would amend the state railroad code of 1993. Senate Bill No. 100 would require freight trains to have two-person crews, while SB 139 would limit trains to 7,500 feet. Violations would lead to fines of up to Both bills are currently in the Senate Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
WMMT-TV reports that Geiss says bills would have been introduced even without the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment, because of “things that we are seeing, and then you add on top of that the derailment factor.”
But Sen. Ed McBroom (R-Vulcan, Mich.) told the station he opposes the bills because he doesn’t think they “do a hill of beans when it comes to whatever issues have led to derailments such as East Palestine and other places where they have serious track maintenance issues.”
The Michigan Railroads Association, which represents 29 rail companies in the state, is “strongly opposed” to both bills,. Jon Cool, president of the association, says the legislation “would provide no additional safety benefits … and would instead impede technological advances.” He also indicates the matters are not subject to state-level regulation.
Crew size is legally decided ONLY by act of Congress as the result of the settlement of the Fireman issue in 1962. For this reason neither the STB nor the FRA have the legal authority to mandate crew size, and they know it. Any State law or regulation touching upon interstate commerce is, by definition, preempted by Federal Law.
They are reporting what Mr Cool said.Read the article
When a business cedes control of its operations to government, it cedes control of its destiny. It becomes little more than a “State Enterprise”.
Perhaps the railroad insustry needs to teach a state a lesson. Imagine a state withour any railroad service… Should happen.
“He also suggests the matters are not subject to state-level regulation.” Come on Trains, I expect a little better reporting. Per repeated federal court rulings, railroad operations are considered interstate commerce and therefore regulated by Federal law not state This is not a suggestion.
However given the movement in state after state, such rules as 2 person crews could be implemented by the Feds if enough Republicans truly get fed up with corporations and enough Democrats remain critical of them.