ALBANY, N.Y. — Legislators in New York state have introduced bills requiring two-person crews for most freight operations in the state.
Senate bill S3953, introduced by Sen. Timothy M. Kennedy (D-Buffalo), would require two-person crews for Class I and Class II railroads, except for those engaged in switching, and specifies penalties beginning at $250 to $1,000 for the first violation, escalating to as much as $10,000 for the third. The corresponding assembly bill, A1287B, was introduced by Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli (D-Syracuse).
Both legislators introduced similar bills in 2020. At least seven states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin — have passed such bills, and Amit Bose, administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, has indicated longer trains warrant two-person crews [see “FRA administrator sees longer trains as rationale ..,” Trains News Wire, April 8, 2022].
All idiots…apparently none of them have ever heard of the iron ore lines in Australia running with ZERO crews, yes autonomous trains do exist already. I don’t really care if it’s sparsely populated country, they’d have the same problem with broken knuckles and derailments whether in a populated or non-populated region, and that’s with no crews. At least with one on board and a roaming conductor on the ground there are people physically present with the trains. Let’s forget all about the autonomous OTR services that will soon begin in the Southwestern U.S.
Obviously you never have traveled to this railroad in Australia
What is your point?
Remember when NY required a six-member crew?