WASHINGTON — In an uncommon move, the National Transportation Safety Board has weighed in on a proposed rule before the Surface Transportation Board, expressing concern about a proposal regarding temporary trackage rights.
The proposed rule, requested by the Association of American Railroads, would allow an exemption from the usual process to approve trackage rights to address situations such as natural disasters or accidents. Currently, an exemption cannot become effective until 30 days after the railroad files a notice unless the STB provides a waiver; the new rule would allow the exemption to take effect five days after a notice is filed.
In its filing, the NTSB says the rule could reduce the level of safety because of crews operating in unfamiliar territories, and cites two Amtrak accidents as example. The first is the fatal 2017 Amtrak Cascades derailment in DuPont, Wash., after which an NTSB investigation found most operating crew had been qualified to operate on the Point Defiance Bypass after a single trip [see “National Transportation Safety Board says multiple state and federal agencies failed …,” Trains News Wire, May 21, 2019]. The second is a 2007 accident in which an Amtrak train rear-ended stopped a Norfolk Southern freight after misreading a signal aspect which was unfamiliar.
To address its concerns, the agency says it understands the need for the temporary trackage rights, but that “clear safety requirements are necessary to mitigate the risks” of crew members operating in unfamiliar territory.
The comment period on the proposed rule closed on Monday. The STB’s notice of proposed rulemaking is available here.
I think you will find technology at the heart of this. With PTC now up and functional the railroads are going to be pushing for a lot more things. I’m qualified on three rule books and the equipment. But it’s not wise for me to go running everywhere.
I think the NTSB concern is that even after employees get qualified over the detour route, there is increased risk of safety issues due to general newness to the territory. That is more of a debate on what is considered “qualified”. The Amtrak employees in both cases were qualified, but obviously made errors.
In Europe a train driver is qualified on the equipment and the rules have an employee timetable and can go places without a pilot they have never been.
Not saying the NTSB is right, just looking at it from their lens.
My understanding is that airline pilots can fly anywhere in America w/o previous route qualification. They familiarize themselves with the destination airport while aloft with material available on the flight deck. It only makes sense. Go to any hub airport and you will see flight and cabin crews scrambling to a waiting airliner or perhaps riding non-rev (“deadhead” in rail terms) to somewhere else to meet an assignment. It’s impossible to find a pilot or first officer who knows the route, if you’re looking for a flight crew at the last minute.
The situation is not analogous. The air between airports is pretty much the same, and these days a lot is handled automatically. Rail routes are unique as to speed, curves, interlockings, etc.
I dunno. The last flight I took (in 2016 Newark-LosAngeles and back) there were bumpy stretches. I think there is still a lot of jointed air up in the sky, though more and more airlines are installing welded air to avoid damage in transit..
With government entities involved nothing is simple anymore.
Amtrak detours just put a host railroad engineer on and away they go. No day long waits.
Correct Steven, and way before NS the Southern and IC did it. A story from my days of working for SR in New Orleans was when SR had a derailment south of Meridian MS and ran trains over the IC from Meridian to Jackson and down the IC to New Orleans. Southern locomotives had dynamic brakes, the IC did not. The IC pilot engineer ran from Meridian to Jackson and asked to be shown how to operate with dynamic brakes. Upon arrival at Jackson he was overheard saying to the IC engineer relieving him, “You going to like these engines, they got them dynamite brakes.”
Simple, the host railroad has to provide a pilot employee…just like when a ship docks in a harbor.
Correct Gerald. NS has done it for years.