A single worker walks next to a BNSF locomotive. BNSF and a committee of the SMART labor union have reached a tentative agreement to allow one-man crews on trains as early as next year. Many railroad workers think
Michael Werner
BNSF Railway trains in the Pacific Northwest could soon have one-man crews.
The railroad reached a tentative agreement this week with a general committee from the SMART union (representing train conductors) to shrink crew sizes from the current two-person minimum as early as next year.
The agreement was first reported by the industry magazine Railway Age, and later confirmed by McClatchy News.
The changes would be implemented in the Pacific Northwest and Midwest.
One-man crews would only be used on freight trains equipped with Positive Train Control, a technology that helps trains avoid collisions. It was required by Congress in 2008, but is not yet implemented throughout the country's entire rail system. A BNSF spokeswoman told McClatchy the change would not apply to large shipments of hazardous materials like crude oil or ethanol.
Crew size has been a hot topic lately in railroad safety discussions, which have been energized by the massive increase in oil by rail and the string of tank car spills and explosions that have accompanied it. Train crews used to consist of a half dozen people and have gradually been whittled down to two.
The Federal Railroad Administration has announced it intends to propose a rule requiring two-man crews, which in theory would negate this agreement. The FRA hasn't yet moved on their intention to propose a rule.
Railroad workers and union officials are pointing to the change to one-man crews as another opportunity to question BNSF's commitment to safety. Recently EarthFix reported that many workers claim the railroad puts profit ahead of safety, silencing whistleblowers through retaliation and discouraging workers from reporting accidents and injuries.
On Friday the president the SMART Transportation Division made a statement that two-man minimum crews are a necessity for safe, secure rail operations. He represents a broader membership than the general committee involved in the agreement with BNSF.
"No one would permit an airliner to fly with just one pilot, even though they can fly themselves. Trains, which cannot operate themselves, should be no different," wrote John Previsich, president of the SMART Transportation Division. "The check, double check, extra set of eyes and ears watching both sides of the train and division of tasks are safety measures that cannot be duplicated by written rule or technology. Every safety professional knows this and to remove the second person is to compromise safety."
Another argument many rail workers and unions make in favor of two-man crews is preventing fatigued railroaders from falling asleep. Fatigue has been an issue on railroads for decades, causing many deadly train crashes over the years.
Check back next week for more about fatigue on the railroads, and what has and hasn't been done to prevent it.
-- Tony Schick