All articles tagged with #rail regulation
President Trump fired Democrat rail regulator Robert Primus, who opposed major rail mergers, amid ongoing review of Union Pacific's proposed $85 billion merger with Norfolk Southern, raising concerns about political influence on transportation policy.
Congress is pushing for mandatory two-person crews on long-haul trains, but the legislation leaves out remote-controlled locomotives (RCLs) that carry hazardous chemicals in major metropolitan areas with no licensed engineers onboard. Union Pacific has used workers with only two weeks of remote operation training to operate these trains for 20 years. The cost-saving practice falls under a gray legal area, and the Federal Railroad Administration has no specific concerns with the use of remote-control operators.