All articles tagged with #remote controlled trains
Railroad unions are raising safety concerns about the increasing use of remote-controlled trains following a series of fatal accidents, including an incident in Buffalo where a young boy lost his leg. The technology, previously considered safer, is now under federal review as unions demand enhanced safety measures for these trains operating on open tracks.
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.