SMART Transportation Division Alternate Vice President J. Scott Chelette, general chairperson of GO 927, was featured in a television news report about the rail industry’s intention to eliminate the conductor from the cab of freight trains in the wake of Class I freight carriers implementing Positive Train Control (PTC).
Chelette was featured alongside West, Texas, Police Chief Darryl Barton on the report, broadcast Jan. 30 on KWTX-TV in Waco, Texas.
“The industry wants to take it a step further and thinks that because they have Positive Train Control that we don’t need a conductor on the locomotive anymore. That’s not the case,” Chelette said. “It’s just a failsafe. It’s just like your vehicle having an alert system.”
Our members know that PTC is not a cure-all and that its operational performance has been sporadic. If technology such as PTC impedes your ability to operate a train, then a Technology Event Report should be filed with SMART-TD.
Video of Chelette’s appearance is available above. The entire article from KWTX can be read on the station’s website.
Related News
- Montebello Transit Wins Longevity Pay, Wage Gains
- Representative Paul Evans Sells Out Oregon Railroaders
- PHOTO GALLERY: SEPTA Drivers Provide Bulletproof Barrier Feedback
- Strong Team Smooths Transition for New Local 406
- New Bills Pass Thanks to Teamwork and Communication
- SMART-TD Stands with FRA in Defense of Two-Person Crew Rule in Federal Appellate Court
- Coal trains roll as Michigan power plant gets a lifeline
- SMART-TD Calls for Legislative Action After Firearm Incident Involving Keolis Crew Member
- Who to call if you are injured or retaliated against for reporting a safety violation on the railroad
- In Loving Memory of Brother Darryl Redmon