SMART Union
CantonRep.com reported that Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) inspectors are now analyzing evidence to determine what led to the derailment of eight rail cars in the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway yard in Brewster, Ohio, on Monday, Feb. 1, 2016.
Cargo included flammable liquid that ignited upon impact, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of nearby residents. Investigators noted that the fire could have been much worse.
Read the complete story here.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that as a consequence of a warm winter, lower demand for energy products and low oil and gas prices, the nation’s rails are experiencing sharp declines in shipments.
Read the complete story here.
WSLS.com reported that Norfolk Southern plans to cut 2,000 jobs in response to its fourth quarter profits sliding 29 percent amidst its attempts to ward off a takeover bid from Canadian Pacific.
Read the entire article here.
The Wyoming Business Report has stated that as a consequence of decreased demand from the coal industry, BNSF is idling train cars and locomotives in Wyoming.
Read the entire article here.
The Hill.com reported yesterday that Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is requesting a Senate hearing to investigate Canadian Pacific’s proposed takeover of Norfolk Southern. The Hill quoted Manchin as describing the proposal as a “Wall Street takeover.”
Read the complete article here.
The December 2015/January 2016 issue of the SMART TD News is attached here. If you are a SMART TD member, a hard copy is being mailed to your home via U.S. Mail and should arrive soon.
On Tuesday, January 26, SMART TD’s Georgia State Legislative Director (SLD) Matt Campbell, led Georgia lawmakers on a tour of the CSX railroad yard and Atlanta training center.
“This was a great opportunity to teach our legislators about the duties and responsibilities of railroad workers. It opens the door for us to communicate our needs as an organization,” said Campbell.
“You should have seen them operate the locomotive simulators. They had no idea we carried so much responsibility while operating a train,” he added.
Pictured at right: Georgia State Representative Pat Gardner (D); Matt Campbell, SMART Ga. SLD; and Christian Coomer (R), Chairman of the Georgia House Transportation Committee.
News8000.com reported this morning that six mixed-freight cars of a Canadian Pacific train derailed last night near Reno, Minn. No injuries were reported.
Click here to read the entire article.
Progressive Railroading reported that Amtrak and the Southern Rail Commission will consider the possibility of reintroducing passenger rail service on the Gulf Coast by operating, next month, an “inspection train” between New Orleans and Jacksonville, Fla.
Read the entire article here.
In a letter to the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Associate Administrator for Safety Robert Lauby, SMART Transportation Division’s National Legislative Director John Risch called on the FRA to issue an emergency order prohibiting the use of auto control systems.
In his letter, Risch maintained that the FRA should regulate these systems, just as cell phones and interaction with Positive Train Control (PTC) systems currently are. Currently, Union Pacific Railroad is using Locomotive Engineer Assist/Display & Event Recorder (LEADER) and BNSF is using Trip Optimizer.
Risch says that this technology may be in violation of the FRA final rule 49 CFR Part 220, which states “a railroad operating employee shall not use an electronic device if that use would interfere with the employee’s or another railroad operating employee’s performance of safety-related duties.”
Risch does point out that the rule does not include electronic control systems and information displays within the locomotive. However, interaction with LEADER and Trip Optimizer systems is not a safety-related task and does pose a risk of distracting the crew from safety-related tasks.
Auto control systems are mechanisms to reduce fuel and operating costs through increased efficiency.
Click here to read Risch’s letter to the FRA in its entirety.