WASHINGTON — In 1981, while traveling on a corporate jet, Richard M. Bressler, the chairman of the Burlington Northern Railroad, hit on an idea: What if the technology used by airlines to track the location of planes and help prevent accidents was applied to the rail industry?
Mr. Bressler, an engineer by training and a former airline executive, directed a small group of his employees to come up with a similar system for the railroads.
The result was a safety system called the Advanced Railroad Electronics System, or ARES, which was soon placed on several trains on a section of track in Minnesota. The system, among other safety features, allowed dispatchers to stop trains automatically if the engineer exceeded speed limits.
Read more from the New York Times.
Related News
- Stand with Sister Nydia Sandoval on Monday!
- Union Leadership Meets with New N.S. Trainees in McDonough, Georgia
- CSX Asks to keep Safety Reports out of the Crew Rooms, Injuries are Up, Fatalities Continue, and Transparency is Down
- Semi Crushes Member in Decatur, Ill.
- Long-time Union Ally Mikie Sherrill Runs for New Jersey Governor
- SMART-TD to FAA: Keep Drones Out of Our Rail Yards
- Have a Tip? Share Your News with SMART-TD!
- The Truth From Within: General Chairpersons From CSX Statement on Departure of CEO Joe Hinrichs
- Overtime Relief for Railroaders Introduced in Congress
- Obituary: York Dudley Poole III