John,WHEELING & LAKE Erie Railway has 2 person train crews & they won a law suit in order to keep it.Keep fighting John,We're on your side, Big railroad conglomerates care nothing about safety, YOU GUYS LIVES ARE IMPORTANT
I’m just a van driver for a company transporting railroad crews around Missouri and Illinois. But, I have family and friends who have worked for Union Pacific. The thought that this was so close to passing that this would have allowed 1 man crews is just scary. I’m glad this is stopped for now. I will never be able to be a conductor or engineer. So, I have so much respect for what railroad crews do. The eot device has eliminated the need for a caboose and a third crew member. But, I just don’t see trains ever being run by one man crews. There’s just so much to do. I wouldn’t want to work for a railroad if I had to be solely responsible for all that has to be done to run a train. Keep up the good work guys!
I disagree, like planes stated with 4 person crews, and now they have 2, I think single man crew's are gong to happen. However, technology needs to come into play, since a single person crew isn't viable unless their is some serious technology in play to make the train almost drive itself. Planes pulled this off with a huge amount of automation. Basically after take off the pilot doesn't have to manually actuate the controls until landing. The Pilot listens to the radio, tuns knobs at the right time, and concentrates on weather and safety issues. I would say a pathway to single person crew's should be made. But you won't be able to do it with 120 year old rails, and no way for a train to stop itself if the crewman is not doing what they are supposed to. On a side note, other countries do single person crew's just fine, and most passenger trains in the world are single person driver's, they just have technology in place to prevent trains from getting too close to each other.
If your a van driver then you should know there are semis running around with no one....Texas is now running test for sandbox trucks to run with no one ..
As a retired Engineer/ conductor, I want to say bravo!! It was without a doubt that 1 man crews were right around the corner. That was the next step. I like to believe that the Palestine OH derailment had something to do with this being pushed. Imagine a lone Engineer at the throttle of a 150 plus car train operating for several hours during the night. How alert would you be? No sir. I called it quits because I didn't want any part of that. Hey, maybe they will look into the work hours of the crews and let them have a real life for once... one thing at a time.
A step in the right direction, certainly. Major respect to all the crews on the ground, getting things done. Keep solidarity with each other and make sure you get what you deserve. Thanks for the update!
Most of the people in favor of one person crews work for the railroad, but have never worked on the railroad. They have no idea what it's like running a train at two in the morning!
Howdy John , UP's president stated the other day that they need to reduce employees so they can make more money to increase dividends to the stock holders more than the 40% range they are paying now . That's insane , they are running a lot of 3 & 4 mile long trains through our state of Arkansas and a lot more states . I'm retired rail train operator that for decades rode our rail trains when loaded and worked all over the UP System as an agreement employee therefore I remained on the train until I arrived at the work site or my train was tied up . I worked so many continuous hours for several days without rest , carrying canned goods to eat and/or getting a chance to run into a 7-11 or fast food store if I was lucky while sitting in a siding waiting on a train meet . Eating a can of Vienna sausage , crackers and bottles of water at 6 a.m. was not uncommon . Running and working on just about all of UP's subdivisions unloading , loading used rail and picking up abandoned rail lines . I saw just about everything , working all hours of the day and night and freezing my butt off as the engineer had his window open so the cool or cold air would help him stay awake . 40, 50 or more hours setting in the seat rolling down the railroad was very stressful . The engineer needs someone to help him run his train SAFELY , calling signals was one thing I did as well as sometimes the conductor would nod off and I would do my job as well as I was responsible for my rail train . I hate to say it but I'll admit one time I had a terrible engineer and conductor , bad attitude and they both were hung-over and mad because I was riding in the lead unit . We were 40m.p.h. speed restriction for our trains , we were running behind another 40 m.p.h. train and knew where they were all of the time . My crew was openly talking crap about me ( hell they didn't know me and I had been extremely nice to them ) and our slow MOW trains . After a while the conductor fell asleep and I was wide awake , the engineer fell asleep , I was blowing the horn at crossings and calling signals to a sleeping crew , as I said we were running blocks and I knew exactly where the train was we were behind . The engineer had been asleep for about 30 minutes and right before we were approaching a Red signal I hollered RED BLOCK , both of them woke up and it scared the Hell out of them . Just before they cold big hole it I told them don't worry the train ahead is plenty far ahead of us . I told them how long each had been asleep and that I had been blowing the horn and they had not woke up . Needless to say they didn't sleep the rest of the trip . I got the same crew a few times after that and they were a totally different crew with a good attitude . I once had a crew get on my rail train on a local subdivision here in Arkansas that my best buddy was a local chairman and I knew a lot of the guys on that subdivision , well the crew had to help the engineer out of the crew van and get him up in the cab . I asked what his job was and the conductor stated the drunk guy was the engineer and that he would be taking his place as the engineer , I instructed him to call the yard office and tell them their engineer was sick and they would have to call a new crew . Words were exchanged and I told the crew i would gladly walk to the yard office at the other end of the yard and make a phone call if needed . It was several hours before my new crew arrived and we come on home here in North Little Rock , Arkansas . While running the crew told me that other crew had been out all night at one of the local beer joints and that I was very smart to do what I did . My buddy that was the local chairman called me a couple days later to get my side of the story , at first he wanted to stand up for his crew and I stood my ground and corrected him about my job and duties . We were ( he died a few years ago and I lost my best friend of more than 40 years ) extremly close friends , more like brothers than friends . After he understood why I did what I did he cooled off and everything was ok . I had to refuse drunk crews three times during my career on rail trains , never once regreting it , my job was on the line as well as theirs and I wasn't getting fired because of them .Kinda went off the rail there but that's part of my story . The UP president is a former CP or CN trainman that knows what it's like out on the railroad but he must be brain washed if he believes all the crap he's saying . The old Missouri Pacific as well as some of the UP rail lines don't have ways to access the different locations the trains could be located and need a man on the ground . A traveling conductor or what ever they might call them would really need a company truck , hi-rail preferred with tools and spare knuckles etc. to get to and correct the problems needed . Travel time to a train and repair time would add up fast , consider more than one train needing help . Their idea of one man crew is too dangerous in many ways , but their almighty desire to make more money is total greed . When I hire on in October 1971 the first thing I was told is ' SAFETY SAFETY SAFETY ' is the most important thing about my job working for the railroad . Doesn't seem like that in this day and age . Too bad our UNION REPRESENTATION doesn't have a backbone anymore . Great to see your channel doing well and growing with over 14,000 subs and growing more and more . Congrats on your engineer promotion and keep them Safely on the rails . Awesome video John .
RR's had 5 member crews in 1956. Fireman, Brakemen, Engineer, Conductor and Rear trainmen. 3,200 tons 76 cars and caboose. 12 hours rest. Now 2 member crew, RR's wants 1 man crew, I guess this helps RR Mgt thinking for Wall street. PSR ,12,000 tons 200 cars trains, rest when they tell you, no time off. RR's killing the profession and people not wanting to do this job now. RR 's got there eyes on that automated freight train in Australia.
They shouldn't be looking at that too much, the only reason they are allowed to do that is that they are in the middle of a desert. In all the rest of the country on our rail network it's two person crews until you get to our equivalent of your subway which also have one person crews much the same as you guys
Thank you for this post. It is important to me. The clarify a lot of this. It’s crazy how the carriers come up with this stuff. It’s unsafe we all know it’s all about saving money cutting cost
Why? They have been gone for 40 years. The trains are three times as long. The crews were not vigilant. Rolling bearings and other advances in technology eliminated the risk of those failures.
This comes down to one thing and one thing only. Money. Simple as that, the class 1 railroads are trying to save a few thousand dollars a year and in doing so they are sacrificing safety. Keep 2 person crews and keep the people around the line safe, as well as the train crews.
Hi i jist hired on with UP in Portland Oregon as a conductor im amazed with all the rules with attendance and point system seems to be more to learn there than the actual job!
Good there needs to be at least two- more on night jobs/ I was seriously injured in a cornfield meet a decade ago because both crew were asleep and hit us in the switch frog at 2:30 am
That's the first thing I thought of. What if the engineer has a heart attack and dies? How many people will die in front of that train when it blows through a town and derails?
The mega-Class 1 railroads are going to be broken up over time. They have become too big for their shorts!!! They have all of the Law Makers in their pockets!!! It won't last for long. There used to be a spur for Kimberley-Clark at WIP near Ogden Utah. Union pacific kept jacking up the rates. KC told them to shove it!!! They went to all trucks!!! We cannot have the Majority Stockholders (who don't know a spring plank from a slinky) telling the railroads what to do!!!
Hi, I'm a train driver in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. I started watching and was eagerly waiting to hear the pros and cons of a 2 person crew... but I didn't really get the information I was after. I'm definitely interested in how everything functions over there compared to here. I know some cases where 2 person crews have caused some problems due to distraction.. but I would have liked to hear your direct thoughts aside from the setbacks, laws & regulations. Greetings from Switzerland.
Having a 2 person crew on the railroads is always a must cause if they do one crew there is so much high risk it’s not worth it having 2 is little bit better cause if something happens and the one person is have to get off the loco and the train moves or anything who going to stop it by having 2 on board safety helps
It might help. How many accidents happened due to a single crewperson? A night, with the new rule, one can sleep while the other drives: still a one-person crew. On the other side, railroads must now service tiny loads in remote areas, two-person crews and necessary safety regulations. Some benefits but certainly higher commodity costs for everyone.
Can you please talk about and what rules you have to go through to work for the railroad and where to go take classes please im going to get into classes when im 18 please you are my favorite TH-camr
@@railroad9000 it's as well greed with the trucking companies...I have 21 years with CCP, IC, CN and then the railnet....I took my buyout and bought 2 semis, I'm now up to 11 and 2 vans. Arizona and California are now running semis fully automated....I hate to say because traditionalist will attack me but railways need to compete ....with this rule in effect they won't be able to compete as according to load board 87 percent of shippers and receivers want trucks only and do not want their freight on any railway....
@@ShawnCalay *with this rule in effect they won't be able to compete as according to load board 87 percent of shippers and receivers want trucks only and do not want their freight on any railway* the types of products that are on a trucking load board are all finished products... and those finished products do lean towards trucks being more competitive to move them (dependent upon how much product is being moved and how far it is being moved) so i'm not surprised that those shippers prefer trucks over rail... but if you change the product then the shippers preference for moving the product changes... like bulk/raw materials assume you have a quarry looking to move 10,000 tons of crushed stone 280 miles, are they on that trucking load board???... or a farmers co-op looking to move 800,000 bushels of corn or wheat 700 miles, are they on that trucking load board... no way a truck can move these products competitively.... nor in a timely manner... and why???... because it's too much product and it's going way too far trucks haul a lot of our finished products BUT trains haul a LOT of the raw materials that are needed to create the finished products... rail is more competitive with a 700 mile and beyond radius... trucks are more competitive inside of a 500 mile radius... but it all depends on the product being moved, how much is being moved and how far it's being moved
I can't even believe for the absolute life of me why we are even talking about such an obvious important thing for overall train handling safety. It shows you how Blackrock has crippled the railroad industry into a step away from robots handling everything, which to me as someone who isn't a railroader, but does follow the industry that it's gotten so out of control that you have petty excuses overtaking common sense about crew well being. Until the people who live and work on the railroad stand up to these people, it's only going to get more embarrassing to be in an industry who let the big corporation in NYC take them down like they are taking down real estate for the people who have put their lives into trying to make it a generation passing occupation.
The main reason that the class one railroad want one man crews is their greed; they think if they can cut the crew to just one person then they can give that money to the CEO and the board of directors as profits.
No. It's a competition between the railroads and the trucking industry for freight business. It's also a race for self driving technology. If the trucking industry gets self driving trucks that don't require a person to drive the truck...it's the end of freight railroads in America, people! Unless, of course, the railroads can also have self driving technology...which will eventually happen.
How often, on a road freight, do you have to get off the locomotive and deal with a problem? Not enroute switching, but a broken knuckle or a defect detector or something similar. I know that things happen all the time, but how often does it affect you? Something almost every trip? Once a month? Couple of times a year?
@@kimrok1 How many trains have you run with PTC and Trip Optimizer? I’m going to guess the answer is zero, because literally every qualified locomotive engineer I know would disagree with your statement. I’ve been an engineer on NS since 2005, with over 26 years of railroad experience total. I’ve run thousands of trains either PTC. I’ve been forced to babysit GETO and EM since they became a thing. I despise all of them, and I can tell you that I have not had ONE train that was capable of completing a trip without my help at some point. The ABSOLUTE best I’ve done was 99.8% utilization, one time only, and even that didn’t count the terminals at either end or operation on approach signals. On average, I will see 90-95% utilization over ~90% of the run, assuming clear signals and no major problems. To the original question about problems em route, it varies wildly. I have gone months without a problem, and I’ve had broken knuckles and hot boxes on a weekly basis. A lot depends on how long and heavy the trains are, with 200+ car, 3-4 mile long DP trains being a LOT more likely to need attention at some point on the trip.
Pretty often…usually it’s for hot wheels due to stuck brakes, or the car dept leaving hand brakes on in the train ect. I’d say about every other trip I have to walk the train and fix something
PTC is basically google maps, shows your line up, slow orders, track authorities, upcoming permanent speeds, etc. I still use papers on board every chance I get. Big wigs need to come to the field and have 1 close call, or an Enroute incident, to see why we need 2 man crews, but nope, as soon as they get their shoes dirty, someone gets fired!
Would be nice if they took a look at hours. Rather than just on call, have a set uninterrupted rest time in place. A tired crew with little sleep is not exactly safe. I thought about going to school in engineering for train operations but once I learned about the hours and being on call whenever, wherever, I decided against it. I'd rather drive CDL which has it's own downsides.
Hi Jon new subscriber here I just wanted to say I enjoyed this break down and as someone who’s learning and hoping to join the railroad workforce this is interesting to learn and you did a great job explaining everyone. Union Pacific & all the class ones are full of shit with their plans to class one railroads. Props to the FRA to stepping in and keeping the regulation going. Hope to learn more. Shout out to all the railroad workers out here grinding away. We stand with you. Kirk Zevola
Good morning, I'm an engineer on NS Railroad. I know this is off-topic. What is the pro and con for nationwide seniority ? NS railroad wants nationwide seniority on the next contract and has stopped coming to the table because of it. Can you make a video so i can show my members? NS Seniority is based on districts ( my Senority is from harrisburg PA to lynchburg virginia) Thank you, and keep up the good work
When I hired out in the 1970's almost every railroad official from bottom up to president started out as railroad men. They were true railroaders, they knew what it took to run a railroad. When that began to end in the 1990's then all the problems going on now and absurdities began to show up. It wasn't a perfect world but it seemed to be a better world for the railroad man, his family, his job, and for railroading as a whole. Locotrol(R) showed up in the 1960's, the predecessor to DPU. Both technologies were designed for better train operation and train handling and that was it. Then fast forward to contemporary times, now that technology is used to reduce costs or heaven forbid eliminate the enginemen and trainmen. The railroad is now getting two bangs for one buck thus over two mile long trains, with power consist in middle of train ( DPU consists absent a trainman and engineman). We had derailments back then, but look at the catastrophic derailments now with these DPU trains! Write off the loss, continue the practice and over the long run make up for it at the bottom line. In North Platte NE Bailey yard, 33 enginemen jobs were eliminated back in the late 90's to remote control yard engines. No matter how many literal crash and burns that had happened during the infancy of this technology was an acceptable part of growing pains by the railroad for this technology was going to make it work no matter what the cost.
Well, as a German, a 1-man crew is normal for freight trains, but we don't have any safety systems or this PTC nonsense. Since the end of the steam era, we haven't had a 2-man crew on freight trains, with passenger trains only traveling over 160 km/h (100 mph), but that was also done away with in the 90s
Regulations carry the same weight as law. Federal agencies have been allowed to make their own regulations and make them have the same affect as law since a Supreme Court Ruling in the late 80's. The FRA, EPA, FBI, ATF etc... use this power for their own power rather than safety, efficiency, clean environment etc... Yeah, two man crews are the way to go but don't ever think the FRA did that for the safety of the public or the crews. It was to demonstrate to the Railroads who is in power.
Norfolk Southern Agreed to a $ 600 Million Fine to Cover ALL Class Action Lawsuits in East Palestine, OH, Derailment. Lawyers will Receive More than the Town. 🤪👎
Requiring a two person crew on a one mile train should not be a big deal. You have hundreds of thousands of dollars of merchandise and materials on a train. One more salaried employee on a train wouldn't rise costs very much.
I worked for CCP, then IC then CN took my buyout at age 42. I own a trucking company, started with 2 semis, now i have 11 and 2 vans....the problem i see is were on the horizon of self driving semis....actually arizona and California is now sending rigs down the highway with no one in them....railways are gonna need to compete....by 2030 i will be so hughly regulated i understand i now made a mistake....railways need to adapt quickly, i hate to say it as i still have friends and family at metra, CP and CN- trucking is advancing alot faster....
the class 3's won't have a problem getting that done. What they're pissed about is they now how to prove that they're doing it safely. I don't think it's really that big of a deal to have to prove you can do something safely as possible as some accountability.
This is the first video of yours I've seen and this raises a few questions for me, but, primarily, something you stated at the end seems to make little sense... Why would a 1-person crew be acceptable for a locomotive operator ping-ponging back a forth across 20 miles of track for 8 hours a day be acceptable but a 1-person crew on a Class 1 moving across Nevada, Arizona, Montana... for that same amount of time be unacceptable? Another question would be as far as "hazmat"? You seem to be under the assumption that rail containment is _not_ inherently more safe than highway containment for hazmat materials. Presuming rail containment is 10 times safer than highway containment (the actual number is something like 23.7 times safer if I recall correctly, but 10 makes for easier math), would it not be equally safe just on containment level to have a 10-car train under a single operator as compared to a 53' highway trailer? If the latter is acceptable under a single operator, why would not the former be considered acceptable on the containment safety terms alone without even factoring in vehicular movement, crash hazard, delay in transit, and other potential hazard considerations? Just to clarify where I'm coming from - I have a lot of rail knowledge but am _not_ a professional railroader, mostly because I detest Unions (there, I said it) and the blanket BS that comes with their activities. I am not anti-labor, I'm skeptical of labor unions (have been in three at various times to zero actual benefit, which is why I left), and am pro-business because it's not any employee that cuts the paycheck but the business entire. And if you think that railroads can just do as they please... 1). you're a fool, imbecile, or liar, and 2). you've never actually dealt with operations and interfacing with the FRA. I'd much prefer they _could_ do so as they please, so as to make rail once again competitive with government-subsidized forms of transportation. Lastly, you cite "safety" as something of import. Long experience in a multitude of career fields has taught me the veracity of something I was told by an old (87 years old at that time) machinist - "'Safety' is a figment of the human imagination by which people assure themselves of the correctness of their own risk assessment, and wish to impose those same ideas upon others." What is "unsafe" for you may be "safe enough" for me, as the concept is entirely subjective, not objective, which is why it can never be attained no matter what is done. Just my thoughts, such as they are. I look forward to any and all responses.
First off, thank you for one of the best articulated comments I've ever had on my channel. Give me a few days to wrap up some training ojt trips and I'll answer you directly.
How is rail not competitive? They are subsidized and make a very large profit. They don’t seem to be going after the market share that trucking is currently leading in (aka local and short haul). I’m just wondering what “competitive” means to you? Competitive to trucking? Other railroads? Ships? All the main line upgrades where I worked were paid for by federal government dollars so I’m not sure how that isn’t government subsidizing. Infrastructure bill has large sums of money going to Class I’s for upgrades that will benefit them and passenger rail. Not arguing just trying to understand what/how the rail carriers are being hurt. They can still get 1 man crews just need to show how they can do so safely. Not much different than any other change in any other safety area of any job. Boeing is a great example of just letting a company do what it deems “safe”. It lead to really bad outcomes. More about being balanced in implementation of new practices. Believe me as a former Class I locomotive engineer the railroads don’t implement anything balanced. Aka “do it or else”. It’s what created many bad situations in the past. That attitude of “I’m the boss and you’re the employee” is arrogant and does not show a company or leader who wants to grow. It takes a group effort to be effective and successful in anything. The difference tween 1 man helper service and long haul is very noticeable. Helper service has a regular schedule and long haul has no schedule and believe me my runs rarely were 8hrs. Usually 10.5 -12hrs on call 24/7 365 having that other person was also about keeping me up and aware when tired. It’s more complicated than just “you work 8hrs”. It’s rest time and lack of scheduling that is huge as well. As for safety is objective in many situations. Example is electrical. You have no choice as to how to be safe. It’s called physics so you loose if you try to break those laws 100% of the time. Not to change your mind just additional things to consider. My 2 cents.
East Palestine with one person in a caboose was very unlikely to happen. Those guys could SMELL a hot box. Congress needs to quit responding to the $$$ and look out for America.
Our concerns include - but are not limited to - the fact that this FINAL Rule appears to do the following: 1. Preempts (nullifies) all state and local laws/rules requiring 2-person crews, many if not most of which have more stringent language without the loopholes and exemptions. 2. Allows for “Exemptions” whereby rail carriers of any size may petition to allow 1-person operations in the future, claiming “new circumstances.” 3. Allows that safety data collected by the rail carriers on the question of 2-person vs 1-person crews may be kept secret from the public and the workforce, yet be used to justify future “exemptions” allowing 1-person operation without challenge for inaccuracies, failing to provide for independent auditing of “safety” claims or statistics. 4. Enables/encourages Class One Carriers to sell off local/regional assets to Class 2 (generally non-union) carriers in order to more easily facilitate 1-person operations. RWU hopes to issue a formal statement on this Final Rule at some point in the coming weeks after further consultation with RWU members and other working railroaders. Meantime, please see our official statement expressing RWU's concerns to the Federal Railroad Administration during the comment period in September 2022
Who cares if the Railroads are pissed? they need to stop pleasing shareholders and start pleasing customers and workers! They're running a Railroad to haul freight! Let them squak but two person crews are a Must!
The Rail Industry serves the Investor, while ignoring Shippers. That is the problem The cost of business is cut to insure Dividends. The Employment of People who can spot defects in Rail Cars, Tracks, and any feature that reduces profits. Without Car Knockers and Towermen as well as Section Crews who handle assigned portions of track, the cost of doing business increases. The Greed of Investors killed the Rail Industry in 1967.
Let 'em be p____d. This isn't pre-Staggers when the industry as a whole was about to lose out to truckers. This is a new era where people want more rail service to try and reduce road traffic and carbon emissions plus reap the benefits of better efficiency in transportation over long distances. Railroads are raking it in right now and are more interested in serving their investors over customers and employees. It's about time they get raked over the coals by the FRA, STB, and eventually Congress for all the shenaniganry they've been trying to pull since Hunter Harrison put PSR in effect at CSX. I love the railroads and trains in general but I'm disappointed and disturbed by the decisions on the part of management that are obviously driven by cost-cutting rather than safety and quality service. Now I get that what the industry is really scared of is self-driving trucks taking all their business because shippers wouldn't have to pay truck drivers which would make road haul theoretically more cost-effective over rail transport, but that's only theoretical and the railroads cannot reasonably cut crews down even further and expect things to work out well. They're only looking at numbers, not what's behind those numbers and refusing to factor in that life is not a vacuum. Things go wrong, equipment breaks down, there will be glitches in some system somewhere that "no one could have possibly accounted for" because they couldn't quantify it in data.
I guess if they go to a one man crew, the engineer will be told it is OK to stop the train when nature calls and they have to use the potty. That would make a interesting conversation with the dispatcher, letting him know why you are stopping and you will let him know when you are done. Of course they could put dual controls in the 'room' , so they can drive and dump at the same time.
I am happy that pass this law John not mentioned 1 man crews could be dangerous looking long trains from bnsf and union pacifc many other railroads what was your opinion on one man crews when get my drivers license should hire at the railroad so can get in the field do you think John would safe run locals one preson I don't agree with 1 man it's bad idea could be hell on earth
This all just sounds like another pitiful attempt by the railroads to save money I mean think about it WHY would you put one man on a 100+ car train and that train encounters a defect in the middle of nowhere such as a broken knuckle, a bad wheel journal or worse, a derailment? What the railroads are proposing by having only one man (or woman) on a train is not only unsafe, but is also downright stupid, which is why I'm glad that the FRA is finally able to step in and regulate this.
They will send a utility in a vehicle and they will get as close as they can…pack up a knuckle wrenches and a hose in a bag..and hike 20 miles to access the train
It seems that this is yet another example of bean-counters being clueless about the intricacies of operations. We do not have one man crew in an airline cockpit for the same reason that we should not have one in a locomotive. At the utmost, a one man crew could only make sense if all trains in a given territory are limited to, say, 10 cars, and operate at restricted speed. 2024/04/19. Ontario, Canada.
Jon,the regulation due big part lac megantic wreck yes,washington did a tour about town lac megantic quebec this was one man crew and over-work.they blame locomotive eng. The owner was ex- wisconsin central sold to cn he was by small cause wreck due sloopy maintenance in town railroad track.quebec north shore & labrador railroad own by rio tinto got one crew because corruption transport canada.they refuse investigate the quebec gov't because they slow respond so they did own they piss lots people ottawa too bad.look hunter harrison with spudid thing he did,he left calgary cprail happy for wallstreet but rest is mess.look after csx near same.thanks video
Opinions are Like Butt*****, Everyone has One. Everyone is Entitled to their Opinion, NO Matter how Minuscule their Opinion is. Please Ignore the Stupid Comments🤪👎
As a retired US Locomotive Engineer now running high-speed trains in China, I am so glad that my friends on the railroads in the US have won a battle. Now it's time to win the war.
Years ago rail roads had 5 person crews slowly the company bribed and took away one man at a time . Now you guys are thinking you won having a 2 man crew .safety first !!! But time is of the essence !!! B.s.been there .yes a yard master said that .i worked with so many miserable people on rail road old timers most of them wouldnt tell ypu anything to help the new guy .if you want a life outside of rail road its not for you ! They own you 24 hrs.7 days a week ,i didnt have days off back then unless you called out sick no pay by the way .finally we got a day off on a tuesday for me ,always worked weekends always tired ,worked 7 to 3 in daytime put my head on pillow at 11pm get called out for 1 am for 12 hr shift plus travel no extra pay .some jobs were ok if you caught an engine changer job one yard to another for 12 or more hrs including dead heading back .its dangerous too one guy had both legs and his arm cut off ..old conrail phila.div.pa. j.f***
John,WHEELING & LAKE Erie Railway has 2 person train crews & they won a law suit in order to keep it.Keep fighting John,We're on your side, Big railroad conglomerates care nothing about safety, YOU GUYS LIVES ARE IMPORTANT
The BN and UP are already Appealing it..
@@stephenthompson439 going to correct you, not BN, its Santa Fe. BN been dead for long time now and SF is just wearing it's skin.
I’m just a van driver for a company transporting railroad crews around Missouri and Illinois. But, I have family and friends who have worked for Union Pacific. The thought that this was so close to passing that this would have allowed 1 man crews is just scary. I’m glad this is stopped for now. I will never be able to be a conductor or engineer. So, I have so much respect for what railroad crews do. The eot device has eliminated the need for a caboose and a third crew member. But, I just don’t see trains ever being run by one man crews. There’s just so much to do. I wouldn’t want to work for a railroad if I had to be solely responsible for all that has to be done to run a train. Keep up the good work guys!
I disagree, like planes stated with 4 person crews, and now they have 2, I think single man crew's are gong to happen. However, technology needs to come into play, since a single person crew isn't viable unless their is some serious technology in play to make the train almost drive itself. Planes pulled this off with a huge amount of automation. Basically after take off the pilot doesn't have to manually actuate the controls until landing. The Pilot listens to the radio, tuns knobs at the right time, and concentrates on weather and safety issues.
I would say a pathway to single person crew's should be made. But you won't be able to do it with 120 year old rails, and no way for a train to stop itself if the crewman is not doing what they are supposed to.
On a side note, other countries do single person crew's just fine, and most passenger trains in the world are single person driver's, they just have technology in place to prevent trains from getting too close to each other.
If your a van driver then you should know there are semis running around with no one....Texas is now running test for sandbox trucks to run with no one ..
@@CaptRRin most countries there is just a driver, what we call a engineer....Canada USA and Mexico are the only ones using 2 to 3 men....
As a retired Engineer/ conductor, I want to say bravo!! It was without a doubt that 1 man crews were right around the corner. That was the next step. I like to believe that the Palestine OH derailment had something to do with this being pushed. Imagine a lone Engineer at the throttle of a 150 plus car train operating for several hours during the night. How alert would you be? No sir. I called it quits because I didn't want any part of that. Hey, maybe they will look into the work hours of the crews and let them have a real life for once... one thing at a time.
The railroad preaches safety and now their mad because you now have to have two man crews. A one man crew is not safe.
A step in the right direction, certainly. Major respect to all the crews on the ground, getting things done. Keep solidarity with each other and make sure you get what you deserve. Thanks for the update!
Most of the people in favor of one person crews work for the railroad, but have never worked on the railroad. They have no idea what it's like running a train at two in the morning!
Howdy John , UP's president stated the other day that they need to reduce employees so they can make more money to increase dividends to the stock holders more than the 40% range they are paying now . That's insane , they are running a lot of 3 & 4 mile long trains through our state of Arkansas and a lot more states . I'm retired rail train operator that for decades rode our rail trains when loaded and worked all over the UP System as an agreement employee therefore I remained on the train until I arrived at the work site or my train was tied up . I worked so many continuous hours for several days without rest , carrying canned goods to eat and/or getting a chance to run into a 7-11 or fast food store if I was lucky while sitting in a siding waiting on a train meet . Eating a can of Vienna sausage , crackers and bottles of water at 6 a.m. was not uncommon . Running and working on just about all of UP's subdivisions unloading , loading used rail and picking up abandoned rail lines . I saw just about everything , working all hours of the day and night and freezing my butt off as the engineer had his window open so the cool or cold air would help him stay awake . 40, 50 or more hours setting in the seat rolling down the railroad was very stressful . The engineer needs someone to help him run his train SAFELY , calling signals was one thing I did as well as sometimes the conductor would nod off and I would do my job as well as I was responsible for my rail train . I hate to say it but I'll admit one time I had a terrible engineer and conductor , bad attitude and they both were hung-over and mad because I was riding in the lead unit . We were 40m.p.h. speed restriction for our trains , we were running behind another 40 m.p.h. train and knew where they were all of the time . My crew was openly talking crap about me ( hell they didn't know me and I had been extremely nice to them ) and our slow MOW trains . After a while the conductor fell asleep and I was wide awake , the engineer fell asleep , I was blowing the horn at crossings and calling signals to a sleeping crew , as I said we were running blocks and I knew exactly where the train was we were behind . The engineer had been asleep for about 30 minutes and right before we were approaching a Red signal I hollered RED BLOCK , both of them woke up and it scared the Hell out of them . Just before they cold big hole it I told them don't worry the train ahead is plenty far ahead of us . I told them how long each had been asleep and that I had been blowing the horn and they had not woke up . Needless to say they didn't sleep the rest of the trip . I got the same crew a few times after that and they were a totally different crew with a good attitude . I once had a crew get on my rail train on a local subdivision here in Arkansas that my best buddy was a local chairman and I knew a lot of the guys on that subdivision , well the crew had to help the engineer out of the crew van and get him up in the cab . I asked what his job was and the conductor stated the drunk guy was the engineer and that he would be taking his place as the engineer , I instructed him to call the yard office and tell them their engineer was sick and they would have to call a new crew . Words were exchanged and I told the crew i would gladly walk to the yard office at the other end of the yard and make a phone call if needed . It was several hours before my new crew arrived and we come on home here in North Little Rock , Arkansas . While running the crew told me that other crew had been out all night at one of the local beer joints and that I was very smart to do what I did . My buddy that was the local chairman called me a couple days later to get my side of the story , at first he wanted to stand up for his crew and I stood my ground and corrected him about my job and duties . We were ( he died a few years ago and I lost my best friend of more than 40 years ) extremly close friends , more like brothers than friends . After he understood why I did what I did he cooled off and everything was ok . I had to refuse drunk crews three times during my career on rail trains , never once regreting it , my job was on the line as well as theirs and I wasn't getting fired because of them .Kinda went off the rail there but that's part of my story . The UP president is a former CP or CN trainman that knows what it's like out on the railroad but he must be brain washed if he believes all the crap he's saying . The old Missouri Pacific as well as some of the UP rail lines don't have ways to access the different locations the trains could be located and need a man on the ground . A traveling conductor or what ever they might call them would really need a company truck , hi-rail preferred with tools and spare knuckles etc. to get to and correct the problems needed . Travel time to a train and repair time would add up fast , consider more than one train needing help . Their idea of one man crew is too dangerous in many ways , but their almighty desire to make more money is total greed . When I hire on in October 1971 the first thing I was told is ' SAFETY SAFETY SAFETY ' is the most important thing about my job working for the railroad . Doesn't seem like that in this day and age . Too bad our UNION REPRESENTATION doesn't have a backbone anymore . Great to see your channel doing well and growing with over 14,000 subs and growing more and more . Congrats on your engineer promotion and keep them Safely on the rails . Awesome video John .
RR's had 5 member crews in 1956. Fireman, Brakemen, Engineer, Conductor and Rear trainmen. 3,200 tons 76 cars and caboose. 12 hours rest. Now 2 member crew, RR's wants 1 man crew, I guess this helps RR Mgt thinking for Wall street. PSR ,12,000 tons 200 cars trains, rest when they tell you, no time off. RR's killing the profession and people not wanting to do this job now. RR 's got there eyes on that automated freight train in Australia.
Much like the airlines are eyeing a pilotless airliner.
They shouldn't be looking at that too much, the only reason they are allowed to do that is that they are in the middle of a desert. In all the rest of the country on our rail network it's two person crews until you get to our equivalent of your subway which also have one person crews much the same as you guys
Regulations are treated as statutes in court. Regulations can be created or repealed easier and statutes passed by congress are not.
Thank you for this post. It is important to me. The clarify a lot of this. It’s crazy how the carriers come up with this stuff. It’s unsafe we all know it’s all about saving money cutting cost
Honestly, the railroads need to bring back the damn caboose with 2 crew members too! Not only for safety, but for security as well!
Why? They have been gone for 40 years. The trains are three times as long. The crews were not vigilant. Rolling bearings and other advances in technology eliminated the risk of those failures.
@@kimrok1 hes not talking about mechanical failure, hes talking about mass container looting at the rear ends of standing trains in sidings.
@@shopdog831 They tried police cabooses.
I am not surprised railroads wanted one-person crews. The less people they can have on the payroll the more they like it, even at the cost of safety.
This comes down to one thing and one thing only. Money. Simple as that, the class 1 railroads are trying to save a few thousand dollars a year and in doing so they are sacrificing safety. Keep 2 person crews and keep the people around the line safe, as well as the train crews.
Hi i jist hired on with UP in Portland Oregon as a conductor im amazed with all the rules with attendance and point system seems to be more to learn there than the actual job!
Good there needs to be at least two- more on night jobs/ I was seriously injured in a cornfield meet a decade ago because both crew were asleep and hit us in the switch frog at 2:30 am
The thought of a engineer having a medical emergency and no one there to help them is crazy
That's the first thing I thought of. What if the engineer has a heart attack and dies? How many people will die in front of that train when it blows through a town and derails?
Now I guess all the switching railroads with single remote control operators will have to apply for exemptions?
The mega-Class 1 railroads are going to be broken up over time. They have become too big for their shorts!!! They have all of the Law Makers in their pockets!!! It won't last for long. There used to be a spur for Kimberley-Clark at WIP near Ogden Utah. Union pacific kept jacking up the rates. KC told them to shove it!!! They went to all trucks!!! We cannot have the Majority Stockholders (who don't know a spring plank from a slinky) telling the railroads what to do!!!
The UP/ SP and BNSF have been in existence for 30 years. I kinda doubt it.
Hi, I'm a train driver in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. I started watching and was eagerly waiting to hear the pros and cons of a 2 person crew... but I didn't really get the information I was after. I'm definitely interested in how everything functions over there compared to here. I know some cases where 2 person crews have caused some problems due to distraction.. but I would have liked to hear your direct thoughts aside from the setbacks, laws & regulations. Greetings from Switzerland.
This video wasn't about the pros and cons between the two. It was about the new regulation
@@RailsTailsandTrails Ok 👍
Having a 2 person crew on the railroads is always a must cause if they do one crew there is so much high risk it’s not worth it having 2 is little bit better cause if something happens and the one person is have to get off the loco and the train moves or anything who going to stop it by having 2 on board safety helps
It might help. How many accidents happened due to a single crewperson? A night, with the new rule, one can sleep while the other drives: still a one-person crew. On the other side, railroads must now service tiny loads in remote areas, two-person crews and necessary safety regulations. Some benefits but certainly higher commodity costs for everyone.
Can you please talk about and what rules you have to go through to work for the railroad and where to go take classes please im going to get into classes when im 18 please you are my favorite TH-camr
This should have always been the rule!
Railroad greed to only use one crew was NOT good!
But yet we now have semis with no one in them and your okay with this?
@@ShawnCalay NO I am not!
@@railroad9000 it's as well greed with the trucking companies...I have 21 years with CCP, IC, CN and then the railnet....I took my buyout and bought 2 semis, I'm now up to 11 and 2 vans. Arizona and California are now running semis fully automated....I hate to say because traditionalist will attack me but railways need to compete ....with this rule in effect they won't be able to compete as according to load board 87 percent of shippers and receivers want trucks only and do not want their freight on any railway....
@@ShawnCalay
*with this rule in effect they won't be able to compete as according to load board 87 percent of shippers and receivers want trucks only and do not want their freight on any railway*
the types of products that are on a trucking load board are all finished products... and those finished products do lean towards trucks being more competitive to move them (dependent upon how much product is being moved and how far it is being moved) so i'm not surprised that those shippers prefer trucks over rail...
but if you change the product then the shippers preference for moving the product changes... like bulk/raw materials
assume you have a quarry looking to move 10,000 tons of crushed stone 280 miles, are they on that trucking load board???... or a farmers co-op looking to move 800,000 bushels of corn or wheat 700 miles, are they on that trucking load board... no way a truck can move these products competitively.... nor in a timely manner... and why???... because it's too much product and it's going way too far
trucks haul a lot of our finished products BUT trains haul a LOT of the raw materials that are needed to create the finished products...
rail is more competitive with a 700 mile and beyond radius... trucks are more competitive inside of a 500 mile radius... but it all depends on the product being moved, how much is being moved and how far it's being moved
Farmrail has been running 2 man trains for 20+ yrs. Engineer and the conductor in the pickup that follows him.
I can't even believe for the absolute life of me why we are even talking about such an obvious important thing for overall train handling safety. It shows you how Blackrock has crippled the railroad industry into a step away from robots handling everything, which to me as someone who isn't a railroader, but does follow the industry that it's gotten so out of control that you have petty excuses overtaking common sense about crew well being. Until the people who live and work on the railroad stand up to these people, it's only going to get more embarrassing to be in an industry who let the big corporation in NYC take them down like they are taking down real estate for the people who have put their lives into trying to make it a generation passing occupation.
Hey John. I’m waiting to hear on if I got my engineer bid? Do you find out through email or notification on the hub? Thanks for the help!
The main reason that the class one railroad want one man crews is their greed; they think if they can cut the crew to just one person then they can give that money to the CEO and the board of directors as profits.
No. It's a competition between the railroads and the trucking industry for freight business. It's also a race for self driving technology. If the trucking industry gets self driving trucks that don't require a person to drive the truck...it's the end of freight railroads in America, people! Unless, of course, the railroads can also have self driving technology...which will eventually happen.
How is PTC going to lug an E-knuckle back 5400 feet when the knuckle goes belly up??? The railroad management is always---READY, FIRE, AIM!!!
It is not, but a carmen in a truck can. How many knuckles break each day, on each train?
How often, on a road freight, do you have to get off the locomotive and deal with a problem? Not enroute switching, but a broken knuckle or a defect detector or something similar. I know that things happen all the time, but how often does it affect you? Something almost every trip? Once a month? Couple of times a year?
Not that often. In fact with PTC, trip optimizer, and the advancement locomotive tech, crewless trains could be run with minimal issues.
@@kimrok1 How many trains have you run with PTC and Trip Optimizer? I’m going to guess the answer is zero, because literally every qualified locomotive engineer I know would disagree with your statement. I’ve been an engineer on NS since 2005, with over 26 years of railroad experience total. I’ve run thousands of trains either PTC. I’ve been forced to babysit GETO and EM since they became a thing. I despise all of them, and I can tell you that I have not had ONE train that was capable of completing a trip without my help at some point. The ABSOLUTE best I’ve done was 99.8% utilization, one time only, and even that didn’t count the terminals at either end or operation on approach signals. On average, I will see 90-95% utilization over ~90% of the run, assuming clear signals and no major problems.
To the original question about problems em route, it varies wildly. I have gone months without a problem, and I’ve had broken knuckles and hot boxes on a weekly basis. A lot depends on how long and heavy the trains are, with 200+ car, 3-4 mile long DP trains being a LOT more likely to need attention at some point on the trip.
Pretty often…usually it’s for hot wheels due to stuck brakes, or the car dept leaving hand brakes on in the train ect. I’d say about every other trip I have to walk the train and fix something
Honestly if you are running over a certain length there is a really strong argument to be made for a 3 man crew.
PTC is basically google maps, shows your line up, slow orders, track authorities, upcoming permanent speeds, etc. I still use papers on board every chance I get. Big wigs need to come to the field and have 1 close call, or an Enroute incident, to see why we need 2 man crews, but nope, as soon as they get their shoes dirty, someone gets fired!
Would be nice if they took a look at hours.
Rather than just on call, have a set uninterrupted rest time in place.
A tired crew with little sleep is not exactly safe.
I thought about going to school in engineering for train operations but once I learned about the hours and being on call whenever, wherever, I decided against it.
I'd rather drive CDL which has it's own downsides.
PTC can’t talk it’s way through a form B
nor can ptc assist in a possible heart attack
Hi Jon new subscriber here I just wanted to say I enjoyed this break down and as someone who’s learning and hoping to join the railroad workforce this is interesting to learn and you did a great job explaining everyone. Union Pacific & all the class ones are full of shit with their plans to class one railroads. Props to the FRA to stepping in and keeping the regulation going. Hope to learn more.
Shout out to all the railroad workers out here grinding away. We stand with you.
Kirk Zevola
Good morning, I'm an engineer on NS Railroad. I know this is off-topic. What is the pro and con for nationwide seniority ? NS railroad wants nationwide seniority on the next contract and has stopped coming to the table because of it. Can you make a video so i can show my members? NS Seniority is based on districts ( my Senority is from harrisburg PA to lynchburg virginia)
Thank you, and keep up the good work
I think this is a great question and will try to get a video put together over this topic soon.
@@RailsTailsandTrails thank you
When I hired out in the 1970's almost every railroad official from bottom up to president started out as railroad men. They were true railroaders, they knew what it took to run a railroad. When that began to end in the 1990's then all the problems going on now and absurdities began to show up. It wasn't a perfect world but it seemed to be a better world for the railroad man, his family, his job, and for railroading as a whole. Locotrol(R) showed up in the 1960's, the predecessor to DPU. Both technologies were designed for better train operation and train handling and that was it. Then fast forward to contemporary times, now that technology is used to reduce costs or heaven forbid eliminate the enginemen and trainmen. The railroad is now getting two bangs for one buck thus over two mile long trains, with power consist in middle of train ( DPU consists absent a trainman and engineman). We had derailments back then, but look at the catastrophic derailments now with these DPU trains! Write off the loss, continue the practice and over the long run make up for it at the bottom line. In North Platte NE Bailey yard, 33 enginemen jobs were eliminated back in the late 90's to remote control yard engines. No matter how many literal crash and burns that had happened during the infancy of this technology was an acceptable part of growing pains by the railroad for this technology was going to make it work no matter what the cost.
Well, as a German, a 1-man crew is normal for freight trains, but we don't have any safety systems or this PTC nonsense.
Since the end of the steam era, we haven't had a 2-man crew on freight trains, with passenger trains only traveling over 160 km/h (100 mph), but that was also done away with in the 90s
Regulations carry the same weight as law. Federal agencies have been allowed to make their own regulations and make them have the same affect as law since a Supreme Court Ruling in the late 80's. The FRA, EPA, FBI, ATF etc... use this power for their own power rather than safety, efficiency, clean environment etc... Yeah, two man crews are the way to go but don't ever think the FRA did that for the safety of the public or the crews. It was to demonstrate to the Railroads who is in power.
Norfolk Southern Agreed to a $ 600 Million Fine to Cover ALL Class Action Lawsuits in East Palestine, OH, Derailment. Lawyers will Receive More than the Town. 🤪👎
The vultures, as per usual. They should bar them from making money on disaster cases.
I hope I'm wrong but I think the railroads are collecting their fresh data with these onboard cameras.
Requiring a two person crew on a one mile train should not be a big deal. You have hundreds of thousands of dollars of merchandise and materials on a train. One more salaried employee on a train wouldn't rise costs very much.
I worked for CCP, then IC then CN took my buyout at age 42. I own a trucking company, started with 2 semis, now i have 11 and 2 vans....the problem i see is were on the horizon of self driving semis....actually arizona and California is now sending rigs down the highway with no one in them....railways are gonna need to compete....by 2030 i will be so hughly regulated i understand i now made a mistake....railways need to adapt quickly, i hate to say it as i still have friends and family at metra, CP and CN- trucking is advancing alot faster....
One man crew should be allowed for small operations tbh, like a terminal railway, when you're only pulling a couple of car and have full visibility.
the class 3's won't have a problem getting that done. What they're pissed about is they now how to prove that they're doing it safely. I don't think it's really that big of a deal to have to prove you can do something safely as possible as some accountability.
I work on a Class 3, are we exempt from this law?
I just interviewed 😂 for Conductor L.A
What company? Which location?
@@drewhernandez5138 Bnsf LA
@@drewhernandez5138 bn
This is the first video of yours I've seen and this raises a few questions for me, but, primarily, something you stated at the end seems to make little sense...
Why would a 1-person crew be acceptable for a locomotive operator ping-ponging back a forth across 20 miles of track for 8 hours a day be acceptable but a 1-person crew on a Class 1 moving across Nevada, Arizona, Montana... for that same amount of time be unacceptable?
Another question would be as far as "hazmat"? You seem to be under the assumption that rail containment is _not_ inherently more safe than highway containment for hazmat materials. Presuming rail containment is 10 times safer than highway containment (the actual number is something like 23.7 times safer if I recall correctly, but 10 makes for easier math), would it not be equally safe just on containment level to have a 10-car train under a single operator as compared to a 53' highway trailer? If the latter is acceptable under a single operator, why would not the former be considered acceptable on the containment safety terms alone without even factoring in vehicular movement, crash hazard, delay in transit, and other potential hazard considerations?
Just to clarify where I'm coming from - I have a lot of rail knowledge but am _not_ a professional railroader, mostly because I detest Unions (there, I said it) and the blanket BS that comes with their activities. I am not anti-labor, I'm skeptical of labor unions (have been in three at various times to zero actual benefit, which is why I left), and am pro-business because it's not any employee that cuts the paycheck but the business entire.
And if you think that railroads can just do as they please... 1). you're a fool, imbecile, or liar, and 2). you've never actually dealt with operations and interfacing with the FRA. I'd much prefer they _could_ do so as they please, so as to make rail once again competitive with government-subsidized forms of transportation.
Lastly, you cite "safety" as something of import. Long experience in a multitude of career fields has taught me the veracity of something I was told by an old (87 years old at that time) machinist - "'Safety' is a figment of the human imagination by which people assure themselves of the correctness of their own risk assessment, and wish to impose those same ideas upon others." What is "unsafe" for you may be "safe enough" for me, as the concept is entirely subjective, not objective, which is why it can never be attained no matter what is done.
Just my thoughts, such as they are. I look forward to any and all responses.
First off, thank you for one of the best articulated comments I've ever had on my channel. Give me a few days to wrap up some training ojt trips and I'll answer you directly.
How is rail not competitive? They are subsidized and make a very large profit. They don’t seem to be going after the market share that trucking is currently leading in (aka local and short haul). I’m just wondering what “competitive” means to you? Competitive to trucking? Other railroads? Ships?
All the main line upgrades where I worked were paid for by federal government dollars so I’m not sure how that isn’t government subsidizing. Infrastructure bill has large sums of money going to Class I’s for upgrades that will benefit them and passenger rail.
Not arguing just trying to understand what/how the rail carriers are being hurt. They can still get 1 man crews just need to show how they can do so safely. Not much different than any other change in any other safety area of any job. Boeing is a great example of just letting a company do what it deems “safe”. It lead to really bad outcomes. More about being balanced in implementation of new practices. Believe me as a former Class I locomotive engineer the railroads don’t implement anything balanced. Aka “do it or else”. It’s what created many bad situations in the past. That attitude of “I’m the boss and you’re the employee” is arrogant and does not show a company or leader who wants to grow. It takes a group effort to be effective and successful in anything.
The difference tween 1 man helper service and long haul is very noticeable. Helper service has a regular schedule and long haul has no schedule and believe me my runs rarely were 8hrs. Usually 10.5 -12hrs on call 24/7 365 having that other person was also about keeping me up and aware when tired. It’s more complicated than just “you work 8hrs”. It’s rest time and lack of scheduling that is huge as well.
As for safety is objective in many situations. Example is electrical. You have no choice as to how to be safe. It’s called physics so you loose if you try to break those laws 100% of the time.
Not to change your mind just additional things to consider.
My 2 cents.
East Palestine with one person in a caboose was very unlikely to happen. Those guys could SMELL a hot box. Congress needs to quit responding to the $$$ and look out for America.
Our concerns include - but are not limited to - the fact that this FINAL Rule appears to do the following:
1. Preempts (nullifies) all state and local laws/rules requiring 2-person crews, many if not most of which have more stringent language without the loopholes and exemptions.
2. Allows for “Exemptions” whereby rail carriers of any size may petition to allow 1-person operations in the future, claiming “new circumstances.”
3. Allows that safety data collected by the rail carriers on the question of 2-person vs 1-person crews may be kept secret from the public and the workforce, yet be used to justify future “exemptions” allowing 1-person operation without challenge for inaccuracies, failing to provide for independent auditing of “safety” claims or statistics.
4. Enables/encourages Class One Carriers to sell off local/regional assets to Class 2 (generally non-union) carriers in order to more easily facilitate 1-person operations.
RWU hopes to issue a formal statement on this Final Rule at some point in the coming weeks after further consultation with RWU members and other working railroaders. Meantime, please see our official statement expressing RWU's concerns to the Federal Railroad Administration during the comment period in September 2022
Who cares if the Railroads are pissed? they need to stop pleasing shareholders and start pleasing customers and workers! They're running a Railroad to haul freight! Let them squak but two person crews are a Must!
The Rail Industry serves the Investor,
while ignoring Shippers.
That is the problem
The cost of business is cut to insure Dividends.
The Employment of People who can spot defects
in Rail Cars, Tracks, and any feature that reduces profits.
Without Car Knockers and Towermen as well as Section Crews who
handle assigned portions of track,
the cost of doing business increases.
The Greed of Investors killed the Rail Industry in 1967.
The company should be following the rules by having too many Cruise instead of one it is the biggest safety violation
That was the best dressed crew member on an American Railroad, I have ever seen. in your thumbnail.
Have you seen engineers today on the class 1's? =p
With AI and robotics, get ready for drone trains. Lionel had it right. Conductor/engineer will operate train in a building thousands of miles away.
Going to a one man crew would put the railroads in the same situation as Boeing now is in.
Bring back caboose's and three man crews for all trains over 6000 feet.
How to prepration train conductor job exam can you provide me study material ❤❤❤❤❤
there are no study guides out there due to too many variances between railroads and rules. I have videos that cover these topics
It is only temporary. Any future president can change it with their administration.
Let 'em be p____d. This isn't pre-Staggers when the industry as a whole was about to lose out to truckers. This is a new era where people want more rail service to try and reduce road traffic and carbon emissions plus reap the benefits of better efficiency in transportation over long distances. Railroads are raking it in right now and are more interested in serving their investors over customers and employees. It's about time they get raked over the coals by the FRA, STB, and eventually Congress for all the shenaniganry they've been trying to pull since Hunter Harrison put PSR in effect at CSX. I love the railroads and trains in general but I'm disappointed and disturbed by the decisions on the part of management that are obviously driven by cost-cutting rather than safety and quality service.
Now I get that what the industry is really scared of is self-driving trucks taking all their business because shippers wouldn't have to pay truck drivers which would make road haul theoretically more cost-effective over rail transport, but that's only theoretical and the railroads cannot reasonably cut crews down even further and expect things to work out well. They're only looking at numbers, not what's behind those numbers and refusing to factor in that life is not a vacuum. Things go wrong, equipment breaks down, there will be glitches in some system somewhere that "no one could have possibly accounted for" because they couldn't quantify it in data.
I guess if they go to a one man crew, the engineer will be told it is OK to stop the train when nature calls and they have to use the potty. That would make a interesting conversation with the dispatcher, letting him know why you are stopping and you will let him know when you are done. Of course they could put dual controls in the 'room' , so they can drive and dump at the same time.
FRA Lowers the Boom and Railroads are Pissed because this time, Greed for the Class I Railroad Bean Counters and Shareholders, have LOST. YEA! 🤪👎
What will the Supreme Court rule on this ?
right now there are 4 suits being filed in separate districts trying to get an favorable ruling before it goes to sc
unrelated to the video but, do you live in a 5th wheel?
Ya he does.. He's a railroad chaser.. Or Boomer some people call it...
I like to be a rail car unloader for bnsf
Ill write my congress and senate representatives.
Very interesting. Thank you!
I am happy that pass this law John not mentioned 1 man crews could be dangerous looking long trains from bnsf and union pacifc many other railroads what was your opinion on one man crews when get my drivers license should hire at the railroad so can get in the field do you think John would safe run locals one preson I don't agree with 1 man it's bad idea could be hell on earth
This all just sounds like another pitiful attempt by the railroads to save money I mean think about it WHY would you put one man on a 100+ car train and that train encounters a defect in the middle of nowhere such as a broken knuckle, a bad wheel journal or worse, a derailment? What the railroads are proposing by having only one man (or woman) on a train is not only unsafe, but is also downright stupid, which is why I'm glad that the FRA is finally able to step in and regulate this.
They will send a utility in a vehicle and they will get as close as they can…pack up a knuckle wrenches and a hose in a bag..and hike 20 miles to access the train
But the fra can personally fine you!!😮
Until Wall Street is regulated out of the equation, you are just tooten' in the breeze.
It seems that this is yet another example of bean-counters being clueless about the intricacies of operations. We do not have one man crew in an airline cockpit for the same reason that we should not have one in a locomotive. At the utmost, a one man crew could only make sense if all trains in a given territory are limited to, say, 10 cars, and operate at restricted speed. 2024/04/19. Ontario, Canada.
Until congress aproves the rule it still hasn't been set in stone so don't hold your breath
Jon,the regulation due big part lac megantic wreck yes,washington did a tour about town lac megantic quebec this was one man crew and over-work.they blame locomotive eng. The owner was ex- wisconsin central sold to cn he was by small cause wreck due sloopy maintenance in town railroad track.quebec north shore & labrador railroad own by rio tinto got one crew because corruption transport canada.they refuse investigate the quebec gov't because they slow respond so they did own they piss lots people ottawa too bad.look hunter harrison with spudid thing he did,he left calgary cprail happy for wallstreet but rest is mess.look after csx near same.thanks video
Opinions are Like Butt*****, Everyone has One. Everyone is Entitled to their Opinion, NO Matter how Minuscule their Opinion is. Please Ignore the Stupid Comments🤪👎
As a retired US Locomotive Engineer now running high-speed trains in China, I am so glad that my friends on the railroads in the US have won a battle. Now it's time to win the war.
Gotdam son. Explain the regulation to us,, civilians 😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅
Common sense its s safety issue.
PTC doesn’t have judgment……yet.😅
If it’s not law it’ll change!
Have they ever heard of a pull apart!????
Years ago rail roads had 5 person crews slowly the company bribed and took away one man at a time . Now you guys are thinking you won having a 2 man crew .safety first !!! But time is of the essence !!! B.s.been there .yes a yard master said that .i worked with so many miserable people on rail road old timers most of them wouldnt tell ypu anything to help the new guy .if you want a life outside of rail road its not for you ! They own you 24 hrs.7 days a week ,i didnt have days off back then unless you called out sick no pay by the way .finally we got a day off on a tuesday for me ,always worked weekends always tired ,worked 7 to 3 in daytime put my head on pillow at 11pm get called out for 1 am for 12 hr shift plus travel no extra pay .some jobs were ok if you caught an engine changer job one yard to another for 12 or more hrs including dead heading back .its dangerous too one guy had both legs and his arm cut off ..old conrail phila.div.pa. j.f***