Railroad’s plan to test idea to cut train crews is put on hold

Union Pacific’s latest attempt to move toward cutting its train crews down to one person remains on hold.

That’s because of the longstanding safety concerns of the union that represents conductors.

The railroad had wanted to start a pilot project this year in western Nebraska to test out how quickly a conductor based in a truck could respond to train problems, compared to how fast the conductor aboard the train could address them.

But the conductors’ union refused to agree to it, because they believe the conductor plays a crucial safety role.

Union Pacific executives told the Federal Railroad Administration that their plan would help them determine how feasible cutting train crews is and might give the agency valuable information to consider as it weighs whether to require two-person crews.

One of the most striking examples of the benefit of having a conductor on board came during a fiery 2013 derailment near Casselton (ND), when the conductor helped separate undamaged tank cars filled with crude oil from the rest of the train, so they could be pulled away from the fire.

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AP