(The Quad City Times posted the following article by Kay Luna on its website on May 27. William C. Peart is a member of BLE Division 125 in Clinton, Iowa.)
CLINTON, Iowa — One year from now, Clinton’s Union Pacific Railroad switchyard is expected to introduce remote-controlled train engineering on its property.
The idea concerns William Peart of Clinton, a 25-year locomotive engineer with Union Pacific, who spoke Tuesday night to the City Council about the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers’ union stance against this technology.
Peart said he worries that unmanned trains run by transmitters, instead of people, could cause accidents that lead to hazardous spills, deaths or even acts of terrorism.
“There are no strict rules and regulations mandated for remote-controlled trains,” he said.
Peart’s union had hoped the council would consider passing a resolution to bar the use of this system within Clinton s city limits, as other municipalities have done across the country.
However, several council members said they do not believe the city knows enough about the system’s safety features to take action, or the jurisdiction to take legally binding action against Union Pacific.
Instead, they urged Peart and his union colleague from Kansas to contact state and federal lawmakers about their concerns.
“We need to slow down and see a lot more information before we do anything,” council member Bev Hermann said.
Union Pacific representatives said in letters faxed to the council that this system will not be used by over-the-road trains in Clinton. Instead, it will be confined to the rail switchyard. The Federal Railroad Administration has issued safety guidelines for the use of this Portable Locomotive Control Technology, and Union Pacific officials believe the system is safe.
Canadian switchyards have used the system 10 years, said Michael Payette, assistant vice president of government affairs for Union Pacific’s Central Region.
“The number of accidents in those yards have declined significantly,” he said. “The technology has been used in U.S. switchyards for 12-18 months and the same improved safety statistics are emerging. ”
He said in a letter to Clinton leaders that the union’s objection to the technology stems from a disagreement with another railroad union, the United Transportation Union. Peart said he is concerned most about keeping people safe.
Several council members said they also are concerned about losing good-paying jobs to remote-controlled train switches.
“I just think this goes beyond our actual jurisdiction,” council member Ron Mallicoat said.
Council member Bob Soesbe adamantly disagreed. He said businesses are regulated by government all the time, and he believes Clinton should take a stand for safety s sake.
“It’s part of our job to protect the citizens of Clinton, Iowa,” he said. “I’m convinced this could be a very dangerous thing. It could be a disastrous thing. “