CLEVELAND, March 7 — Locomotive Engineers throughout the United States and Canada will converge on Washington, D.C. on March 11 to draw attention to potential disasters in waiting — unmanned locomotives.
The engineers will gather outside of the Federal Railroad Administration’s headquarters (1120 Vermont St. N.W.) at 1 p.m. to rally for improved federal safety regulations to govern the operation of unmanned, remote control trains.
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers first asked the FRA to create enforceable federal regulations for remote control trains more than two years ago. To date, no such regulations have been issued in spite of at least one death, two amputations, and numerous other accidents involving the use of remote control.
The nation’s major freight railroads have continued with their plan to implement remote control operations throughout the United States in spite of FBI warnings of possible terrorist attacks on freight and passenger trains. Because freight railroads are major shippers of deadly chemicals and hazardous materials, including nuclear waste, the BLE believes it is imperative that the public be made aware of the potential safety problems associated with the implementation of remote control operations.
At least nine U.S. cities have joined the BLE in its campaign for improved safety of remote control operations. Five cities have passed resolutions calling for a ban on remote control trains until safety regulations are improved, while three others have specifically asked the FRA to issue improved, enforceable regulations regarding the new technology.
Featured speakers at Tuesday’s rally include:
— Don M. Hahs, International President, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
— James P. Hoffa, General President, International Brotherhood of Teamsters
— Richard L. Trumka, Secretary-Treasurer, AFL-CIO
— Edward Wytkind, Executive Director, AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department
For more information about remote control trains, visit:
http://www.ble.org/remotecontrol