(The following article appeared on the East Oregonian website on December 23.)
HERMISTON, Ore. — The city wants its congressional delegation to help battle Union Pacific’s plan to run remote-controlled trains through town.
City Manager Ed Brookshier said Friday he intends to contact the offices of Sen. Gordon Smith and Rep. Greg Walden.
“I’m positive we’re going to have to get help,” he said.
Larry Bartee of Pendleton, Smith’s local liaison, attended a meeting Dec. 14 between city and railroad officials. The City Council’s resolution in November to ban remote-control operations prompted the meeting, which railroad officials requested.
Brookshier said two railroad directors came to Hermiston Dec. 14 to persuade him and others remote-control operations are safe. He isn’t convinced, even though employees on board the trains conduct all “remote” operations.
“The technology for remote-control locomotives as of right now – today – is designed with the thought that they be operated in a rail yard or an industrial area, not in highly populated residential areas,” he said.
Industry regulations and training aren’t geared to municipal operations, either, he added.
“The question is, how can you begin to operate a device that wasn’t intended for that type of operation, and over which no one has developed a set of regulations for how you do it – if you do it,” Brookshier said.
Union Pacific’s north-south tracks through Hermiston cross eight streets, just three of which have crossing barriers, Hermiston, Orchard and Elm avenues.
“The most troubling crossing for me is the Highland crossing,” he said.
Recent traffic counts on West Highland Avenue show the street carries an average of 7,700 vehicles every 24 hours.
“That’s a very large volume of traffic,” he said. “That, coupled with the fact that it is a major pedestrian crossing and a major school bus crossing.”
The Highland Avenue crossing is about a block from Hermiston High School and is a route for students who attend West Park Elementary School.
Union Pacific operates trains on the “Umatilla turn,” the route through Hermiston from Hinkle to the Port of Umatilla, between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. five days a week, said Mark Davis, a railroad spokesman in Omaha. Each train has about 12 cars.
Railroad officials have completed their review of remote-control locomotive operations through Hermiston and have submitted a training plan to the Federal Railroad Administration, he said.
“We will continue to attempt to educate local officials about this proven technology,” Davis said. “The next step for us in the planning phases is to begin to look at a supervised operation test of the technology.”
That means remote-control supervisors would work with the locomotive operators to ensure everyone is comfortable with the equipment.
“We know that the technology is proven,” he said. “We know that it operates safely. It’s just when we begin to operate this technology in new territories, it’s not uncommon to have one or two training supervisors accompany the employee.”
Canadian railroad officials developed the remote-control locomotive technology. Davis said Union Pacific has been using it for several years. Railroad officials believe remote operations improve safety and increase operating efficiencies. But that doesn’t mean the railroad is putting locomotive engineers out of work.
“The engineers that no longer operate these locomotives in rail yards are much needed to operate road locomotives,” he said. “We still need engineers to operate trains.”
Regardless of whether Union Pacific operates a train by remote control or with a full crew, Davis said drivers need to heed train warnings and pedestrians should stay away from the tracks when trains are passing
“It’s the driver’s choice to get into the path of an oncoming train,” he said.
Mayor Bob Severson remains concerned about community safety because the railroad hauls anhydrous ammonia along the route.
“I just don’t feel comfortable with somebody running a train with remote control,” he said. “I just hope we can work something out so that won’t be happening.”