(Television station News 24 Houston posted the following story by David Garlick on its website on April 6. A video is available for download at: http://www.news24houston.com/content/headlines/?ArID=26726&SecID=2)
HOUSTON — Recently, new technology has allowed for remote controlled trains, and that brings with it a whole new set of issues. And with terrorism foremost in our minds, many of those issues concern safety.
Spring is where a group of Teamsters against the remote trains is stationed. They say the next time you see a train passing by, you may want to think, “Is there an engineer aboard?”
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen, a Division of the Teamsters, calls it a safety issue.
At Tuesday’s “pop off” session before city council, two union leaders will speak out in support of a city initiative to oppose the use of the remote controlled trains in Houston.
Harris County has already passed a similar measure.
“Our concern is for the citizens in and around the rail yards, and the children more importantly,” said BLE & T Women’s Auxiliary’s Kathy Yambra. “We have schools that are in close proximity to these railroad tracks where remote controls are being implemented.”
Yambra’s group wants to have the Federal Railroad Administration to set up rules and regulations that the railroad companies have to abide by for the safety of citizens of the city, including the children.