Kansas Governor Laura Kelly implemented an administrative rule on October 11, which mandates two-person train crews. Gov. Kelly told the Associated Press that two-person crews “will protect workers from the effects of fatigue, prevent train derailments, and reduce risks in the many Kansas communities along our railroad tracks.” 
Brother Brandon Nunnenkamp, Chairman of the BLET’s Kansas State Legislative Board, said: “I would like to thank Governor Kelly for her support of rail safety in Kansas. Governor Kelly understands the importance of having two person crews operating trains throughout Kansas. This is not only for the safety of the crew members operating these trains, but for the Kansas residents and the communities we operate through.” Kansas becomes the 10th state to implement a crew-size law. The others are Ohio, California, Wisconsin, Arizona, West Virginia, Minnesota, Washington, Nevada, and Colorado. Governor Kelly implemented the Kansas two-person crew law over objections from the railroad industry. However, states have become impatient with a lack of a federal law or regulation on the issue. Both the Kansas two-person crew law and the one passed in Ohio earlier this year came after the massive chemical release and fire in East Palestine, Ohio. In that case, multiple crew members in the locomotive cab were able to work together and move flammable tank cars away from the derailment scene, proactively reducing the severity of the disaster. Read more from the Associated Press.
Kansas becomes 10th state with two-person crew law
