The two-person crew regulation is of vital importance to rail safety. Photo by Cory Rusch, BLET Division 659
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Last year, U.S. Rep. Eric Burlison, a Republican from Missouri, introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that sought to overturn the Federal Railroad Administration’s two-person crew regulation. The bill didn’t gain much traction, garnering only five co-sponsors.
This year, he’s trying again.
On September 5, Rep. Burlison’s office issued a press release indicating he was re-introducing the legislation in the 2025 Congressional session.
BLET National President Mark Wallace, in an article published at Trains.com, pointed out the flippant nature of the Congressman’s actions.
“This bill by Rep. Burlison is out of sync with the administration and members of Congress on both sides of the aisle,” Wallace said. “Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and David Fink, who has been nominated to serve as FRA administrator, both pledged to support the two-person crew regulation during Senate confirmation hearings. Vice President Vance, who introduced the Railway Safety Act, which contains language to mandate a minimum crew size, also reiterated his continued support for this important safety regulation during a press conference earlier this year.”
Trains.com also reached out to SMART-TD, which represents conductors, but the union did not respond to a request for comment.