COLUMBUS, Ohio –State Senator Bob Hagan (D-Youngstown) today called the use of remote control locomotive devices “unsafe and unproven.” The statement comes in light of a recent trend among railroad companies to use remote control devices to operate locomotives.
Senator Hagan, a who is a locomotive engineer and a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE), has proposed legislation to prohibit the use of the remote controlled devices in Ohio and allow fines to be levied against companies that break the proposed law.
“It’s obvious to many of us in the railroad community that we’re jeopardizing the public’s safety by using remote control devices,” Senator Hagan said. “Locomotive engineers receive months of training both in the classroom and in the field before they are certified to operate a locomotive. Workers that are operating a locomotive using a remote control devise in lieu of an on-board engineer receive no more than one week of training. This is a recipe for disaster.”
Senator Hagan’s proposed legislation would fine railroad companies no less than $10,000 if they are found using remote control devices instead of locomotive engineers. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) could be charged with enforcing the proposed law.
“It’s arrogant for railroad companies to put profit ahead of safety or loyalty to their workers,” Senator Hagan said. “Using remote control devices may save the company a little money now, but at what price to public safety?”