TUCSON, Ariz. — Union Pacific Railroad has agreed to pay a fine to settle charges that it violated state railroad regulations by operating trains with only one engineer at the controls, the Arizona Daily Star reported.
Under a settlement approved Tuesday by the Arizona Corporation Commission, Union Pacific agreed to pay the state $5,500 and keep locomotives under the control of dual operators in Arizona.
Inspectors of the commission’s Railroad Safety Section found lone Union Pacific workers had operated trains over relatively short distances on three occasions last summer.
One violation in June involved a lone operator during a 7-mile run near Mescal, about 20 miles east of Tucson. Two instances in August involved one train operated over a 20-mile stretch near Wellton, east of Yuma, and another on a 7-mile run near Nogales, the commission alleged.
In addition to paying the penalties, Union Pacific agreed to send all of its Arizona operating workers a notice of the two-engineer requirement and post the notice in its facilities.
Union Pacific spokesman Mike Furtney noted that the company admitted no wrongdoing but declined to elaborate on the matter.
The Corporation Commission requires two locomotive operators for safety reasons, in case one operator becomes incapacitated. Single operators are allowed to move cars for switching, inspection and maintenance purposes.