In May 2015, an Amtrak passenger train derailed outside Philadelphia, killing eight people and injuring more than 200. \u00a0The cause is still a mystery. The train was going too fast around a curve, but, according to recent news reports, federal investigators have not figured out why.<\/p>\n
Another accident occurred outside Philadelphia on April 3 of this year, killing two people and injuring more than 30.<\/p>\n
Two Amtrak routes run through New Mexico. The Southwest Chief runs between Los Angeles and Chicago, with stops in Raton, Las Vegas, Lamy (outside Santa Fe), Albuquerque and Gallup.\u00a0 The Sunset Limited runs between Los Angeles and New Orleans, stopping in Deming and Lordsburg.<\/p>\n
The state is crossed by several freight routes.\u00a0 Freight trains can carry just about anything, including the most hazardous chemicals, with long lines of container cars moving faster than 100 miles an hour.<\/p>\n
Once in a while, a train derails with disastrous consequences. In 2013, a freight train carrying petroleum derailed in Quebec, leading to a fire that left 47 people dead.<\/p>\n
So you might think it would be dangerous to allow a train to be operated by just one person, the engineer alone in the cab.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s what I think, and I\u2019m not alone.\u00a0 There\u2019s even a Facebook page called Spouses and Families Against One Man Crews.<\/p>\n
Legislation was introduced in Colorado this year to ban one-man crews for trains traveling through that state.\u00a0 The bill passed the House but not the Senate. According to the sponsor, Rep. Daneya Esgar (D. — Pueblo), 25 states have introduced similar bills and three have enacted them.<\/p>\n
States have acted, Esgar said, because the Federal Railroad Administration had delayed adopting a rule requiring two-person crews. That rule has now been drafted and was released in March for public comment.<\/p>\n
After last year\u2019s Philadelphia accident, we heard about a new technology called Positive Train Control (PTC) that can stop a train if the engineer loses control.\u00a0 That\u2019s good, but safety systems are supposed to be redundant \u2013 that is, more than one backup method.\u00a0 The simplest old-fashioned backup plan is a second human being.<\/p>\n
Commercial airliners have a pilot and copilot in addition to all the automation that can fly the plane if needed.\u00a0 Why not trains?<\/p>\n
Esgar wrote to me:\u00a0 \u201cI can bet that\u00a0every day, there is a freight train running through each of our districts. Some are carrying\u00a0coal, chlorine or oil,\u00a0some are carrying hazardous waste \u2026 through our towns,\u00a0alongside\u00a0houses, some even near\u00a0schools. Having two sets of eyes on the train at all times, keeps Coloradoans safe from potentially hazardous or even fatal accidents in our state.\u201d<\/p>\n
In New Mexico, our only recent fatalities have been on the Railrunner, the commuter line between Belen and Santa Fe.\u00a0 These accidents have all involved people or automobiles on the tracks, too close to allow the train to stop in time.\u00a0 They represent a different safety issue.<\/p>\n
The engineer is alone in the cab on Railrunner trains, says spokesperson\u00a0 Augusta Meyers.\u00a0 They use a system of \u201calerter\u201d buttons.\u00a0\u00a0 At higher speeds, the engineer hears a beep every 25 seconds and has to push a button to show he\u2019s alert.\u00a0 If he doesn\u2019t, the train will slow itself down and stop.\u00a0 At slower speeds, the alerter beeps every two minutes.<\/p>\n
News reports say the commuter train that derailed in New York in 2013, killing four, did not have that system.\u00a0 The engineer fell asleep.<\/p>\n
The cost of one more crew member is trivial compared to the human and financial cost of a rail disaster.\u00a0 Beepers are not enough.\u00a0 Let\u2019s have a second crew member in the cab of every train.<\/p>\n
To \u00a0comment on the proposed federal rule, go to \u00a0https:\/\/www.regulations.gov<\/a> and enter FRA-2014-0033 in the search box.\u00a0 The public comment period is open until May 16.<\/p>\n Triple Spaced Again, \u00a9 New Mexico News Services 2016<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In May 2015, an Amtrak passenger train derailed outside Philadelphia, killing eight people and injuring more than 200. \u00a0The cause is still a mystery. The train was going too fast around a curve, but, according to recent news reports, federal … Continue reading