The QNSX has been running one man crews for years, quite successfully. The technology is is here. Is it error proof? Nope. But then again, the CN had an incident just a couple where a three man crew drove past a signal and head ended a two man crew. Humans error too.
With all due respect, and I admire the role short lines and regionals play, I feel it is disingenuous to compare said railroads to Class 1s. The similarity ends at the distance between the rails. Charlie
I respect your opininion on the fact that the QNSX is a different beast. They still run 2 mile long trains with one man. While they don't have the grade crosssings to deal with, they still have wildlife, rock slides, washouts and train maintenance issues just like any class 1. They are the only railroad I know of that has to issue track warrants to helicopters.
NOTHING is 100% guaranteed foolproof! I recall a crash on NJT in the late 80's or sometime in the 90's where a work train rear-ended a passenger train (near South Amboy, IIRC). The work train was traveling long-nose first and the conductor failed to inform the engineer on the other side of a red signal. The passenger train had a bunch of FRA inspectors aboard (oh-oh). A boating buddy of mine was eating TUMS by the handful - he was the engineer who designed the signals on that stretch, and if the investigation showed a signal failure, he'd be out of work. (IIRC, he came out OK.)
I'm pretty sure this one-man crew / Master Conductor program isn't going to pass. We in the train service have some strong opinions on how both BNSF and officials of SMART / UTU went about this plan and how underhanded it is. Thankfully, there are actually people within SMART / UTU that see what a terrible idea this whole thing is.. we'll see what happens.
I'll be very interested to see what happens, as our contract (UP) runs out next year and we're represented by the same union. I've read the agreement you guys will be voting on and unless I'm wrong, you'll get a $5,000 bonus for signing this contract? That alone makes me think it'll pass, if you guys are anything like most of the guys I work with. Sell their future out for a little money, very short-sighted. Also, nobody will involuntarily lose their job, and if they take a buyout, they'll get a hefty severance of $100K if I remember correctly? According to some of the higher ups at my railroad, within a few years the whole railroad will be either CTC/PTC or yard limits. One man crews may only start in a few territories, but you bet the railroad will expand it to the whole system as fast as they can. I can't imagine sitting alone on a train for hours waiting for a signal in the middle of the night with a camera watching you. That's nuts...
I'd fear some of those observations about short term gain vs long term risk may prove out. There's something in human nature all too often that keeps folks from seeing more than just a little down the road.
Apparently this was voted DOWN, as it should have been. Now to see what the UTU / SMART membership does..
One of our local chairmen said that the talks were done in private, with local union leadership. Not with any of the national level muckity mucks. One wonders why they would sell out their "constituents" in such a manner. Where I'm from, there would a lynchin' mob lookin' for these fellas. Once all the pre-1985 employees are retired/gone, the current Crew Consist agreements will then have expired. There will some heavy negotiating with all the major railroads about going to one-man crews where they can.
