U.S. RAIL INDUSTRY DEFENDS SAFETY RECORD AS IT CUTS WORK FORCE

Even as railroads are operating longer and longer freight trains that sometimes stretch for miles, the companies have drastically reduced staffing levels, prompting unions to warn that moves meant to increase profits could endanger safety and even result in disasters, Josh Funk reported for the Associated Press (AP).

More than 22% of the jobs at railroads Union Pacific, CSX, and Norfolk Southern have been eliminated since 2017 when CSX implemented a cost-cutting system called Precision Scheduled Railroading that most other US railroads later copied.

BNSF, the largest US railroad and the only one that hasn’t expressly adopted that model, has still made staff cuts to improve efficiency and remain competitive.

The railroads acknowledge they have cut staff, lengthened trains and made other adjustments to reduce spending, but they are adamant none of the changes increase dangers.

Regulators at the Federal Railroad Administration say they are tracking the changes and that the data so far does not show the new operating model is unsafe. But unions counter that with the stakes so high any time a train derails, the new system is risky. “Every time the wheels come off the rail, it’s kind of like buying a lottery ticket to the big disaster,” said Jason Cox with the carmen division of the Transportation Communications Union.

Precision Scheduled Railroading calls for running fewer, longer trains with a mix of freight to reduce the number of crews and locomotives needed to deliver millions of tons of goods nationwide.

The railroads also operate their trains on more of a set schedule now, with fewer stops and pickups, and they have eliminated shorter less-profitable routes. By increasing the length of trains, railroads can reduce total trips, cut down on the number of engines and railcars needing maintenance, and manage with fewer employees. Some trains now stretch longer than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers).

Union Pacific said the average of its maximum train length has grown more than 30% to 9,250 feet, which is 1.75 miles (2.8 kilometers), since it started using the new operating model in 2018, and the railroad is expanding track sidings throughout its network to accommodate much longer trains.

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