WASHINGTON, DC — Five railroads recently applied for special permission to exempt their trains from the mandatory Positive Train Control (PTC) safety technology. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) rejected their request in part due to objections from unions.
Greg Hynes, SMART-TD’s national legislative director, explains, “Our opposition was based on a commitment to protect our members and the public from the risks associated with operating trains without PTC.”
Class I carriers BNSF and Norfolk Southern, as well as passenger carriers South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, Caltrain and New Mexico Rail Runner Express, requested the exemptions. Railroads often request exemptions from important regulations that protect the communities they travel through but that can affect their operating costs. In this case, the cost of keeping critical safety technology in good working order is at stake. Postponing this maintenance is one way to save money.
Waivers like these are a strategy by railroads to undermine regulations they find burdensome, despite the positive impact the regulations have on public and worker safety. Carriers often prioritize production over safety as they seek to increase train speeds without the PTC’s vital safety mandate.
“FRA’s denial of this waiver request is a victory for rail safety and underscores the importance of following established safety protocols,” Hynes said.
Jared Cassity, SMART-TD’s deputy legislative director, added, “SMART-TD will continue to be a vigilant watchdog in the FRA public hearing process. We are committed to ensuring that safety regulations are not violated and that our members work in environments where safety is non-negotiable.”
SMART-TD, along with the Brotherhood of Railway Signalmen (BRS), the Transportation Trades Department (TTD) of the AFL-CIO, and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE), opposed the motion.
SMART-TD is closely following FRA’s public hearing process as part of the union’s unwavering commitment to rail safety. Our members are the most at risk, which is why we continually advocate for regulations that prioritize the well-being of rail workers, the safety of rail operations, and the communities we serve.
The railroads’ waiver was reviewed under FRA file numbers FRA-2010-0039, FRA-2010-0045, FRA-2010-0051, FRA-2010-0056 and FRA-2010-0060.
SMART-TD is the transportation division of the Sheet Metal, Aviation, Railroad and Transportation Workers Union. The union is the largest railroad union in the United States and represents several operating trades.
