The debate over the two person train crew is over, with the FRA having passed new rules mandating two person train crews. The issue had been under debate for over a decade, with railroads maintaining trains can operate safely with just one crew member, and had come under renewed scrutiny following the Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
After said derailment, several states passed laws mandating two person crews and an attempt was made to pass a rail regulation bill in Congress but it failed. The new rules now mandate most trains have two crew members, although they both don’t necessarily have to be in the cab.
In a press release announcing the new rules, US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said “Common sense tells us that large freight trains, some of which can be over three miles long, should have at least two crew members on board – and now there’s a federal regulation in place to ensure trains are safely staffed. This rule requiring safe train crew sizes is long overdue, and we are proud to deliver this change that will make workers, passengers, and communities safer.”
The Association of American Railroads was critical of the new rules, with President and CEO Ian Jeffries saying in a statement “FRA is doubling down on an unfounded and unnecessary regulation that has no proven connection to rail safety. Instead of prioritizing data-backed solutions to build a safer future for rail, FRA is looking to the past and upending the collective bargaining process.”
Some one person operations, such as those found on some short lines, can continue according to the ruling.