Fight for Two Person Crews
Safety Above Profits
Why We Need Two Person Crews
About Our Campaign
Why is two person crew legislation needed?
Big railroad corporations are pushing to eliminate the second person in the cab of freight trains. These trains consist of hazmat and other dangerous materials. Despite the millions of dollars these companies make in profit, they are willing to risk the safety of your community and railroaders to make more. We are fighting to pass legislation to keep two people in the cab. This page is meant to spread information about why we need two in the cab and let you know how you can help. Please watch the below videos for more information.
Campaign Goals
How will this affect me?
There are currently two people on every freight train, an engineer and a conductor. An engineer is in charge of running the motors of a train. Conductors are in charge of throwing switches, picking up and setting out cars, inspecting brakes, knowing what is in each car and how each car can be shipped.
In the event of an accident, the conductor is often the first responder and has the ability to cut the train to allow emergency vehicles through a crossing. There have been incidents in which this has saved lives after accidents at crossings. It takes two people to cut a train.
Conductors and engineers have also been able to pull hazardous cars away from derailments in emergency situations. Having two sets of eyes can also prevent many of these accidents.
Having two people in the cab is common sense in air travel just as it should be common sense when shipping thousands of tons through your hometown.
Report Blocked Crossings
Another goal of corporate railroads is to eliminate crews by increasing the length of trains. Longer trains may mean fewer trains, but it also means a more dangerous railroad. Longer trains create more blocked crossings for longer times. Trains that were 1.5 miles long may now be over 3 miles long. This has increased fatalities due to blocked emergency vehicles and pedestrians attempting to cross through stopped trains which is extremely dangerous. Follow the link below to report a blocked crossing.