Western Railroad Discussion > UP To Install Inward-Facing Cameras

The future is here...and it ain't looking pretty. From UPOnline today.


Next Step to Prevent Catastrophic Incidents
UP to Begin Installing In-Cab Cameras
August 21, 2013 | 03:38 p.m. CDT

After careful consideration, Union Pacific has decided to begin installing in-cab cameras aboard its locomotives later this year.

"Installing inward-facing cameras in locomotive cabs is another step in Union Pacific's commitment to employee and public safety," said Bob Grimaila, vice president-Safety, Security and Environment. "Safety is our top priority and a way of life that all of us support. Reducing injuries and eliminating fatalities depends on constantly integrating evolving processes, innovations, technologies and equipment."

The inward-facing cameras will join the locomotive fleet's external-facing cameras, called Track Image Recorders (TIR), which since 2005 have been providing images of track, crossings and signals directly in front of locomotives. The video is used in conjunction with the locomotives' Event Recorder data, which includes train speed, throttle and brake settings, traction power levels and horn use.

Through the years, the TIR/Event Recorder data has validated the professionalism of train crews – the vast majority of whom want to do everything possible in the cab to stay safe – and the same results are expected from inward-facing cameras.

It was a 2008 head-on collision between a Metrolink commuter train and a UP train in Chatsworth, Calif., that caused 25 fatalities and prompted the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to call for installing inward- and outward-facing cameras.

Combining inward-facing camera recordings with TIR/Event Recorder data is another step toward preventing the most catastrophic of incidents, such as last year's head-to-head collision in Goodwell, Okla., that claimed the lives of three UP train crew members.

It was a 2008 head-on collision between a Metrolink commuter train and a UP train in Chatsworth, Calif., that caused 25 fatalities and prompted the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to call for installing inward- and outward-facing cameras.

UP joins the Kansas City Southern Railroad and Metrolink in equipping locomotive cabs with inward-facing cameras, to verify train crews act in accordance with safety rules and operating procedures.

Pro-active performance sampling of video can increase understanding of crew behaviors, so training and coaching can be improved. Sampling will be data-driven and in accordance with the Federal Railroad Administration's Risk Reduction Program. The data prompts will include train handling exceptions, emergency air applications, train separations, red signal violations and speeding.

Use of video technology to ensure safety, security and situational awareness is expanding in public places, government facilities and businesses. The rail industry reflects this worldwide trend, with cameras used in yardmaster towers, tunnels, shops, office buildings, crew vans, border locations and remote control locomotive (RCL) crossings.

Recording cameras will not have any view into private spaces, such as restrooms. The cameras have audio recording capability; however, Union Pacific has no plans at this time to record audio.

More than 5,000 locomotives in UP's fleet will be equipped with inward-facing cab cameras. Of that total, 200 will be installed in the last two months of 2013, with about 4,300 in 2014-15, and another 600 in 2016, concluding in early fall. More information will be shared as it becomes available.

Where will the line be drawn? They already know EVERYTHING that we do with TIR and data recordings in the cab. Now they want to watch me pick my nose. This one may cost my career. I will stick tape over the camera every time, I wont tolerate it. If it costs me my job, so be it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/21/13 14:57 by HogheadMike.

My only comment right now is "There goes the neighborhood."

War on Terror? No.

The War on Freedom--that's what it really is-- has now come to locomotive cabs of law abiding employees and citizens. We don't trust you--thus, we need to film you.

Another way to look at this is---it might assist a crew in being evidence that helps them as opposed to being viewed as --snoopy

I always say if you are doing your job as required--what do you care if they record it---it is there assets they are protecting which includes the crew.

Dale Smith

With UP installing inward facing camera's I would expect BNSF to do the same soon.


Allen

coach Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> War on Terror? No.
>
> The War on Freedom--that's what it really is-- has
> now come to locomotive cabs of law abiding
> employees and citizens. We don't trust you--thus,
> we need to film you.

it has to do with being able to warn a crew that is sleeping on-duty while the train is in motion so that there is not another tragic wreck. true, they may get disciplined, but at least they would go home to their families....

66

As ugly as I am, I'm so glad I,m retired!

goneon66 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> it has to do with being able to warn a crew that
> is sleeping on-duty while the train is in motion

How? Is someone going to be monitoring every single camera on every single train? This is only for finger pointing after the fact. This will not prevent even one accident.

imrl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> goneon66 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> > it has to do with being able to warn a crew
> that
> > is sleeping on-duty while the train is in
> motion
>
> How?

because when somebody sees the crew members sleeping on a moving train, they can make attempts to wake them up.

> Is someone going to be monitoring every
> single camera on every single train?

i have no idea how many people will be monitoring these camera feeds. if just one person does it and wakes somebody up mission accomplished.

> This is only
> for finger pointing after the fact. This will not
> prevent even one accident.

immediately, i can think of 3 fatal wrecks that possibly could have been prevented IF somebody had seen the crew members sleeping in the cabs and made attempts to wake them. nice try.....

66

imrl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> goneon66 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> > it has to do with being able to warn a crew
> that
> > is sleeping on-duty while the train is in
> motion
>
> How? Is someone going to be monitoring every
> single camera on every single train? This is only
> for finger pointing after the fact. This will not
> prevent even one accident.

Won't be real-time monitoring. It will be recordings, erased continually so that only the last minutes before something bad happens are kept, after the bad thing happens. Like aircraft black boxes. If that's not the case I would be surprised. Shouldn't be anything to worry about. And yes, it could prevent an accident by learning what caused a previous one.

Mark
Austin

goneon66 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> it has to do with being able to warn a crew that
> is sleeping on-duty while the train is in motion
> so that there is not another tragic wreck. true,
> they may get disciplined, but at least they would
> go home to their families....

I thought that's what the alerters were for? Damned things go off every 30 seconds when I'm on a train, so I don't get what the problem is. Oh yeah, UP is being "proactive." Of course...why didn't I think of that...:(

Safety first, right, UP? I hope Mr Grimilla has a camera in his office keeping an eye on him all day long. Never know when he might have an accident and spill coffee on himself or trip over himself while walking to the break room.

What a total farce this is! No such thing as common sense anymore, and not just on the railroads.

markmcal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Won't be real-time monitoring. It will be
> recordings, erased continually so that only the
> last minutes before something bad happens are
> kept, after the bad thing happens. Like aircraft
> black boxes. If that's not the case I would be
> surprised. Shouldn't be anything to worry about.
> And yes, it could prevent an accident by learning
> what caused a previous one.

I sure hope you're right on that...

goneon66 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> immediately, i can think of 3 fatal wrecks that
> possibly could have been prevented IF somebody had
> seen the crew members sleeping in the cabs and
> made attempts to wake them. nice try.....

Ok then Mr. Company official, tell us how you exactly plan to take care of the obvious fatigue issue that has plagued this industry for years?

markmcal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> imrl Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > goneon66 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > >
> > > it has to do with being able to warn a crew
> > that
> > > is sleeping on-duty while the train is in
> > motion
> >
> > How? Is someone going to be monitoring every
> > single camera on every single train? This is
> only
> > for finger pointing after the fact. This will
> not
> > prevent even one accident.
>
> Won't be real-time monitoring. It will be
> recordings, erased continually so that only the
> last minutes before something bad happens are
> kept, after the bad thing happens. Like aircraft
> black boxes. If that's not the case I would be
> surprised. Shouldn't be anything to worry about.

so, do u actually know IF this will in fact NOT be real-time monitoring?

> And yes, it could prevent an accident by learning
> what caused a previous one.
>
> Mark
> Austin

what's to learn? having worked the road, i have a pretty good idea what has caused some fatal accidents.....

66

This seems way too Orwellian to me. Glad I ran trains back in "The Good Old Days" in the '80's and '90's... === === = === JLH

Don't blame the railroad - blame the lawyers and the people who sue after every incident...
When I was what is now a 911 dispatcher back in the 50s and 60s, every word I said was taped. Saved my butt more than once...

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

goneon66 Wrote:
>
> so, do u actually know IF this will in fact NOT be
> real-time monitoring?
>

It's not going to be real-time. Video takes a large amount of bandwidth, and any network that could send live images back to headquarters reliably from the vast number of track miles would be extremely costly. UP isn't going to launch a fleet of low-earth orbit satellites to watch train crews with. The shareholders wouldn't stand for it.

Milw_E70 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> goneon66 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > immediately, i can think of 3 fatal wrecks that
> > possibly could have been prevented IF somebody
> had
> > seen the crew members sleeping in the cabs and
> > made attempts to wake them. nice try.....
>
> Ok then Mr. Company official.

never been a company official. just an ex-rail that saw a lot of things out there.

> tell us how you
> exactly plan to take care of the obvious fatigue
> issue that has plagued this industry for years?

i never said i had a cure for the "obvious fatigue issue" that we all know goes on out there. read what i said above. pretty easy concept to grasp......

66

Well folks they can as long as they post a notice that they taping the activity. Its generally done in other work places, just look around. Is this wrong no, just depends on how they implement the new policy.

Peter