Western Railroad Discussion > BNSF - One Person Crew

Most of the following is the usual corporate gibberish but the 2nd to last paragraph caught my attention from the BNSF CEO. BNSF has already joined the "PSR" fun with these 15k monster, merged trains and going to single person crews seems like a bad idea when they are already eliminating half the crews for PSR cost cutting. Obviously they aren't the only rail doing this either.

https://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2021/01/20-under-new-ceo-bnsf-seeks-to-maintain-bias-for-growth

Eventually the conductor will be replaced by a Doberman. The Doberman will be there to keep the engineer from taking control from the computer.

Another item about long trains that seems to be missed is the polution end of things less engines less carbon thats another slant on things. With the new deal coming for the next four years things are going to change big time getting into the eco agreements taxes for nothing.

The ironic thing about PTC is it was pushed by the unions for years. Its finally here and the rr's want to cut off a crew member because of it. Shows you better be careful what you wish for. By the way the safest thing that can be put in a cab is a good conductor to go with the engineer.

Sam          

The railroads invested a lot of time and money installing PTC. They will do everything they can to recoup those costs, and cutting employees is (sadly) where they will start.

So, I believe, or have heard anyway, that the idea is to have folks in trucks to respond to trains if something happens. How closely spaced together are these responders going to be? I'm thinking it's 3am, a sounding blizzard/pouring rain, -30, barely passable roads and a 15k foot train breaks a knuckle and is trying up the entire subdivision.
How close and how quick will someone be able to come out and fix it?

MNNRfan Wrote:
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> So, I believe, or have heard anyway, that the idea
> is to have folks in trucks to respond to trains if
> something happens. How closely spaced together are
> these responders going to be? I'm thinking it's
> 3am, a sounding blizzard/pouring rain, -30, barely
> passable roads and a 15k foot train breaks a
> knuckle and is trying up the entire subdivision.
> How close and how quick will someone be able to
> come out and fix it?

Do a search for "Rapid Responder".

PHall Wrote:
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> Do a search for "Rapid Responder".

Quite popular at Tehachapi. On UP's Sunset Route, they usually aren't call that. Carmen, "UP mechanical" are what I've heard and seen.

Would be interesting if the railroads have analyzed how cost effective they are? Ms. Farmer is boasting about less derailments this year, and the insinuation is "longer train = good." Eventually, that "data" will lead to the elimination of the Rapid Responders, based on corporate cost cutting logic we are seeing? 

DevalDragon Wrote:
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> The railroads invested a lot of time and money
> installing PTC. They will do everything they can
> to recoup those costs, and cutting employees is
> (sadly) where they will start.

Put another way, there is no way that the railroads would invest the time and money installing PSR without expected cost reductions, primarily headcount reduction.  The project would have to meet a minimum return on investment or they won't do it, period.

Yes Rapid Responders are quite popular on Tehachapi, hang out at the Flying J so they can close doors on Z trains. Usually one
on duty, really need 3 and last and certainly not least, not a job for the faint at heart.

Out 

And a PS - Look for the Biden Congress to legislate 2 man crews on most Class 1 lines



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/21/21 11:20 by callum_out.

MNNRfan Wrote:
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> How close and how quick will someone be able to
> come out and fix it?

Some time before tomorrow's train?

TAW

DevalDragon Wrote:
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> The railroads invested a lot of time and money
> installing PTC. They will do everything they can
> to recoup those costs, and cutting employees is
> (sadly) where they will start.

PTC was government-mandated, not a conspiracy by railroad management to eliminate jobs. We already had discussions on the injustice of other transportation modes getting government money for safety improvements, while the railroads didn't. Their wanting to eliminate conductors is their reactive "thinking outside the box" in the name of greed. There will be other "new" technologies that will give them more excuses to oppress you guys.

BNSF also wants to negotiate the use of one-person crews on lines protected by PTC, Farmer says.

Unions should cynically play Wall Street's "future earnings" playbook on this one. Forecast how many jobs will be lost, then ask up front for pay raises/retirement increases to compensate for the "future" job losses. Management shouldn't whine about "increased" costs, since "long term savings" will be realized once the employees are gone for good, right? If they are worried about cash, issue stock options/grants to the employees. For BNSF employees, that would be BRKB shares. :-)

Why is it corporate greed when cthe rail companies seek to control their costs, but it is not greed when employees seek to maximize their pay and benefits?
Just asking for a friend.

Norm

Norman Orfall
Helendale, CA
TIOGA PASS, a private railcar

aronco Wrote:
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> Why is it corporate greed when cthe rail companies
> seek to control their costs, but it is not greed
> when employees seek to maximize their pay and
> benefits?
> Just asking for a friend.
>
> Norm

There's nothing wrong with mutual greed, right? To stay on topic on this thread, PTC is supposed to improve safety. I don't recall "eliminating the conductor" in any of the NTSB reports promoting PTC?

Railroads should be lobbying harder to recoup the cost of meeting the mandate, instead of pandering to Wall St.?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/21/21 11:54 by cchan006.

When you consider number of billions of $ the railroads were mandated to spend they should be pounding congress  to pick up part of the TAB, not all but, part of it.

And as we speak one of UP's fine, well powered monstrosities is stalled at Cliff on the Tehachapi line.

Out 

I believe with Biden getting elected, I believe that two man crew will continue.  They wil have to try again when thd Republicans take back over in 2024!

RC Lundgren

2022 has 34 senators and 435 representatives up for the vote. Enough to take both houses.

Campaigns in some places started 60 days ago...

Posted from Android

callum_out Wrote:
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> And as we speak one of UP's fine, well powered
> monstrosities is stalled at Cliff on the Tehachapi
> line.
>
> Out 

any symbol or train info (length, lds/mtys) available?

thanks for any info.......

66

Just the other day someone on here told me to give her time and she will be different. I had been talking about low moral and a beaten down workforce. Do I need to give her more time? Don't see this helping the mood with the boots. She is proving to be no different then anyone else.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/21/21 17:42 by Pacific5th.