Cameras in Locomotive Cabs

Railroad Workers United

Unity   !"Solidarity   !"Democracy

!The Rank and File in Action"#

P. O. Box 1053   Salem, IL 6288 206-984-3051

www.railroadworkersunited.org  info@railroadworkersunited.org

Railroad Workers United Resolution On Alternative

Technologies to Cameras in Locomotive Cabs

 

Whereas,the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in January 2010 made a recom-

mendation that inward facing cameras be used to constantly monitor train crew activities; and

Whereas,this recommendation by the NTSB is based on the NTSB's ongoing investigation

into the causes of the September 12, 2008, accident in Chatsworth, California involving a

Metrolink commuter train and a Union Pacific freight train; and

Whereas,this accident involved 25 fatalities and over 100 injuries; and

Whereas,the NTSB's ongoing investigation has unearthed preliminary information that the

engineer of the Metrolink commuter train was both sending and receiving multiple text mes-

sages while operating the train; and

Whereas,the NTSB has recommended that inward facing cameras with audio pick-up be

installed in the operating cab of all locomotives; and

Whereas,the NTSB has further recommended that railroad carriers be required to "regularly

review and use in-cab audio and image recordings (with appropriate limitations on public

release), in conjunction with other performance data, to verify that train crew actions are in

accordance with rules and procedures that are essential to safety;"

Therefore Be It Resolved,that Railroad Workers United (RWU) acknowledges that the use of

wireless devices -- including cell phones -- is, in fact, a distraction from the safe operation of

locomotives and trains; and 

Be It Further Resolved,that RWU supports an alternative to the highly intrusive video and

audio monitoring of train crews proposed by the NTSB in the operating cabs of all locomo-

tives; and

Be It Further Resolved,that RWU supports the installation of alternative non-intrusive tech-

nologies, including but not limited to:

!"Cell phone jamming equipment that automatically functions whenever the reverser of the

locomotive is not centered; and/or

! Alarm systems that sound if/when an active cell phone is brought into the cab of a locomo-

tive; and/or

! Sensors that detect cell phone signals and instigate a penalty application of the train brakes

when one is detected in the locomotive cab; and/or

! Other technologies of this type that actually prevent the locomotive from moving when

an active cell phone is present in the cab.

Be It Finally Resolved,that RWU offers this as an alternative counter to cell phone use, to be

considered by the appropriate authorities including, but not limited to, the railroad carriers, the

United Transportation Union (UTU), the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen

(BLET), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and the Federal Railroad

Administration (FRA).

This Resolution adopted by the members assembled at the RWU Second Biennial

Convention  Friday, April 23rd, 2010 in Dearborn, Michigan