[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 223 (Monday, November 18, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58736-58738]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-29547]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket Nos. RSSI 96-1A and RSSI 96-1B, Notice No. 1]


Informal Safety Inquiry on One-Person Crews and Remote-Control 
Locomotive Operations

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).


[[Page 58737]]


ACTION: Notice of informal safety inquiry.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) will conduct an 
informal safety inquiry concerning a proposal by the Wisconsin Central 
Ltd. (WC) to expand its use of one-person crews and remote-control 
locomotive operations. The United Transportation Union (UTU) has filed 
two petitions for emergency orders requesting that: (1) FRA prohibit 
the WC from using one-person crews; and (2) FRA prohibit the use of 
remote control locomotive operations by the WC and all other railroads. 
FRA intends to collect information to help it determine whether 
emergency, regulatory, or other action is necessary. FRA asks 
interested parties to comment on these subjects.

DATES: (1) The hearing will begin at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 
4, 1996, and conclude at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 5th. All times 
noted are Central Standard Time. (2) Prepared statements to be made at 
the hearing should be submitted to the Docket Clerk at least two 
working days before the hearing date (close of business December 2, 
1996). Parties who do not meet that deadline may be denied the 
opportunity to present oral testimony, although their written 
statements will be included in the record of this proceeding. (3) 
Parties who do not wish to testify, but wish to submit written comments 
for inclusion in the safety inquiry docket should submit them by 
December 2, 1996.

ADDRESSES: (1) Hearing location--Paper Valley Inn, 333 West College 
Avenue, Appleton, Wisconsin, 54911, (414) 733-8000 (phone), (414) 733-
9220 (fax). (2) Docket Clerk, Docket Nos. RSSI 96-1A and RSSI 96-1B, 
Office of the Chief Counsel, Federal Railroad Administration, 400 7th 
Street, S.W., Room 8201, Washington, D.C., 20590. Parties should 
address statements on one-person crews to Docket No. RSSI 96-1A. 
Statements concerning remote-control locomotive operations should be 
addressed to Docket No. RSSI 96-1B. If a statement concerns both 
issues, a copy of the statement should be addressed to each docket.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: S. Joseph Gallant, Operating Practices 
Specialist, FRA, 400 7th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590, (202) 
632-3371; or Patricia V. Sun, Trial Attorney, Office of Chief Counsel, 
FRA, 400 7th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590, (202) 632-3183.

Background

One-Person Crews

    The Wisconsin Central Ltd. (WC) operates about 2800 miles of 
railroad, primarily in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. 
Currently, the WC operates trains with one-person crews on four routes: 
a 77-mile run on its White Pine subdivision; switching operations at 
the Pfizer Rock Quarry; a 56-mile run between Wisconsin Rapids, 
Wisconsin and Merrillan, Wisconsin; and a 63-mile run between Stevens 
Point and Neenah, Wisconsin.
    In January 1996, the WC proposed to expand its use of one-person 
crews to an additional four routes, beginning in May 1996. The proposed 
routes are: a one-way 150-mile run between Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan 
and Gladstone, Michigan; a turnaround job between Stevens Point and 
Neenah; a one-way 38-mile turnaround job between Neenah and Fond du 
Lac, Wisconsin; and a 63-mile run between gravel quarries at Sussex, 
Wisconsin and Grayslake, Illinois. METRA has recently begun operating 
passenger train service on portions of this last route.
    Other railroads, including the Burlington Northern Santa Fe, 
Conrail, and Springfield Terminal, currently operate some trains with 
one-person crews. For the most part, these operations are short, slow 
trains. (FRA distinguishes these one-person crews from the one person 
in the cab trains operated by Amtrak and some commuter lines. In the 
latter type of train, there is actually a two-person crew, since the 
engineer in the locomotive cab control unit is assisted by a conductor 
in the passenger cars). The WC proposal, however, is novel in that it 
would use one-person crews for the first time on trains moving mixed 
freight over long distances. Thus, the proposed operations pose many 
complex safety issues. In addition, on April 25, 1996, the United 
Transportation Union (UTU) filed a petition requesting that FRA issue 
an emergency order to prohibit the WC altogether from using one-person 
crews. At about that time, FRA began discussions of its concerns about 
the safety of these operations with the WC.
    After several meetings between representatives of FRA and the WC, 
the WC agreed in May to defer implementation of any additional trains 
with one-person crews pending further discussion of FRA's concerns. At 
a special meeting convened by Deputy Administrator Donald M. Itzkoff, 
FRA presented the WC with a list of critical safety issues and 
potential operational problems that FRA had identified. As requested, 
the WC later submitted a written action plan to FRA detailing its 
proposed solutions to these problems.

Remote-Control Locomotive Operations

    In September 1996, the WC also proposed to begin using remote-
controlled yard locomotives in its Neenah and Green Bay, Wisconsin 
yards. The UTU filed a second petition for an emergency order on 
September 17, 1996, asking FRA to prohibit not just the WC, but all 
railroads, from operating engines or trains by remote control.
    In 1993, FRA examined the issue of remote-control locomotive 
operations in the context of a waiver application submitted by the 
Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad Company (W&LE) and the promulgation of a 
proposed test program for remote control operations. (In response to 
the W&LE's waiver application, the UTU had filed a petition requesting 
that FRA issue an emergency order against the W&LE prohibiting it from 
utilizing remote control technology.) Public hearings were held in both 
proceedings. After extensive review of both the technology and W&LE's 
operations, FRA denied the UTU's petition and permitted the W&LE to use 
remote control technology subject to certain conditions.
    At the hearing, FRA will again consider this issue. The two WC 
proposals, namely the use of one-person crews and remote-control 
locomotive operations, are closely related, since the WC action plan 
envisions that an engineer working alone would use a remote control in 
numerous situations. For example, where a train is equipped with a 
remote control unit, and an engineer must flag through an automatic 
interlocking, the WC plan calls for the engineer to locate him or 
herself at the crossing to furnish protection as required, and then use 
the remote control unit to move the train to the crossing where the 
engineer would then reboard the locomotive.

Subjects of Inquiry

    FRA has thoroughly reviewed the action plan and other submissions 
by the WC on the use of one-person crews, but seeks to develop 
additional facts as part of the basis for its decisions on the UTU 
petitions and on whether there is a need for rulemaking on these 
subjects. Accordingly, FRA will conduct an informal safety inquiry 
focussing on the WC's proposed use of one-person crews and remote-
control locomotives. Interested parties may submit general comments on 
industry practice in these areas as well, however. Prior to the 
hearing, a team of FRA inspectors will conduct site visits to the WC to 
inspect

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its existing one-person crew operations and gather background 
information.

General Concerns

    For both subjects, FRA solicits written and oral comments on such 
topics as:
     Equipment standards
     Design requirements
     Employee training
     Employee safety
     Standard operating procedures
     Train size and makeup
     Terrain limitations
     Communications
     Inspections and tests
     Operations security
    This list of issues is not meant to be all-inclusive. Other 
concerns may also be raised and discussed at the hearing.

    Authority: Secs. 6, 9, Pub. L. 89-670, 80 Stat. 937, 944 (49 
U.S.C. 1655, 1657); the statutes referred to in sec. 6(e) (1), (2), 
(3), (6)(A) of Pub. L. 89-670, 80 Stat. 939 (49 U.S.C. 1655); sec. 
202 of Pub. L. 91-458, 84 Stat. 971 as amended by sec. 5(a) of Pub. 
L. 94-438 (45 U.S.C. 431); and 49 CFR 1.49, unless otherwise noted.
Jolene M. Molitoris,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 96-29547 Filed 11-15-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P