The death of a railroad worker in Ohio raises concerns about remote-controlled trains

The CSX worker who discovered his friend fell from a pair of remote-controlled locomotives at a rail yard last year sees a simple solution to prevent similar deaths in the future: two-person crews.

But that idea won’t be popular with railroads that have come to rely heavily on a single person controlling trains moving around a railroad yard with a remote control while dismantling and reassembling trains. The tactic that was first approved in 2005 started with two people on the job to watch for hazards, but today one-person remote operations are common.

The use of remote control operators helps contain costs by using less experienced workers to move the locomotives that help assemble the trains — a task that once required licensed engineers, who are among the highest paid railroad workers. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Trainers and Engineers and other unions have recently raised concerns about the practice, particularly as remote-controlled trains are now being used in places outside railway yards to make local trips to pick up and drop off cars .

The railways are confident that the practice is safe based on years of experience. But Federal Railroad Administration spokesman Warren Flatau said the agency is closely examining remote control use after this death and several other recent incidents. The extensive use of remote-controlled trains outside of railway yards is also attracting attention.

The National Transportation Safety Board provided an update on its investigation into the death of Fred Anderson on Wednesday when it posted transcripts of its interviews with the workers involved and other information. Anderson was killed on September 17, 2023, when he stepped in front of two locomotives at the CSX yard in Walbridge, Ohio.

Rail safety has been in the spotlight since last year’s disastrous Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, forced evacuations and left residents with lingering health fears after a cocktail of toxic chemicals spilled and burned.

At the time Anderson was killed, the remote control operator was riding on a ladder behind the second locomotive, out of sight of the front of the train. This practice is perfectly acceptable under federal and railroad rules because earlier in the shift the remote operator cleared the area around the tracks where he was working.

Anderson and the other car he was working with, George Oliger, had radioed to get permission to enter the area, but Anderson was still hit by the train. Oliger later told investigators that he believed Anderson’s death could have been prevented if the remote control operator had been in front of the locomotives or if a conductor or engineer had controlled them from the cab. He said a traditional crew would likely have seen Anderson and called him to warn him of the danger.

“How much is the night for an engineer? $350? If we had two guys on each crew, spend $350 to save someone’s life or make our yard a little safer, I think that’s what we need to do, you know. Like I said, if it was a two-man crew that night, we wouldn’t be talking,” Oliger said, according to a transcript of his interview.

It is unclear whether anyone would have been able to stop the locomotives in time before they hit Anderson, but if someone driving the train had seen him step on the tracks, they might have been able to warn him. The locomotives were traveling 10 mph (16 km/h) when they hit Anderson, and the remote control operator told investigators he believed it would have taken the length of an engine to stop them at that speed.

But Randy Fannon, who heads the engineers’ union’s Safety Task Force, said he thinks: “This tragic incident in Ohio involving a remote-operated train blindly controlled from behind would not have happened if to have been a locomotive engineer in the cab. “

Fannon said rail yard workers are more aware of the risks posed by remote-controlled trains, but the union strongly opposes remotely operated trains being used outside the fenced yard, where pedestrians or vehicles could come into contact at railway crossings.

CSX and all unions directly involved are not allowed to discuss Anderson’s death until the NTSB completes its investigation, which the agency said is focused on training and awareness of Carmen CSX’s safety procedure.

The Federal Railroad Administration and CSX issued advisories after Anderson’s death, reminding all railroad workers to use caution when crossing tracks and should always be aware that a train may be traveling on a track in any moment. CSX had its managers stress to all of its maintenance workers that they must look both ways before ever crossing.

The railroad said last year it planned no changes to its remote control operations after Anderson’s death because it appeared all federal and CSX rules were being followed at the time.

Safety statistics on rail accidents are unclear as to how safe this practice is, as Federal Railroad Administration reports do not differentiate those involving remote-controlled trains from incidents involving trains operated by engineers and conductors.

The Frația Căilor Ferate Carmen union said three of its members had died in incidents involving remote-controlled trains since 2015.

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