Author: William C. Keppen, Jr.

Commentary

One Size Truly Doesn’t Fit All

If you ever worked on a railroad and certainly if you have ever been involved in working on railroad safety, you have frequently heard the phrase “one size doesn’t fit all” spoken

Commentary

C3RS: Railroad Safety Revisited—or Not

As we approach the one-year anniversary of the devastating train derailment that thrust the small community of East Palestine, Ohio, and its people into the media, it’s fair to ask, what is

Commentary

C3RS Not as Clear-Cut as It Seems

The horrific train derailment and release of hazardous materials in East Palestine, Ohio on Feb. 3, 2023 prompted a call from the US Department of Transportation for Class I railroads to join

Commentary

The 65-Degree Question

It will be months, 18-24 perhaps, before the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) releases its final report on the Norfolk Southern (NS) train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. One should not try

Commentary

Uphill Slow, Downhill Fast, Profits First, Safety Last

Having worked in the industry for 50 years, if you consider my postretirement involvement, I will be the first to admit that today’s railroads are, in many respects, much safer than they were when I was first employed as a locomotive fireman in 1970. Credit for that goes to railroad management, employees and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). However, in my opinion, greater progress has been impeded for economic reasons or organization priorities—more simply put, the pursuit of self interests. Having said that, it’s time to move to the point of this article.

Commentary

Shareholder Value, or Public Safety?

Date: Sept. 27, 2019. News media outlets report potential life threatening situations with three different Class I railroad freight trains blocking railroad grade crossings, sometimes for hours at a time. These events seem to be increasing, both in number and length of time. Americans are not just inconvenienced. Lives are being place at great risk when a blocked crossing impedes emergency service providers from assisting people in need of help.

Commentary

Lesson Learned? Perhaps, But Too Late For Some

A recently issued arbitration decision directs New Jersey Transit (NJT) to re-employ Thomas Gallagher, the locomotive engineer who in 2016 ran an NJT commuter train into a bumping post and onto the platform at Hoboken Terminal. While the arbitrator found that the engineer “… bore some responsibility for the crash,” she also found that, “… NJ Transit had failed to follow its own procedures for screening engineers in his case.”

Commentary

Medical fitness-for-duty standards: Where are they?

“According to the BNSF employment records for the 52-year old male striking train engineer, a pre-employment physical examination and health questionnaire dated June 28, 1994, identified no significant medical conditions.” Hold that thought.

Commentary

The march to one-person crews continues …

If one looks at recent developments, the Federal Railroad Administration’s withdrawal of the two-person-crew-minimum NPRM (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking), it may seem “logical” to say the march toward one-person crews is accelerating. However, that may be an illusion.