TCU continually reports: the Association of American Railroads (AAR) seeks a test waiver from performing Class IA brake tests on designated UP trains in the Wyoming Powder River Basin. The current federal rule states that each train shall receive a Class IA brake test, performed by a qualified person, at a location that is not more than 1,000 miles from the point where any car in the train last received a Class I or IA brake test.
In his testimony before the Federal Railroad Administration, TCU/IAM Carmen Division President stated, “The petition should be denied because there is no evidence that wayside detection equipment can, by itself, provide a level of safety equivalent to that provided by the train inspections required under the current federal regulations. Accordingly, it is BRC’s position that while wayside technologies may in fact be a very useful tool for detecting certain safety defects, such technology should only be used in conjunction with the inspection regime now required and not in place of it. Simply put, comprehensive hands-on brake inspections such as what is now known as the Class I and Class IA brake tests have a long history of contributing to safety in the railroad industry and their use must continue.”
Click here to view the full statement from TCU/IAM Vice-President and Carmen Division President Rich Johnson.