Reported by Bill Stephens for Trains
Railroad safety experts are questioning the conclusions of a study released this week that found that a 200-car train is 24% more likely to derail than a 50-car train.
The study’s conclusions did not surprise Greg Regan, president of the Transportation Trades Division of the AFL-CIO, who has called for train-length regulation.
“Unfortunately, rail workers are all too familiar with the dangers posed by long, heavy trains,” he says. “Currently, there is no maximum train length established by federal law. This must change. As freight rail companies increasingly operate longer trains, we are eager to see increased federal regulation of train length, weight, and composition to improve safety for all.”
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