The FRA has issued a Safety Advisory,
number 2001-01, concerning remote controlled locomotives
and the UTU and the carriers have signed a letter of
intent to implement..
It is imperative that the BLE stay on
top of this issue. The carriers would love nothing
better than to slash jobs by the use of remote
controlled locomotives and throw safety out the window
in the process.
We must take a pro-active position on
this issue and head off any job loss before it is too
late. We must identify the problems with remote
controlled technology and push for laws or regulations
that insure that this technology is operated by the most
qualified employee's and in the safest manner available.
In this regard we are asking you to report
any use of remote controlled engines or rail car moving
devices that you know of or even suspect are in
operation both in the private sector and on any
railroad. Please don't assume that the BLE already knows
any of this information, fill in the form, it only takes
a couple of minutes. Also, if there have been any
accidents, with or without injuries, please complete the
second half of the form. You must fill in the contact
information at the bottom of the form for it to be
accepted.
Please fill out the below form and
either print it and return to the International Division
at: Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
Attn: Remote Control Incident Report
1370 Ontario Street
Cleveland, OH 44113-9802