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With the number of train accidents seemingly on the rise, such as the head on collision between BNSF and UP trains in Texas a few weeks ago, it seems to me that too many corners have been and are being cut on safety, just to fatten the corporate bottom line. The train and engine crews involved in such accidents are seen as sacraficial lambs to be sacraficed all in the name of profit and to keep the Wall Street cokeheads happy and well supplied with Columbia's finest. The state of the track structure on the nation's railroads is approaching the worn out state that the railroads found themselves in after World War 2 had ended. Not only that, but crews on the trains are being pushed past the breaking point, not only on freight trains, but Amtrak and many commuter trains as well. Same goes for the dispatchers who try as they may, keep the trains from running into one another . Another example of a safety corner being cut was the recent introduction of remote controlled locomotives into yard operations without any thought being given to what would happen if terrorists got their hands on one along with the control box. A 200 ton locomotive could pack one hell of a bomb if so used by terrorists. No thought is given to this as the Wall Street Stooges who supposedly manage the nation's railroads seek to cut costs where ever they can. I can understand the need to make a profit, but playing Russian Roulette with people's lives as the use of remote control locomotives and running trains with minimal crews as is the case now is another matter. Not only that, but maintenance of way departments are so understaffed that much track is in such condition now that I am surprised that passenger trains are even allowed to operate over it. Not only are maintenance of way and operating departments understaffed, but the communications and signald departments as well. It makes me wonder if radio failures on the trains are contributing to some of the catestrophic accidents that so often make the news. Add in the hazardous nature of some of the cargoes handled by the railroads, and you have a recipe for a ma ss casualty disaster in some major city around the country. The type of disaster with the potential of making the 9-11 attacks seem like minor league stuff by comparison. Either management does not know or do they even care. YOu have to have an adequate number of people staffing the railroads to have anywhere near the safe operation that you should have. Cutting corners by means of the use of remote controlled switch engines only adds to the hazards to the railroad personnel and to the public at large. If this country were to get railroading back to the level of safety it should be, then complete housecleaning of each carrier's (mis)management structure would seem to be in order. In other words, replace the Wall Street stooges with personnel with years of operational experience on a given railroad, personnel who DO know the business, NOT think they know the railroad business. The potential for ruinous wrongful death suits against the railroads and their management is far too real to allow corners to continue to be cut on safety. Far too many good crew members and public citizens have died because of it. Need it go on?
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