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How close are we to unmanned mainline freights?

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One should never say never...However, regardless of whether or not it's technologically feasible, I don't think it makes a lot of business sense. With the rollout of remote technology in yards, a lot of people are tempted to assume the next logical step is to expand it to mainline trains. Instead, I think that engineer-only trains are much more likely...probably in the next ten years or so. The cost of technology to eliminate the conductor's job would be much lower than that of the engineer. As others have pointed out, a set of eyes on the locomotive is very difficult to replace and if we're going to pay someone to be on the train they might as well be running it. The conductor's job will be replaced by a GPS-based system capable of generating electronic main track authority limits and enforcing things like authority limits and speed restrictions. Along with that might come the elimination of fixed block signals, which would be replaced with some type of flexible block system. Road power would come from the factory with remote equipment installed. Engineers would use a beltpack to set out bad-orders or even handle p/u's and s/o's at industries. The rules could be changed to allow for establishing a temporary remote control zone on a main track to accomodate such moves. Locals on high-density mainlines would operate in conventional mode until reaching a location where work is to be performed. Then, two crewmembers could put on beltpacks and perform the work. This would depend on rolling engineers and conductors into a single TY&E operating craft, which will probably happen eventually. That's my prediction, anyway.
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