{"id":13637,"date":"2025-09-25T11:39:41","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T18:39:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/?p=13637"},"modified":"2025-09-25T11:39:41","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T18:39:41","slug":"green-river-railroad-layoffs-and-more-automation-raise-train-safety-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/2025\/09\/25\/green-river-railroad-layoffs-and-more-automation-raise-train-safety-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Green River Railroad Layoffs And More Automation Raise Train Safety Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Laying off safety employees for automated systems that don’t fully measure up are making railroading a dangerous profession with derailment being a toxic danger for the towns nearby. And I have a post<\/a> about a lawsuit that was settled for a train derailment caused by the AI driver. You know the megacorps in the space are salivating over automating away more jobs and probably willing to handle the defects as being cheaper than paying people who can do a better and safer job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/cowboystatedaily.com\/2025\/09\/24\/green-river-layoffs-automation-trends-raise-train-safety-questions\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n
Former legislator and retired railroad worker Stan Blake says continuing rail layoffs, like the ones last week in Green River, coupled with more automation will mean more train accidents in Wyoming.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

By Ren\u00e9e Jean<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Former
Former legislator and retired railroad worker Stan Blake says continuing rail layoffs, like the ones last week in Green River, coupled with more automation will mean more train accidents in Wyoming.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The charred and burned remains of a train that derailed between Bosler and Rock River in August are still sitting in the weeds near the place where its cars went off the rails, strewing thousands of packages in their wake, and sparking a fire<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The derailment was late in the afternoon, due to what retired railroad worker and former legislator Stan Blake called a \u201csun kink.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s a warp in the track, caused by the heat of the sun beating down on the tracks. They can happen rather quickly, and it\u2019s hard for a train to slow down and miss them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey don\u2019t like to call it a sun kink,\u201d Blake said. \u201cThey call it a thermal misalignment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sun kinks are just one of the things that can go wrong in the railroad system, causing a derailment. Typically, track inspectors are watching out for these as they travel the rails in Wyoming, along with its opposite condition, \u201cpull aparts.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those are places where the rails have pulled away from each other, typically when it\u2019s cold, at a weak point, like bolted connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTrack inspectors will have a truck, you\u2019ll see a truck going down the rails,\u201d Blake said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s usually a track inspector.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recent Green River Layoffs Part Of Larger Issue<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Track inspectors are just one of the many cogs in the safety wheel that keeps railway cars moving across the tracks across Wyoming. Another of those cogs has been carmen, whose job is to look at all the inbound railcars for problems, particularly the wheels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every railway car wheel has a raised rim called flange on the inner side, which keeps them on the track. That flange is thin, at just 1.12 inches, and it\u2019s subject to regular wear and tear as a car rides the rails. When the flanges get too thin, cars can derail, so that\u2019s one of many problems that carmen are looking for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wyoming just lost a number of its carmen at the Green River station, the latest in workforce reductions that industry experts have testified to Congress totals around 30%. The steady downward march of workforce that\u2019s got eyeballs on the railway system is something that Blake believes could lead to more train derailments in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey eliminated 17 carmen positions,\u201d Blake told Cowboy State Daily on Tuesday morning. \u201cAnd I\u2019ve heard there really wasn\u2019t much notice. It was, \u2018you\u2019ve got \u2018X\u2019 amount of time to clean out your lockers and you\u2019re done.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Problems With More Automation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Blake was a switchman for 31 years with Union Pacific and was also in charge of safety across Wyoming when he served as state director for the SMART Transportation Union, which represents about 125,000 active and retired transportation employees, including railroad workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Switchmen, he said, are typically not trained in what to look for when it comes to railcar problems. They also already have a slate of jobs that keep them very busy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think that the railroad is really counting on technology across the system,\u201d Blake said. \u201cThey have a hot box detector, for example, which can tell if a wheel is hot, and they have a dragging equipment detector which can spot something hanging 244 cars back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are also systems such as the Track Geometry Measurement Systems to perform automated track inspection, or ATI. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But these automated systems sometimes fail to spot problems, Blake said, and they don\u2019t always transmit their data properly. He\u2019s concerned that fewer human inspections means problems that technology has missed will be spotted less and less often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt could definitely cause more accidents,\u201d Blake said. \u201cThere\u2019s just a ton of different things that can go wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Union Pacific did not respond to specific questions from Cowboy State Daily about what it\u2019s doing to assure safety on the railroad lines that run through Wyoming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Union Pacific\u2019s Senior Manager of Communications Mike Jaixen said the elimination of carmen at Green River and at Roper, Utah, is meant to \u201calign heavy locomotive and rail car repairs at locations that enhance freight fluidity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLight repairs, fueling and inspections will continue at Green River and Roper,\u201d he added. \u201cAnd all impacted individuals are being offered other employment opportunities across the railroad.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Layoffs Come At A Time Of Change<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Union Pacific\u2019s layoffs come at a time when railroad companies have sought a number of waivers involving federal railway safety regulations, including one that would cut human track inspections by 75%. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Association of American Railroads Association said the changes they’ve requested will enhance safety, and that track inspection regulations, which haven’t been changed since 1971, need an update.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Combining ATI with visual inspections enhances safety \u2014 full stop,” AAR Assistant Vice President Jessica Kahanek told Cowboy State Daily. “The waiver request would empower railroads to position technology and skilled employees where each can be most effective.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a pilot study, ATI reported identifying 200 defects for each found through visual inspection, Kahanek added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“In some test programs, it has led to over a 90% reduction in unprotected FRA main track defects \u2014 making a clear and compelling case for expanding ATI to enhance both the frequency and effectiveness of track inspections.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Labor groups, meanwhile, have opposed these changes, saying they will increase accidents, including train derailments, something Blake agrees with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Federal Railroad Administration has already gutted their inspectors,\u201d he told Cowboy State Daily. \u201cYou have less federal presence, and now fewer inspections all around.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blake said the automated tools the railroads want to rely on do improve safety when they\u2019re used as adjuncts to human inspections. But don\u2019t catch everything and aren\u2019t ready to become the primary means of ensuring human life and safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the waiver sought by the Association of American Railroads, companies would also get up to 72 hours to address defects, rather than taking any immediate actions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Human inspectors, meanwhile, can exercise judgement to make immediate repairs or choose to slow or stop trains if a serious problem is detected. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Irreparable Damage To People, Communities<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Association of American Railroads has asked to waive more than 80 railroad safety regulations, all at a time when the industry has dramatically reduced workforce levels by more than 30%, according to Tony Cardwell, president of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division, which represents track inspectors and other rail workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cardwell testified to Congress in June that the move to waive so many safety regulations in favor of automated systems is jumping the gun on what these systems can do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cATI (Automatic Track Inspection) cannot replace what a human track inspector does because it only inspects track alignment, elevation, and gauge,\u201d Cardwell told the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. \u201cIt does not inspect for track defects that cause a majority of track-caused derailments.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The FRA has required railroads to look for 23 different track defects, Cardwell added, which is far more than an ATI can detect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTrack defects are the second leading cause of rail derailments after human error,\u201d he said. \u201cSo it is essential to ensure that railroad tracks are free from defects.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ATI has been used since the 1970s to augment human inspection of railroads, Cardwell acknowledged, and is good at spotting track geometry defects \u2014 just as its name would imply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But those account for just six of the 23 defects that FRA has required railroads to inspect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cATI cannot detect defects like broken rails, rotten ties, washouts where the track has washed away, or obstructions in the right of way,\u201d he said. \u201cATI can only detect 26% of what a human track inspector can detect and, therefore, cannot replace human inspections. Moreover, ATI only detects defects, while track inspectors identify problems before they become defects.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To think otherwise, is a delusion waiting to become a \u201cdisaster, Cardwell added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat AAR seeks in their safety waiver could effectively result in passenger trains carrying people or freight trains carrying hazardous materials running over defective tracks,\u201d Cardwell said. \u201cThe consequences of allowing a defect to go unaddressed for up to three days could be yet another derailment that kills or severely injures people and causes irreparable damage to communities near railroad tracks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too Many Wyoming Towns At Risk<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many, many towns in Wyoming have railroads running through them, Blake said, and many of those towns have limited resources for responding to a train derailment, particularly if that derailment involves hazardous materials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnion Pacific goes all the way across, it more or less follows I-80 at Granger,\u201d he said. \u201cIt cuts up through Kemmerer, Cokeville, then into Idaho on up to Pocatello, and also up on the coal line. They go up through Bill and on up to Gillette.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s just Union Pacific, Blake added. That doesn\u2019t cover the towns that BNSF goes through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSeveral years ago there was a train derailment out there by Hanna,\u201d Blake said. \u201cAnd not that long ago, I don\u2019t know how many years ago, they had an oil train that burst into flames because of a sun kink and that was just east of Rock Springs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In many communities, railways run right through busy business districts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe railroad splits Rock Springs right in half,\u201d Blake said. \u201cAs does Evanston a little bit. Laramie, not as much, but there are restaurants right there in Laramie, right next to the tracks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While trains have to slow down when they reach city limits, they\u2019re still going at speeds that would be scary in a derailment situation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe speed through Rock Springs used to be 45 miles an hour,\u201d he said. \u201cMaybe it might be 40 mph now, but that\u2019s still cooking. I mean, thank goodness I never was on a trail that derailed like that. It would be so scary.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wyoming has seen a number of train derailments in the past five years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was a fiery crash 4 miles east of Rock Springs in 2020, with 39 cars derailed<\/u><\/a>, nine of which were either damaged or caught fire. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cheyenne had a 12-car train derailment<\/u><\/a> in 2023, while 21 coal cars derailed in Lusk<\/u><\/a> that same year. This year, at least 15 Union Pacific railcars derailed near Walcott Junction<\/u><\/a> in central Carbon County, of which at least three were tankers, in addition to the Bosler derailment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s just a few of the train derailments that have happened in Wyoming in the last five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese things are happening all over the place, and it\u2019s frustrating,\u201d Blake said. \u201cIt\u2019s scary.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Laying off safety employees for automated systems that don’t fully measure up are making railroading a dangerous profession with derailment being a toxic danger for the towns nearby. And I have a post about a lawsuit that was settled for a train derailment caused by the AI driver. You know the megacorps in the space […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13637","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-wyoming"],"blocksy_meta":[],"featured_image_src":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Jason","author_link":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/author\/jturning\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13637","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13637"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13637\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13638,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13637\/revisions\/13638"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13637"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13637"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13637"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}