Beardstown, Ill., bans remote
control
CLEVELAND, March 7 -- Beardstown, Ill. is the ninth U.S. city to take
action against remote control trains.
On February 18, the
Beardstown City Council unanimously voted to ban remote control operations
within the city limits until safety regulations have been improved.
The resolution cites the dangers to public safety that can result
from remote control operations and the recent terrorism threats to
railroads, which transport nuclear waste and other hazardous
materials.
The City Council also cited the fact that remote control
trains will be operated in Beardstown “by fewer employees who possess
diminished qualifications” as one of the many reasons for passing the
resolution.
The resolution lists safety considerations that must
be met before remote control locomotives are allowed to operate in
Beardstown. The resolution asks railroads to “provide effective and
reliable protection at the point of movement in any location accessible to
the general public for any remote control operation.”
It also calls
for the Federal Railroad Administration to issue comprehensive regulations
for the use of remote control locomotives and "that those regulations
ensure the highest level of skill and qualification of person operating
remote control locomotives."
The resolution demands that railroads
“cease and desist” from all remote control operations within the city
limits until the city can adequately implement evacuation plans and
emergency responses.
Beardstown joins Baton Rouge, La.,
Shreveport, La., Detroit, Mich., Marysville, Mich., Boston, Mass.,
Cleveland, Ohio, Pine Bluff, Ark. and North Little Rock, Ark. in passing
resolutions against remote control locomotives. Cuyahoga County in Ohio
and Whitley County in Kentucky have also passed resolutions banning remote
control trains.
Illinois State Legislative Board Chairman C.E. Way
credited Brother M.W. Lehmkuhl of BLE Division 135 (Beardstown) for the
success of the resolution. Lehmkuhl thanked the Mayor of Beardstown,
Robert Walters, who was very helpful in getting this passed.
For a
PDF of the resolution, click here: http://www.ble.org/pr/pdf/beardstown.pdf
Friday, March 07, 2003
bentley@ble.org
http://www.ble.org/pr/news/newsflash.asp?id=3694
© 2003 Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
http://www.ble.org
