State Legislators

I want to take this opportunity as an Arkansas resident and a Railroad Worker to voice my concerns regarding rail safety across our state. My main concern is and always will be my safety and the safety of the citizenry of Arkansas. One of my main concerns is the lengthening of trains. We already have trains reaching as long as one and a half miles or around 8,000 feet. When trains grow beyond this length public safety and interruptions to commerce become a significant concern.

We have witnessed crossing accidents, derailments, breakdowns, and blocked crossing skyrocket when railroads such as CSX have attempted to make these changes. CSX CEO James Foote was forced to begin an apology tour for the delays, congestion, and risk to public safety. CSX experienced a rise in delays, derailments, crossing accidents, and blocked crossings due to this implementation. The Carriers operating here in Arkansas have begun to adopt this theory. We have started to see trains grow from 8,000 feet up to 12,000 feet. I'm confident most of you have noticed the recent news reports regarding crossings being blocked. Concerned constituents or whole communities may have contacted some of you about these blocked crossings. I have concerns both for my safety and for the safety of the communities we travel through. Below I have included a few examples as to why this will affect our entire state.

A three-mile-long train simply goes slower than a one-mile long train. It takes longer to start and get to top speed which is almost never the maximum allowable speed because they are just too heavy and hard to handle. Slowing down for speed restrictions and getting back up to speed takes far more time.

Most rail main lines in our State are single-track, so when one train meets another train coming in the opposite direction one of the trains must pull into a siding to let the other train pass. There are very few if any sidings that are long enough to hold a 2-3-mile-long train, meaning if the long train takes the siding, both trains must stop, and there is what we call a “saw-by” causing significant delay. If both trains are too long, we have an incredible event called a “double saw-by” which can take hours for one to pass the other.

Train operations require that the crew in the lead locomotive maintain constant communications with the rear locomotives or the device on the rear car of the train. When these communications fail, the train is restricted to 30mph, and on grades of more than 2%, the train is required to stop. The longer the train, the more these communications fail. This loss of communications is very common when trains go around curves or go over the tops of mountains.

The longer the train, the higher the probability of mechanical failure. More cars mean more problems. Excessively long trains are also far more likely to break-in-two which can cause hours of delay. When there is a mechanical problem or break-in-two, the conductor of the train must walk back from the lead locomotive to deal with the problem. When the train is two miles long or longer, and the conductors’ portable radio frequently fails to communicate with the locomotive causing significant delay.

A train uses air for its braking system and the longer the train, the harder it is to maintain adequate air in the system.

Many engineers have little to no experience operating these excessively long trains.

We have many instances of these trains breaking in two and causing significant delays, including delaying an Amtrak train for 9 hours on a siding.When a train is too long to fit into a yard track, the train must be separated and put on two or more tracks, adding to yard congestion and additional delay.

The longer the train, the more crossings that are blocked and they are blocked for more extended periods of time. It is causing safety concerns. This is a concern for all state commerce but especially for first responders. Extended periods of crossings being blocked usually leads to impatience in the public sphere. This impatience, unfortunately, tend to end with people attempting to outrun trains.

Crews cannot reliably hear the report of wayside defect detectors when trains exceed 12,000 feet. When that happens, the train must often stop and follow procedures to make sure their train is safe to proceed.

Required brake tests take longer on a long train. Some brake tests require the inspection of every car and walking a 3-mile- long train to the end and back is 6 miles. Add to that a portable radio that fails to transmit, and the result is substantial train delay.

These are just a few examples of what can happen if this is allowed in our state. I'm requesting that you take action now we cannot afford to wait until the next Legislative Session. The Railroads are acting irresponsibly and ignoring its obligation to the citizens of Arkansas.  The implementation of Longer Trains has proven to be a safety disaster.  I'm asking you to do what's best for your state, your communities, and your constituents. Support a new law to restrict the length of trains in Arkansas.

Respectfully,