Federal Railroad Administration Proposes English-Proficiency and Distance Limits for Mexican Train Crews Entering the US
How left and right are reading this
- Both agree
- Inspectors found crews who couldn't reliably follow English bulletins and hazmat rules, and both reads treat that as a real safety failure a certification standard should have caught.
- They split on
- Whether the story is about workers and trackside communities absorbing risk the carriers won't price in, or about American track running under American standards and protecting American jobs.
The Facts
- The Trump administration announced a proposed rule on Friday, July 31, aimed at ensuring Mexican train crews hauling freight across the border can understand key safety information in English and that the use of foreign crews does not threaten U.S. jobs.
- The proposal would prevent foreign crews from operating trains more than 10 miles (16 kilometers) inside U.S. territory after crossing the border.
- The rule would also strengthen the standards for certifying that crews can safely operate a train, including by prohibiting automated train-control systems during certification evaluations.
- Union Pacific and CPKC are the two railroads that would be directly affected by the proposed restrictions on Mexican crews.
- The Federal Railroad Administration inspected two Texas rail yards near the border last fall and sent letters to CPKC and Union Pacific in December.
- FRA inspections found that some crew members had difficulty communicating in English with inspectors and dispatchers and understanding operating bulletins and hazardous-materials rules.
- Stated goals of the measure include ensuring crews can communicate in English with dispatchers, inspectors and emergency responders.
- Two major rail unions praised the proposal, while CPKC and the Association of American Railroads declined to comment while they study the rule.
- Union Pacific said in a statement, "We have the same goals -- safe, secure operations," and said it would continue working with its federal partners throughout the rulemaking process.
Context
What exactly would the proposed rule change?
It would require that Mexican freight crews crossing into the United States be able to understand and use English when communicating with dispatchers, inspectors and emergency responders, limit those crews to operating no more than 10 miles (16 km) inside U.S. territory, and tighten crew certification testing, including by prohibiting automated train-control systems during evaluations sipse.com,Canal 44,Transport Topics,Los Angeles Times.
What prompted the proposal?
The Federal Railroad Administration inspected two Texas rail yards near the border last fall on Union Pacific and CPKC, and sent letters to both railroads in December Yahoo! Finance,N+,cnbctv18.com. Inspectors reported that some crew members had difficulty communicating in English with inspectors and dispatchers and in understanding operating bulletins and hazardous-materials rules sipse.com,SanDiegoRed.
Is this already in effect?
No. It is a proposed rule announced Friday, and it remains in the rulemaking process; Union Pacific said it would continue working with federal partners throughout that process, while CPKC and the Association of American Railroads said they were studying the rule before commenting NDTV,N+,KSAT.
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