A railroad worker died after being struck by a remote-controlled train. Unions have concerns
Railroad unions are calling for a review following the death of a worker who died over the weekend after he was struck by a remote-controlled train in a CSX railyard in Ohio
A railroad worker died over the weekend after he was struck by a remote-controlled train in a CSX railyard in Ohio, raising concerns among unions about such technology.
The death highlights the need for an in-depth review of the use of remote-controlled locomotives, the Transportation Communications Union and Brotherhood of Railway Carmen said in a news release Sunday. Every major railroad has used such locomotives inside, and increasingly outside of, railyards across the country for years.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the death, which happened shortly before 4 a.m. Sunday in Walbridge, Ohio. Spokesperson Keith Holloway said the worker was struck and fatally injured when he walked into the path of a moving locomotive that was being operated by remote control.
Fred Anderson is the third carman killed in an incident involving a remote-controlled locomotive, the unions said.
“Enough is enough. A full-scale review of the use and practices around remote-control locomotives is long overdue. CSX — and every railroad — must evaluate their use of these supposed technological advancements to ensure they are actually making our members safer, and not merely replacing people to continue lining the pockets of Wall Street,” Transportation Communications Union National President Artie Maratea said in the news release.
CSX officials at the railroad's headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida, confirmed the accident but declined to discuss the details of Anderson's death because it is still being investigated.
“CSX mourns the loss of this
Read more on abcnews.go.com
