Rail union wants new rules to improve conductor training in the wake of 2 trainee deaths

abcnews.go.com:

The nation's largest railroad union wants federal regulators to do more to ensure conductors are properly trained in the wake of two recent trainee deaths in Maryland

OMAHA, Neb. — The nation's largest railroad union wants federal regulators to do more to ensure conductors are properly trained in the wake of two recent trainee deaths.

The Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers union that represents conductors wants the Federal Railroad Administration to establish clear standards for how long new employees are trained and who mentors them to teach them the craft after they finish their formal training.

The union said the recent deaths of two CSX trainees on different occasions in Maryland over the past two months highlight the need for better training. The FRA did put out a safety advisory earlier this month about conductor training after the latest death, but the union wants regulators to take firm action. Earlier this year, a third conductor — this time one with 18 years experience on Norfolk Southern — was killed in an accident at a steel plant in Ohio.

FRA officials didn't immediately respond to the union's statement Wednesday, but the head of the agency sent a letter to all the CEOs of the major freight railroads earlier this week expressing similar concerns. Administrator Amit Bose is urging the railroads to improve their training but the agency isn't requiring changes with formal rules.

“FRA believes that correcting the underlying deficiencies in railroads' training, qualification and operational testing programs is critical to reducing the risk associated with the conduct of certain tasks,” Bose wrote.

In the most recent death, Travis Bradley