The Directors' Union rejects the CSX proposal

The union that represents the conductor will request the Federal Railroad Administration to refuse to use CSX's request to use the first Trip Optimizer railway function with which the advanced cruise tax system can automatically start and stop the trains.

After a test round in 2020 and 2021, CSX initially applied for the FRA permit to use 2022 zero to zero. The FRA has not yet made a decision on the application for security distortion, partly due to the need for a detailed study and partly to the restraint of the agency, to approved the technological examples during the bidet management.

CSX has announced that it can use the automatic start and stop to save fuel and improve security by reducing the potential for train-sweater aaaaaaa aspects.

The Smart TD union does not buy that. It sees zero to zero as a gateway to autonomous operations.

“While CSX claims that the system will reduce fuel consumption and emissions, Smart TD believes that these claims for the true intentions of CSX are hardly more than a fog wall: Costs reduce the costs of security,” says the union.

If the FRA ultimately approves CSX's plan, the other railways in class I follow CSX from the lead and seeks permission to use zero to zero.

The Union Claims Trip Optimizer, which has operated trains for more than 300 million miles, is “not ready for the main time”, is unreliable and represents a security risk.

“A computer system or an algorithm cannot replace the skills, the judgment and adaptability of a trained engineer and director. A system that depends on the faulty technology to control the most important security feature of the train is a dangerous gambling, ”says the union.

When using Trip Optimizer, the system's car throttle mode is not designed in such a way that it works at slow speeds. According to Wabtec, Trip Optimizer can use dynamic brakes. If air brakes are required, it can recommend how much air the engineer should use and how long and when the brakes should be released.

Zero to zero goes one step further than the automatic gas and dynamic braking. There is the control of the air brakes of the train, with which a train can automatically start and stop. The system receives signal aspects and pursues the authorities from the positive train control system.

What can not be zero to zero: A automatically press a train in areas where there are no signals such as yards, or if you drive past a train within half of the visual area of ​​the engineer.

However, it can stop automatically and start trains at the main change – for example for crew changes – as well as departures on departures.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcwajo3dmgs

“CSX has praised the proven fuel efficiency and environmental advantages of the trip optimizer technology for more than 20 years,” says Austin Staton, spokesman for Railroad. “CSX is interested in saving an additional 4.9 million gallons fuel a year if they are moved between zero and nine miles per hour with zero-to-zero-trip optimizers.”

“Although we are disappointed with the false representation of Smart TD by CSX's increased use of CSX trip optimizers, the review of this technology is currently pending before FRA,” he adds. “CSX will continue to work with the FRA during this product approval process.”

Wabtec did not respond to an e -mail in which a comment on the union's claims about the product for the travel optimizer was sought.

But Gary Wolf, an outstanding investigator and rail safety expert, says that neither discharge optimizers nor his zero-to-zero feature are a security risk.

“The aviation industry has been using Autopilot systems for many years to operate aircraft. The truck industry moves with driverless trucks. Compared to aircraft and trucks, it is relatively easy to run a train on a permanent tour, ”says Wolf, stating that automated control systems have progressed since its introduction two decades ago.

According to Wolf, former locomotive engineer, the biggest challenge of an engineer to start and stop the freight trains.

“If the technology can evaluate the relative gap on the train, the relative speed and delay rates of each railway car and the place where you are in the class and the spreading rate of the air brake reduction, it is not the question that you can do the tensile forces every day and minimize fuel consumption,” says Wolf. “The skills of locomotive engineers such as aircraft pilots largely fits a bell curve. Automation has the option of bringing the average or even below average engineer to the A+ level every day. It offers consistency, security and reliability in performance. “

The two-person occupation rule of the FRA as well as contract agreements between workers and the class I systems allow them to only operate the engineer in most trains. The railways question the two-person occupation rule in front of a federal court, but did not endeavor to shift the leaders to based positions as part of the current round of national contract negotiations.