Rails want to deploy heat detectors as part of safety plan after Norfolk Southern derailments, but a union says it lacks workers for the job after recent cuts.
The Association of American Railroads plans to install approximately 1,000 new heat detectors on lines, which are a focus in current Norfolk Southern derailment investigations.Its president tells CNBC that workforce reductions in recent years have brought the construction crews responsible for this work down to 40% of its overall capacity.General view of the site of the derailment of a train carrying hazardous waste, in East Palestine, Ohio, U.S., March 2, 2023.
"Adding 1,000 more wayside detectors will create more work in the craft," said Michael Baldwin, president of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen. "Our organization makeup right now is 60% in maintenance, and 40% in construction. The construction side of our membership is in charge of installing these detectors. We need more people. I've been in meetings with the Class I railroads and I can tell you they are attempting to hire. The problem is they are only retaining 40-50%.
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