[brnaftr361]

They have and it is slowing them down, but they're using different metrics to define and track productivity. If you're interested in hearing about it this guy has a pretty good perspective on the overall issues:

https://youtu.be/Q0rk5tnrFqA?t=9300

[Sniffnoy]

Can you perhaps summarize?

[tdeck]

I gave it a shot (watched the testimony at the linked timestamp, which was just a few minutes). Here's what I got from it, but I didn't fully understand everything:

This guy is a "yard master" - the air traffic controller of the rail industry.

1. Railroads are focused on "units per train" - increasing the length of the trains.

- They're running long trains that are 10k+ feet long, but we have many old RR yards from WWII era that only fit 3k ft long trains. Takes 3 hours to put these trains together exiting the yard and no other trains can use the yard during that time.

- Something I didn't understand that causes train cars to derail on bridges

- Some trains are longer than the range of the 2 way radios that conductors typically use. There's a procedure that involves a conductor inspecting the train as it goes by, and apparently they can't always contact the train.

2. Consolidation of terminals.

- Some regional stations for inspecting coal trains closed down. I didn't understand this explanation either.

- Moving yard masters to a central location and having them run the yard with cameras. Has resulted in peoples' deaths

3. Workload on people. Yard masters work 16h/day 365 days/year.

4. Management metrics reducing headcount + extra engines / equipment leads to lack of redundancy

Two things he'd ask for:

- Max 8k ft length of a train

- Disincentivize any reason to store a locomotive