Wyoming lawmaker seeking two-crew minimum for trains

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) – A state lawmaker proposes to require that trains have at least two crew members in Wyoming.

A bill sponsored by Democratic Rep. Stan Blake, of Green River, would apply to trains on Wyoming’s nearly 2,000 miles of Class I railroad, all of which is owned by BNSF and Union Pacific.

Blake is a Union Pacific employee.

A similar bill failed in the Wyoming Legislature in 2019 amid concern about interference with private businesses and collective bargaining.

Railroad unions support minimum train-crew requirements but the Association of American Railroads opposes them, arguing there’s no evidence two-person crews are safer than one-person crews. The association says the requirement would impose undue costs and stifle automation technology.

Source: Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune