Railroads warned about the problems long trains can cause

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FILE – Multiple Norfolk Southern cars are piled on top of each other after a derailment at a railroad crossing near Springfield in Ohio on March 4, 2023. The federal regulators warned railroads on Thursday, April 27 that long trains can lead to all sorts of problems, including derailments. They want railroads to make sure that their operating and training procedures take this into account. (Bill Lackey/Springfield-News Sun via AP, File)

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FILE – Work crews clean the debris from a derailment near Springfield, Ohio on March 4, 2023. Federal regulators warned railroads on Thursday, April 27 that long trains, which they prefer, can cause problems and lead to derailments. They want railroads to make sure that their training and operational procedures take this into account. (Bill Lackey/Springfield-News Sun via AP, File)

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FILE – Multiple cars from a Norfolk Southern freight train are piled on top of each other after derailment at a railroad crossing near Springfield in Ohio on March 4, 2023. The federal regulators warned railroads on Thursday, April 27 that long trains can lead to all sorts of problems, including derailments. They want railroads to make sure that their operating and training procedures take this into account. (Bill Lackey/Springfield-News Sun via AP, File)

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(AP) -- Federal officials are warning railroads about the dangers of long trains, which they prefer. They want them to make sure their operating and training procedures take this into account.

In its latest safety advice, released on Thursday, the Federal Railroad Administration did not recommend that railroads limit their trains' size. Trains can regularly be more than two miles long. They did, however, suggest some precautions. These include making sure that engineers are familiar with them and that the locomotives do not lose communication with devices that are at the end trains that can trigger the brakes if an emergency occurs.

There are currently no restrictions on the length of trains. However, members of Congress and legislators in at least six different states have proposed setting limits. This is in response to the derailment of the Norfolk Southern in Ohio in February. Major freight railroads have rejected this idea, arguing that they are increasingly relying on longer trains in order to move more cargo while using fewer mechanics and crews. They have been overhauling their operations for the last six years. Union Pacific CEO Lance Fritz recently said that he does not believe that accident data indicates that long trains are more dangerous.

Federal Railroad Administration issued an advisory citing three derailments that involved trains longer than 12250 feet (37344 meters), where the length of the train was a factor. Both the Federal Railroad Administration and the National Academies of Sciences have been studying the impact of trains that are longer than 12,250 feet (3,734 meters) and expect to release reports on the issue next year.

The agency stated that "FRA believes that these incidents show the need for railroads to be especially mindful of the complexity of operating longer train,"

Derailments in Rockwell (Iowa) in March 2022, Ravenna (Ohio), in November last year, and Springfield, Ohio in March 2020 were all cited as examples of problems that can occur with long trains. The derailments were caused by the way the cars of different sections of the train pushed and pulled against one another.

As an example, the February fire derailment in East Palestine, Ohio that caused evacuations and ignited a national focus on rail safety was not mentioned. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, an overheated axle on one of railcars caused this derailment.

The latest warning follows a previous one from earlier in the month, which directed railroads that they should re-examine how they build their trains so as to minimize forces that are often at play when a train travels over hills or around corners. The front or middle of a train may be pushing against the other cars when going up a steep hill, while the back or middle of the train is pushing the opposite direction while going down the hill.

These forces make it difficult for engineers to manage a train. Regulators said that railroads should adjust their training so their engineers are ready to handle the monsters trains they operate. It is common to put locomotives at the front and middle of long trains. This can make it easier for the engineer to manage the train.

The advisory stated that 'a locomotive engineer cannot safely operate in an increasingly demanding service without the proper additional training which covers the unique challenges, and complexity of these trains'.

A spokeswoman from the Association of American Railroads said that railroads have already begun to address the challenges of long trains, and are looking at ways to improve their safety.

Jessica Kahanek, AAR spokesperson, said that all stakeholders, including the FRA and railroads, share the goal of continuously improving rail safety. This includes minimizing negative impacts on surrounding communities, while keeping goods moving, which is vital to our economy. The recommendations in this advisory are closely aligned with the prudent measures railroads take to achieve that goal.

Federal Railroad Administration stated that long trains could block crossings for a prolonged period of time, in addition to derailments. Firefighters, police, and ambulance drivers can be delayed when crossings are blocked. Pedestrians could also risk their lives if they crawl under or cross stopped trains.

Arizona, Iowa Kansas, Michigan Nevada Washington and Washington are among the states that have proposed a limit on train size for this year.