FRA: Fatigue, work schedules, accidents linked - Source: UTU International
'The UTU and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have been pressing hard for greater carrier awareness of the fatigue problem, the urgent need to ensure train and engine service employees have more predictable schedules and adequate rest, and early and reliable notification of start times,' said UTU International President Paul Thompson.
The FRA said human factor errors are responsible for nearly 40 percent of all train accidents over the past five years.
'In almost every other category of train accidents, we've seen a steady decline in recent years, but human-factor caused accidents are increasing,' said FRA Administrator Joseph H. Boardman. 'Widespread acceptance by the railroad industry of the validated findings of this fatigue report could potentially lead to fewer serious train accidents.'