Georgia Legislature Considers Railroad Safety Bill

These days, there are usually two crew members manning freight trains. But just as car and truck companies are talking about autonomous driving technology, so are railroads. The next step could be a one-man crew, with a monitoring system. There’s a bill before the Georgia Legislature to prevent that and mandate a two-person minimum, which the railroad companies aren’t happy about.

The one-man crew concept worries conductors like Jake Gohagan from Savannah. He’s one of a group of trainmen who came to the Capitol to lobby for the bill, despite the risk of retribution from their companies.

One reason for two people? Fatigue.