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Canada: CP crew fatigue is ‘imminent threat’
If you believe what they say I have a lake in the Sierra desert for sale.
Isn’t this the railroad that thinks they can show Norfolk Southern how a railroad should be run? I think they should stay home and learn how to run their own business first before trying to horn in elsewhere.
I wouldn’t trust CP one inch ! 
It’s all about MONEY for Hunter & Bill ! Pure greed ! Screw the workers they say…
This is a positive story. Transport Canada is enforcing the rules and CP committed to immediate compliance. Fatigue can degrade personal performance as much as alcohol.
Geez, Right on the heals of the FRA saying they’re really worried about safety impact of CP+NS. Poor CP. Poor Ackman. Nobody likes them.
Another example of Harrison’s “cost-cutting” techniques. NS employees beware!
Only in Canada… Now CP and other railroads operating in Canada are required to start paying hourly train crews when they leave their homes or other places of rest to go to work. Only in Canada.
This and Harrison still wants to try and assimilate NS? He really needs to go pound sand!
Sure, attempt to transfer blame to the unions…“but union collective agreements have been a barrier to change…” left unsaid in that little sidetrack is for better or for worse.
Crew fatigue isn’t just a CP problem. And yes, the unions sometimes stand in the way of scheduling rest days if they think it will cost their members money. Then again, it isn’t accurate for the railroads to put all of the blame on the unions.
Lawrence G Haws: That is not what is being required. It does not apply to when they leave their homes, only at the “away from home” terminal, and primarily with what are known as Extended Service Runs. These are where the crew operates the train beyond the traditional crew districts, perhaps as much as 20 miles. It has developed relatively recently, starting about 10 years ago, and has operational advantages for the railroad since it reduces terminal congestion. I assume the crews also get paid extra for miles beyond their traditional territory but that is far cheaper for the railroads compared with calling a new crew just to haul the train those few extra miles.
The issue is when the on-duty time starts. When the crew is called at the away from home terminal (bunkhouse or hotel) the time on duty should start when they report for duty. This is typically an hour or two after the “call”. After coming on duty, if they are taking over the train at the terminal the clock starts when they come on duty. It appears that if they get taxied to a more distant point that extra transit time was being ignored and the clock started when they reached the train. But the reality is that they are still awake, and it should be included in the 12 hour limitation.
While the taxi ride from a more distant point to the “away from home” terminal can occur after the 12 hour limitation for operating trains, that time also needs to be considered part of the on-duty time when determining minimum hours of rest.
The Transport Canada letter can be seen here:
http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2692162-TransportCanadaRailSafety-LetterofOrder.html
How many articles have there been on the Newswire regarding safety violations and questionable operating practices on CP under Harrison? And how many other such incidents have we not read of in this forum?
NS shareholders would be nuts to allow that egomaniac to get his hands on their railroad, and wreak the havoc which has beleaguered CP …
Doesn’t Transport Canada realize that’s only one of the ways to lower the operating ratio and increase the
’ bottom line ’ for Ackman and the other shareholders
Oh, the IRONY… They think they know what would make Norfolk Southern run “smoother than ever”, but they cannot even run their railroad completely smooth for ONE DAY!!! Ackman and Harrison should really take a look at themselves in the mirror, and focus on getting their own mess fixed before trying to meddle in the affairs of other railroads who are just as responsible and managed a thousand times better than these yahoos do for CP!!!
This is nothing new, I worked extra boards with an 8 hour minimum off, minus a 90 minute call you’re down to 6.5 hours, lucky to get 3-4 hours of sleep, try that for a month or a year or a decade. Anyone with thoughts of glory in railroading is in for a rude awakening.
The problem that isn’t being addressed here or on the NS and probably other carriers is the amount of time being spent at the away from home terminal. Often it is way too long. This is what the CP employees were complaining about and I agree with them. Example: I arrive at my away from home terminal on a train at midnight. I go to rest. I sleep from 1am until 9am. I get up. I check the computer to see when I should be called. Because I’m in line behind other crews who arrived earlier I’m not due back out until midnight! That’s 24 hours from when I tied up the night before. I try to go back to sleep at 6p. I toss and turn finally nodding off at 9p. At 10p the call office calls and says I’ll be on duty at 12a. I’ve had 1 hour of sleep and now I’ve got to take a train 157 miles back to my home terminal. How safe do you think it is if I’m fighting sleep the whole way?
No, John Scott. Harrison wants to kill NS.