Major Railroads Push to Repeal Two-Person Crew Rule
The six largest Class I freight railroads in North America—BNSF Railway, Union Pacific, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern, Canadian National, and Canadian Pacific Kansas City—are urging the Trump administration to rescind the Biden-era mandate requiring two-person crews on freight trains. The trade group representing these companies, the Association of American Railroads (AAR), describes the rule—finalized by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) in April 2024—as an “unsubstantiated mandate” that conflicts with the administration’s broader goals of regulatory reform, technological advancement, and data-driven policymaking.
This renewed effort aims to restore the industry’s push for single-person crews, which they say has been successfully adopted by hundreds of smaller railroads. The railroads argue that the current crew requirement is outdated and unnecessary, estimating that transitioning to single-person crews could save $264.7 million over the first decade, according to a 2016 analysis. They also contend that the rule was a “2020 campaign promise” by President Biden that lacked a demonstrated safety benefit to justify its costs.
In addition to targeting the crew size rule, the industry is calling on the Department of Transportation to roll back other safety regulations, including a proposed rule for less frequent inspections of train brakes. They maintain that these changes would reduce regulatory burdens while still ensuring safety.
