SR410: SR410 Federal Railroad Administration; deny CSX's request to become the first railroad to use Trip Optimizer's Zero-to-Zero feature; urge

CSX has asked the Federal Railroad Administration (a federal agency, not a Georgia one) for permission to be the first railroad to use a feature called Zero-to-Zero on its Trip Optimizer cruise-control system. That feature would let the system automatically start and stop trains when moving between zero and nine miles per hour, without a person operating the brakes at that stage. This resolution states the Georgia Senate's position that the feature should not be approved. It cites concerns that the technology has only been tested on about a quarter of CSX's rail network, that it could prevent new and experienced engineers from developing hands-on skills, and that the system has reportedly malfunctioned in ways that could cause train separation, blocked crossings, or derailments. The resolution does not change any Georgia law; it directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and the press.

• Formally states the Georgia Senate's position urging the Federal Railroad Administration to deny CSX's request to use the Zero-to-Zero feature.
• Describes Zero-to-Zero as a feature that lets the Trip Optimizer system automatically start and stop trains between zero and nine miles per hour.
• Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute copies of the resolution to the public and the press.
• Does not create any new law, penalty, or funding; it is a statement of legislative opinion directed at a federal agency.

CSX and other railroads operating in Georgia, locomotive engineers and conductors, communities near rail lines and crossings, and the federal Railroad Administration, which actually decides whether to approve CSX's request.

If the Federal Railroad Administration follows the concerns raised here, CSX could be blocked from rolling out automated train starting and stopping, keeping engineers manually controlling trains at low speeds. The resolution itself carries no legal force in Georgia; it is meant to influence a federal decision.

• The whereas clauses lay out the Senate's reasoning: recent train accidents, the 2024 federal two-person crew rule, and concerns that automation could replace human judgment on train brakes.
• The resolution notes Zero-to-Zero has only been tested on about 25 percent of CSX's territory, which it says leaves unanswered safety questions.
• It states that continued Trip Optimizer use could stop new and experienced engineers from developing or maintaining manual operating skills.
• It states that the Trip Optimizer system reportedly malfunctions daily, causing excessive draft and buff forces that can lead to train separation or derailments.
• The final resolved clause formally urges the Federal Railroad Administration to deny CSX's request for the Zero-to-Zero feature.
• A closing clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press.

1. 2025-03-20Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2025-03-18Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Nan Orrock (D, SD-036)Primary sponsor
• Harold Jones (D, SD-022)
• Elena Parent (D, SD-044)
• Sonya Halpern (D, SD-039)
• Kim Jackson (D, SD-041)
• Ed Harbison (D, SD-015)
• Nikki Merritt (D, SD-009)
• Derek Mallow (D, SD-002)
• Sheikh Rahman (D, SD-005)
• Gail Davenport (D, SD-017)
• Tonya Anderson (D, SD-043)
• Kenya Wicks (D, SD-034)

• railroad safety
• train automation
• CSX
• federal rail regulation