HR 661: Federal Railroad Administration; deny CSX's request to become the first railroad to use Trip Optimizer's Zero-to-Zero feature; urge

House Resolution 661

By: Representatives McClain of the 109th, Buckner of the 137th, Alexander of the 66th, Taylor of the 92nd, Tran of the 80th, and others

A RESOLUTION

Urging the Federal Railroad Administration to deny CSX's request to become the first railroad to use Trip Optimizer's Zero-to-Zero feature; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, the safety of Georgians is the paramount duty of government; and

WHEREAS, numerous train accidents have caused enormous damage to human life and property in recent years; and

WHEREAS, the safety of train operations impacts communities across this state and the country; and

WHEREAS, CSX has applied to the Federal Railroad Administration to become the first railroad to use Trip Optimizer's Zero-to-Zero feature, which allows the cruise-control system to automatically start and stop trains from beginning to end; and

WHEREAS, a computer system or algorithm cannot replace the skill, judgment, and adaptability of a trained engineer and conductor; therefore, allowing a system that relies solely on technology to control the brakes—the train's most essential safety feature—is dangerous; and

WHEREAS, the Federal Railroad Administration finalized a two-person crew rule in 2024, establishing two-person crews and barring engineer-only operation on most trains; and

WHEREAS, Trip Optimizer with Air Brake Control is a precursor to autonomous train operation; and

WHEREAS, Zero-to-Zero has yet to be tested systemwide and has only been tested on approximately 25 percent of CSX territory, leaving too many unanswered questions for it to be implemented systemwide; and

WHEREAS, becoming a skilled and efficient locomotive engineer requires years of locomotive operation, but Zero-to-Zero usage does not allow newly promoted engineers to continually develop their train operation skills; and

WHEREAS, Trip Optimizer usage does not allow experienced locomotive engineers to continue refining their skills as trains become longer and heavier, all of which handle differently, and its continued use diminishes the skills of experienced engineers due to the lack of manual operation; and

WHEREAS, the Trip Optimizer system on locomotives malfunctions daily, failing to operate trains smoothly and allowing for excessive draft and buff forces within the train, which can cause train separation, block crossings, delay emergency response vehicles, and lead to derailments that put communities at risk; and

WHEREAS, the Georgia Working Families Legislative Caucus urges the Georgia State Senate to call on the Federal Railroad Administration to deny CSX's request to use Trip Optimizer's Zero-to-Zero feature, which allows the system to automatically start and stop trains when moving from zero to nine miles per hour.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body urge the Federal Railroad Administration to deny CSX's request to use Trip Optimizer's Zero-to-Zero feature, which allows the system to automatically start and stop trains when moving from zero to nine miles per hour. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the public and the press.