OMAHA, Nebraska, — Several Mexican train crews who had just arrived at U.S. rail yards in Texas had trouble understanding important safety information in English during recent in-depth inspections ordered by the government of President Donald Trump.
At times, Union Pacific and CPKC railroads routinely rely on foreign crews to bring trains into their rail yards in the United States before switching to American engineers and inspectors. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) union indicated that the changeovers used to occur exactly at the border. The engineers' union has long been concerned about the use of foreign crews due to concerns about safety and employment.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) sent letters to the two railway companies, urging them to re-examine their practices and ensure that Mexican crews can speak English and do not operate a train more than 16 kilometers (10 miles) into the United States.
Union Pacific and CPKC indicated they are committed to ensuring safety and protection, and will work to ensure they are complying with the rules.
The Trump administration has also been taking strong measures against truck drivers who do not speak English, in order to ensure that crews can communicate in an emergency and understand crucial instructions.
"Whether you operate an 80-ton truck or a massive freight train, you need to be proficient in our national language: English," declared Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. "If you are not, it creates an unacceptable safety risk."
The Department of Transportation has already withheld $40 million from California for not enforcing the English proficiency requirement, and Duffy has threatened to sanction several more states for incorrectly granting commercial driver's licenses to immigrants who are in the country illegally. That became a key concern after several fatal accidents occurred, in which trucks driven by immigrants who should not have had licenses were involved.
Crews struggle to understand safety bulletins
FRA administrator David Fink told both railroads that they could face enforcement action if inspectors find more instances of train crews operating in the United States without being proficient in English.
Inspectors found problems at Union Pacific's rail yard in Eagle Pass and at CPKC's facility in Laredo.
Union Pacific had a translator available to assist its Mexican crews, but Fink indicated that the railroad might try to eliminate that in the future, and inspectors worried about how well the crews understood the operating rules and required brake tests.
In CPKC's rail yard, Fink indicated that inspectors found numerous cases of train crews having difficulty understanding operating bulletins, as well as U.S. regulations that require information on hazardous materials and emergency responses to be maintained in English.
Unions say the law should have been applied long ago
The machinists' union and the SMART-TD union representing inspectors praised the Trump administration's move, as they say that Mexican crews are not as well trained and need to understand crucial safety information.
Earlier this year, the machinists' union also highlighted two arrests of Mexican crew members on suspicion of smuggling: one for helping migrants cross the border illegally, and the other for attempting to bring drugs into the United States.
"The government should be commended for defending border security, public safety, and American jobs by creating stricter safety standards for crews bringing trains from Mexico to the United States," said Mark Wallace, national president of the BLET. "It is critical that locomotive engineers can speak with dispatchers and first responders in English when trains are moving on American soil."
Railroads say they will work to follow the rules
"We have the same goals: a secure border that maintains fluidity in the supply chain," said Kristen South, spokesperson for Union Pacific. "Part of ensuring safe operations is good communication."
Patrick Waldron, a CPKC spokesperson, indicated that his railway — which operates a continuous network through Canada, the United States, and Mexico — ensures that international crews on both borders do not travel more than 16 kilometers (10 miles) into U.S. territory.
"Safety is fundamental to everything we do," he pointed out.
Union Pacific picks up and delivers trains to its partner, the FerroMex railroad, at the border. It indicated that changing crews at its rail yard 11 kilometers (7 miles) over the border in Eagle Pass helps keep cargo moving, as the change was previously made on a single-track bridge, forcing rail traffic to stop. The railroad noted that it worked with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to make the change.
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