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F7C9719232536E31872589F60071D106 Hearing Summary




PUBLIC
BILL SUMMARY For RAILROAD LABOR ORGANIZATIONS PRESENTATION

INTERIM COMMITTEE  TRANSPORTATION LEGISLATION REVIEW COMMITTEE
Date Jul 24, 2023      
Location Old State Library



Railroad Labor Organizations Presentation - Committee Discussion Only

02:43:13 PM  
Paul Pearson, Chairman
of the Colorado State Legislative Board of the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers and Trainmen (BLET),  and Carl Smith,  Colorado State
Legislative Director for the International Association of Sheet Metal,
Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART), introduced themselves and
began their presentation. Their presentation is included as Attachment
L and two handouts are included as Attachments M and N. They discussed
safe rail, HAZMAT incidents by shipping type, rail's key role in greenhouse
gas emmissions (GGE) reduction goals, and how rail helps meet GGE reduction
goals, safety concerns, how derailments are preventable, track-side detectors
and possible detector improvements, long trains and how they contribute
to train derailments, and blocked grade crossings as a safety concern and
prevention strategies, including setting maximum acceptable blocking times.
 
02:57:31 PM  
Mr. Pearson and Mr. Smith answered questions from the committee on optimal train length, blocked crossing time, the use of "cutting the crossing" as a way to solve a blocked crossing,