Public safety at risk

There is a very unsafe practice being performed on the railroad main line – only one man on a train.

I have been in the railroad industry for 37 years and I have seen a lot, but this is the most ludicrous and total disregard for the safety of the people and fellow railroaders in Maine.

One of the railroads in the state has been and is going to do more running of trains with one man.

As an engineer myself, I can’t imagine being on a train one-half or one mile long and having a mechanical problem, which happens a lot. If the train has a problem and has a crossing blocked it could be a long period of time for one man to find out the problem and clear the crossing, if he could. One’s house could be on fire or a family member could be in need of an ambulance or police.

It could be an hour or so, like the Brownville Junction incident recently.

I hope enough people and-or the right people read this and we the public can and will do something about this very unsafe practice.

William Holyoke

Orrington