ROANOKE, Va. – Safety improvements are coming to local railroads as Norfolk Southern launches a pilot program in three cities, including Roanoke.
The program is called the Confidential Close Call Reporting System. It’s also launching in Atlanta, GA, and Elkhart, IN.
“It’s designed to provide a pathway for our employees to be able to report close calls, near misses, you know things that happen that we may not otherwise know about and protect themselves from potential disciplinary action,” John Fleps, VP of Safety for Norfolk Southern said.
Scott Bunten, the general chairman of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen said the pilot program has been in the works for quite a while.
“I helped negotiate this,” Bunten said. “We’ve been working on it for over a year, well about a year, and it’s a really big deal.”
Bunten said the reporting system has been used by commercial airlines for years and it’s administered by NASA.
Fleps said the program could play a role in preventing train derailments.
“When we think about safety in the rail industry, it’s not just employee injuries,” Fleps said. “Safety of our operations is one of the most important things that we focus on.”
He said there’s a reason why Roanoke was selected to participate.
“Rich tradition with Norfolk Southern,” Fleps said. “We have outstanding employees. This is a program that is really contingent on employee engagement, employee involvement, and we feel like Roanoke is a place that can really contribute to the success of the pilot.”
They hope to expand the program to more cities if the pilot program is successful at the one-year mark.