My mom clipped this same article out of the Pioneer Press today: Letters to the editor SPOTLIGHT LETTER A view from the engine In response to the letter The problem with trains (Feb. 27), I would like to say that as a locomotive engineer for a major railroad here in the Twin Cities, that I and my fellow engineers hate having to blow the horn. Nothing would make us happier than for every last foot of track to be completely inaccessible to the public and for there to be no railroad crossings whatsoever. But, unfortunately, people can be stupid and either decide that the railroad tracks look like a fun place to play, or that they can drive around the gates and beat us over the crossing just so they don?t have to wait two extra minutes. And sometimes, those people are wrong. So, if waking someone up in the middle of the night saves a life, then that makes it worth it. And to address the concerns about transporting oil on the tracks through your neighborhood, let me assure you, rail transport is hands down the cheapest and safest way to do this. That Bakken, N.D., oil you don?t want on the tracks is the reason that youre only paying $3.60 at the pump right now instead of $7.60. And while were on the subject of fuel, lets also remember that each one of those rail cars takes two to three semi trucks off the highways, so the next time you see a train with 100 cars going down the tracks, just remember, if that train wasn?t there, it would mean an extra 200 to 300 semi trucks on I-35E while you?re trying to drive to work. And as far as pollution goes, One mile-long train uses approximately 1,500 gallons of diesel fuel to go 250 miles hauling 7,000 tons of goods that you use every single day. One semi truck will use 30 to 50 gallons of diesel fuel to go the same distance. Now multiply that by 250 and you tell me which mode of transportation is more environmentally friendly. And next time you see a train stopped on a crossing, please be patient. I have a job to do, too. Its not always pleasant and I honestly dont enjoy keeping you from getting to Starbucks, or the grocery store, or the shopping mall where you happily pay a reasonable price for any one of the multitude of products that were on a train less than a week before you stuffed it into the back of your Prius. Im trying to do my job as safely as I can, to keep that train on the tracks, to keep you safe and living in the lifestyle youve become accustomed to. Trent Verley, Spring Park
Posted on: Sun, 23 Mar 2014 20:13:45 +0000
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