US railroad regulators will not require dispatchers to be certified
What happened
US railroad regulators will rescind a rule that would have required railroad dispatchers to be certified. This means dispatchers will not need to pass new tests or meet new training standards to do their jobs.
Why it matters
The Federal Railroad Administration had planned to require dispatchers to be certified, similar to locomotive engineers. This would have meant new training and testing for thousands of workers. Now, the agency is backing off, citing concerns raised by railroad companies and unions about the costs and logistics of implementing the rule.
The signal
Watch for any future proposals from the Federal Railroad Administration regarding dispatcher training or qualification, or if any major railroad incidents are later linked to dispatcher error.