The Brotherhood Railway Carmen Division (BRC) and BNSF Mechanical continue to partner on safety. As a result of this partnership, BRC expressed their support for BNSF’s effort to expand the Federal Railroad Administration’s test waiver for the Brake Health Effectiveness Program (BHE).

BHE is a safety technology that measures the temperature of car wheels as the train passes through detectors where the wheels are analyzed to ensure the braking systems are operating properly. The technology assists the BRC inspectors by focusing their inspection and repair efforts on specific cars which helps make the inspection process more effective. If no defects are found, the train will continue to its destination. BNSF implemented the technology four years ago on intermodal and grain cars through an FRA test waiver.

BRC and BNSF are now partnering to request expansion of the FRA test waiver after seeing the positive results of the original program.

“The BRC and BNSF are working together to support the expansion of a technology that has a positive impact on rail safety and train braking performance,” said Donald Grissom, General President, BRC.

“We’re proud to partner with BRC to develop and implement technology that drives a safe and efficient rail network,” said Keith Solomons, BNSF’s vice president, Mechanical. “Embracing technological developments like BHE not only creates a safer network, but ultimately allows us to grow the railroad together which is in the best interest of all of us.”

BHE is not the only technology where BRC and BNSF are working together. We are also collaborating on future technologies, specifically machine vision that has the potential to drive additional safety gains for car inspectors and serve as a tool to make inspections more effective.

BNSF continually looks for opportunities such as BHE to partner with all of our union employees to advance safety and service through technology.

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