Cameras To Be Installed On Trains

DutchRailnut wrote:As engineers we really have no say in matter, its their trains.
How many other professions are on camera ??
police officers - firefighters - cashiers - bank tellers - toll takers - porters - restaurant workers - even riding public - etc - etc.

all Unions can do, is negotiate rules on use of these images and penalties for abuse, not only by those who are observed, but also for abuse by company like non- incident investigations, or releases to youtube.

My large electric and gas delivery company employer started installing two way (driver and out the front view) video cameras in the large fleet of service and its other vehicles a couple years ago. Turned out that the cameras help prove that the employee driver was not at fault for accidents and was properly driving much more that they find an employee at fault. Started out with management vehicles getting them first, before bargaining unit.

The way it works as I recall is that the camera does not record continuously. It commences recording only (1) under significant g force changes such as heavy braking, swerving or a collision, or (2) if the employee hits the activate button. The recording then is automatically uploaded by wireless to a provider contractor whose employees review the video to evaluate it and only the screened ones with potential significant issues are sent to the company for further review. Last I knew the videos would be used for lessons learned and counseling, but not for discipline. They are extremely useful in claims against the company, much as the cameras showing antics at grade crossings and so forth are. While it takes some getting used to, in the long run employee reaction is favorable and it has significantly reduced the accident and OSHA recordable injury rate. The other major accident reduction initiative was to prohibit cellphone use while driving absolutely, even if hands free. There was a bit of a reduction with hands free which was tried at first, but the real improvement came with the absolute prohibition. Same reason for the railroad rule.

It looks like an audio/video installation for the railroads of the MTA. Anyone who used to mutter about various things in the cab will have to find a new outlet.


Metro-North to hire firm to install safety cameras

Martin B. Cassidy

Please allow a brief "fair use" quote:

http://www.newstimes.com/local/article/ ... 332666.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Metro-North will ask to approve money to hire a firm to design and install inward and outward facing cameras and audio recorders in locomotive cabs to comply with recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board for better safety monitoring after the December derailment that killed four people.

Last month the National Transportation Safety Board recommended that Metro-North expedite installation of the cameras which the agency said would have helped with their investigation of the Bronx, N.Y., derailment in December.

A cost estimate or description of the type of work included in the contract was not yet available, Marjorie Anders, a spokeswoman for Metro-North Railroad said Wednesday.

"The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is committed to safe operations at all its agencies," said Thomas F. Prendergast, chairman and chief executive officer of the MTA. "We will be systematically implementing recommendations put forward by the NTSB and other regulators to ensure the best practices are adhered to throughout the MTA..."

The contract will cover all Metro-North and Long Island railroad M8 and M7 railcars, cab cars and diesel locomotives, including 843 cars for Metro-North and 926 at Long Island Railroad.

This was going to happen, even before the December 1st derailment. This will only be effective is MNR constantly reviews all the videos. Thats nearly 700 trains a day. roughly 1.25 hours per train. That's almost 900 hours of footage a day. Good MNR will install this on "most" of its trains. That's a lot of time spent just watching and listening to engineers and conductors. I wonder if MNR has the manpower to review all this footage on a consistent basis? Otherwise this is just more wasted money, that in and of itself will not prevent accidents only provide explanations for what happened after the fact.

the audio is most likely just outside sound with a transducer on window, it will record horn bell crossings etc but not inside voice recordings.

DutchRailnut wrote:the audio is most likely just outside sound with a transducer on window, it will record horn bell crossings etc but not inside voice recordings.

They can already record horn and bell electronically, though not as reliable as recording it audibly.

Cameras in trains, they will be good at protecting employees that do their job. working retail for several years i can say that customers though very few will put up a fuss and will blow things out of portion.

I do feel that the cameras will how ever make working conditions a little more stressful, being "watched" 24/7. But as they say one bad egg spoils the whole bunch

They're not going to be installing them on the the older MU's (the Metropolitans (M3/M3A) and the Cosmopolitans (M2/M4/M6)).

Is there a technical limitation as to why they are being excluded (i.e. no room in the older cab, difficult/impractical to install the newer technology), or are they not bothering with them considering they will be well on their way out by time they arrive (after the project is inevitably delayed several years...)?

lirr42 wrote:They're not going to be installing them on the the older MU's (the Metropolitans (M3/M3A) and the Cosmopolitans (M2/M4/M6)).

Is there a technical limitation as to why they are being excluded (i.e. no room in the older cab, difficult/impractical to install the newer technology), or are they not bothering with them considering they will be well on their way out by time they arrive (after the project is inevitably delayed several years...)?

The "old stuff" as we say on MNR is on its way out. No need for cameras on that stuff since most of them will be gone by camera time anyway. It could be a while before we ever see the first camera installed.

The m-3a's have a good 10 years to go, so yes they will get alerters and Camera's .

The action item in the MNR Committee Meeting notes said that cameras for the M3's will be "options" that will be explored later down the line.

Some may get their news from other sources than what is posted in media.

If they are reviewing all the footage, they will probably implement a fast forward feature to skip over 'uneventful' ones. Or they could be monitored at random, but if something does happen, there will always be video evidence to look back at the events.

Of course, I cannot tell for sure how they will monitor but CCTV in some public areas are often monitored this way. Then again, most CCTV does not record sound.

How does Amtrak monitor their cameras?

good question for Amtrak forum !!