Two-person train crews remain at the center of the Georgia Central Railroad case after the short line withdrew its request to operate one-person crews on August 27. The withdrawal ended a waiver effort opposed by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.

Georgia Central Railway freight train in eastern Georgia
A Georgia Central Railway freight train in eastern Georgia. Official archive photo. Photo: Zane Williams / Genesee & Wyoming

Georgia Central, a short-line railroad represented by BLET, had asked the Federal Railroad Administration for special approval to use single-person crews. BLET is the only union representing workers at the railroad.

The union said the withdrawal followed significant lobbying by BLET and described the outcome as a victory for its members and railroad safety. It also came after the FRA defended its two-person crew rule before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

BLET has argued that two-person train crews are the best way to protect railroad employees and the public. Georgia Central is a 211-mile Genesee & Wyoming property operating between Savannah and Macon, Georgia.

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Georgia Central sought a one-person crew waiver

Employees at Georgia Central sought BLET representation to obtain protections available through a union contract. The National Mediation Board certified their representation election in October 2024 after workers voted to join the union.

Georgia Central submitted its waiver petition to the FRA in late 2025, and BLET responded by filing a protest.

BLET National President Mark Wallace wrote in comments submitted to the FRA:

“The BLET has consistently opposed one-person crew operations,” BLET National President Mark Wallace wrote in comments to FRA opposing the waiver. “There is no substitute for a second crewmember in the cab. We do not support exceptions. There should always be a certified locomotive engineer and a certified conductor in the cab of a locomotive. There are too many hazards both within and outside of the cab to be safely and effectively managed with a single person.”

BLET raised safety concerns over the waiver

BLET identified several issues in Georgia Central’s waiver request. According to the union, the railroad did not specify a maximum number of cars or train length under the proposed waiver. It also set no maximum train tonnage or weight, no maximum number of miles for a single tour of duty, and no duty-time limit.

The union also said the proposal contained no specific fatigue management provisions. It pointed to approximately 360 crossings along the proposed route, many of them not actively controlled, and argued that Georgia Central had not accounted for hazardous materials risks in the event of an accident.

Wallace also rejected Georgia Central’s proposal that an alerter could substitute for a second crewmember in the locomotive cab.

“The GC has proposed that the alerter can replace the role of a second crewmember within the cab of the locomotive. This is absurd,” President Wallace wrote. “Expecting a single crewmember to operate safely over this type of territory while simultaneously maintaining heightened vigilance for track conditions, operational hazards, signal compliance, and surrounding environmental factors imposes an unreasonable and unsafe workload.

Even under normal operating conditions, maintaining situational awareness over extended periods of operation can be demanding for a two-person crew. Requiring one individual to independently identify and respond to hazards associated with degraded infrastructure substantially increases the risk of missed warnings, delayed reactions, fatigue-related errors, and reduced ability to respond effectively during emergencies or abnormal conditions.”

Context

FRA’s 2024 crew-size rule generally requires covered railroad operations to use at least two crewmembers, while providing exceptions and a special-approval process for certain one-person operations. Georgia Central used that process when it petitioned FRA for approval to operate with a one-person train crew.

The broader rule also survived a recent court challenge. On August 11, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit denied consolidated petitions brought by railroads and industry groups challenging FRA’s rule.

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