Utah Abandons Rail Safety Office, Repeal Puts Lives at Risk

In 2023, SMART-TD’s Utah Legislative Board successfully passed a law creating the Utah Office of Rail Safety (UORS). Spearheaded by Utah State Safety and Legislative Director Danny Brewer and his board, the bipartisan bill was to ensure railroads in the state, including Union Pacific and multiple short lines, adhered to consistent safety standards. It also gave the UORS regulatory authority and the ability to levy fines directly to the railroads to ensure their compliance. 

Despite overwhelming support two years ago, a new bill threatens to repeal it before it even has the chance to begin its vital work. Brother Brewer sent the following letter to legislators in Salt Lake City.  

By Danny Brewer SMART-TD Utah State Safety and Legislative Director  

As a Locomotive Engineer and Thru Freight Conductor, I’ve seen firsthand the dangers that come with working on the railroads. Trains are powerful, complex machines operating in environments where even the smallest oversight can lead to catastrophic consequences. That’s why I was deeply disheartened to learn that the Utah Office of Rail Safety (UORS)—a measure unanimously passed into law and supported by cities and communities across the state—is likely being repealed before it even had a chance to begin its vital work.   

The UORS was designed to make our communities safer. It would have hired certified inspectors to evaluate critical aspects of freight rail infrastructure, address at-grade crossing issues, scrutinize railroad operating procedures, and establish rules to ensure safe working environments for railroad employees. These are not abstract concerns; they are matters of life and death for workers like me and for the public who live near rail lines.   

Union Pacific Railroad has made commitments in response to other bills passed in 2023, but there has been no tangible, written commitment to rail employee safety that justifies repealing the UORS. Employees’ attempts to address safety concerns internally with our employer have been met with resistance and inaction. When we asked Union Pacific to provide their own safety standards, they either could not or would not do so. If an agreement was made between the State and the Railroad in response to the passage of these bills, it appears that the safety of rail employees was entirely disregarded.   

Without the UORS, we are left in a precarious position. There are no codified standards for walkways and clearances—basic elements of our daily work environment that directly impact our safety. Instead, our safety is determined by the arbitrary decisions of whoever is in charge on any given day. This is unacceptable.   

We had hoped that the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) would step in to provide oversight and rulemaking, but it seems UDOT has pushed back, potentially due to the challenges they face dealing with Railroads while they work on the critical infrastructure projects underway throughout Utah. It is understandable, but If UDOT is not the right agency to handle this, then who is?   

Trains remain dangerous, and accidents continue to occur. The purpose of the UORS was to prevent train wrecks and personal injuries—not to serve as political leverage in negotiations with Union Pacific to advance other projects. Rail safety is not a bargaining chip; it is a fundamental necessity that must be prioritized.   

We firmly believe that a Utah state-level inspector, certified and knowledgeable in all railroad safety regulations, with the authority to enter railroad property as needed, is essential to ensuring the safety of both workers and the public.   

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is not adequately addressing Utah’s needs. The FRA is understaffed and subject to the political shifts of each administration. Similarly, we do not trust the railroads to regulate themselves. Time and again, they have proven themselves unreliable and negligent when it comes to safety.   

Utah must step up.   

There is a substitute bill from Representative Ashlee Matthews that would preserve the Rail Office. I urge our lawmakers to support this measure. If it is truly too late to save the UORS, we must at least strengthen the authority of the Rail Ombudsman’s office. Currently, the Ombudsman is prohibited from addressing safety concerns raised by rail employees, and without the support of the UORS, the Ombudsman lacks the oversight necessary to hold Union Pacific accountable for its deficiencies.   

The repeal of the UORS is a step backward for rail safety in Utah. It sends a message that the lives of rail workers and the safety of our communities are not a priority. This cannot stand. Utah’s leaders must act now to ensure that rail safety is not sacrificed for political expediency.   

The stakes are too high to ignore.   

Danny Brewer is a Locomotive Engineer and Thru Freight Conductor based in Utah.   

This is a direct appeal to Utah lawmakers to prioritize your safety over UP’s political agendas, ensuring that the hard-fought protections for rail workers remain in place. To our many TD members in the great state of Utah, when you are walking in dangerous conditions, or riding a shove into a yard without proper lighting, know that Brewer and his team fought for and obtained a better way forward. Your state legislature is now siding with your managers and deemed your safety to be less valuable to them than the next campaign check from a U.P. lobbyist.