May 15, 2026
San Antonio, Texas – During the week of May 4, 2026, the American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA) participated in the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Annual Labor Conference in San Antonio, Texas. The event brought together approximately 150 labor leaders and federal officials from across the railroad industry, to discuss rail safety, operational challenges, and emerging issues impacting railroad employees nationwide.
Representing ATDA at the conference were President Ed Dowell, Vice President Brandon Denucci, Director of Government Affairs Jeffrey Robb, BNSF General Chairman Chad Shramek, CSX General Chairman Ben Craft, NJT-TD General Chairman Jared Eagle, and NS Integrated General Chairwoman Shanan Williams.
Conference sessions included safety briefings and updates from FRA officials on agency organization, training and qualification standards, confidential reporting systems, accident investigations, and ongoing industry safety initiatives. Discussions throughout the conference emphasized the importance of collaboration between rail labor and federal regulators in addressing operational risks and improving safety across the industry.
BNSF General Chairman Chad Shramek saw value in ATDA’s participation, pointing out that “The FRA conference was a great opportunity to interact with other Labor crafts across multiple Railroads. It reaffirmed my belief that, while we have very different responsibilities across the railroad, we all want a safe place to work so we can provide for our families."
ATDA’s presence also provided opportunity to raise awareness of a key issue impacting the Organization’s members. This was accomplished through a presentation to attendees that focused heavily on recurring failures and instability within railroad dispatching software systems. While addressing the conference, ATDA President Dowell voiced ATDA’s frustration regarding the inconsistent regulatory treatment of this and other dispatcher-related safety issues. “So, in one area FRA says there isn’t a regulation to enforce,” Dowell stated, referring to dispatcher software errors, “and yet where there is a regulation, Part 245 Dispatcher Certification, they have submitted notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to revoke the final regulation.”
Dowell also encouraged rail labor organizations to support the Safe Tracks Act, emphasizing that stronger oversight and accountability surrounding dispatching technology impacts the safety of railroad workers throughout the industry. “Not solely because of solidarity,” Dowell said, “but because their members’ lives may depend on it.”
