June 24, 2025
Washington, D.C. – In a June 24 meeting of the U.S. House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, Congressman Chuy García (IL-4) questioned Wabtec Chief Technology Officer Eric Gebhardt on safety vulnerabilities created by repeated failures within his firm’s Train Dispatch Systems. Rep. Garcia went on to question Gebhardt on Wabtec’s response process when such vulnerabilities are discovered by Train Dispatch professionals.
As an example, Garcia pointed to an unnamed commuter railroad, whose Wabtec-designed (and maintained) Train Dispatch system failed multiple times each day. The only solution provided by Wabtec in response was for Train Dispatchers to restart their dispatch system computers each time as a temporary fix. Since Dispatchers were forced to do so with no backup system in place, they were effectively blinded from Train and switch positions each time the computers had to be restarted. This, in turn, circumvented their ability to provide protection, and created a severe threat to public safety. Making matters worse, as Rep. Garcia put it, “…this went on for years.”
Illustrating that the problems weren’t isolated to a particular railroad, Rep. García then referenced a recent letter sent from American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA) President Ed Dowell to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). The letter outlined key technical vulnerabilities observed in the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad’s train dispatching system, which was also developed and maintained by Wabtec.
Clearly concerned with Wabtec’s reported failure to adequately resolve such vulnerabilities in a reasonable amount of time, Rep. Garcia asked Gebhardt about Wabtec’s average response time to such reports. Gebhardt said he was unaware of the situation, offered no specific answer, and instead only expressed general concern for safety.
Unsatisfied with this answer, Garcia further pressed Gebhardt for a direct answer on the time it takes to resolve such vulnerabilities when reported by ATDA Train Dispatchers. Gebhardt once again responded vaguely, before ultimately admitting that “I don’t have that information available.”
The pattern of evasiveness continued as Gebhardt was questioned by Garcia on the steps Wabtec would take to ensure resolution of identified vulnerabilities in the future. In response, he only offered further generalities and nebulous assurances about his company’s self-described rigorous safety process.
To conclude his time of questioning, Rep. Garcia turned to Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED) President Tony Cardwell, who appeared before the subcommittee as a witness on behalf of all Rail Labor. Rep. Garcia’s question to Cardwell, was, “Should new technology, such as dispatch systems, be overseen by the Federal Railroad Administration?” Cardwell endorsed the idea unequivocally, stating “…The answer is yes. When we have workers out on the tracks and the Dispatchers are watching our back, they’re the ones that keep the trains from coming in on our workgroups. If there’s a glitch or there’s problems, that puts our workers in peril. I would argue that this should be regulated, if it’s not, and if there is an incident, where there’s a glitch like that, it would be devastating.”
As train dispatch technology continues to advance, ATDA remains firmly committed to ensuring safety for the American rail network through enhanced accountability. As President Dowell stated following the meeting, “Americans cannot afford for live rail operations to serve as the proving ground for emerging technologies that have not been subjected to adequate testing or reasonable oversight. There’s simply too much at stake to turn a blind eye on this issue, so we must require FRA oversight for any Train Dispatch system in current use or those in development.”
Watch the exchange in the video embedded below:
