A former railroad engineer’s allegations of unsafe working conditions caused by long hours and unpredictable scheduling have raised concerns about rail safety not only locally but also nationwide.

Gene McDaniel, who recently quit his job with BNSF Railway Co. after nearly 18 years as an engineer and conductor, blew the whistle on the rail company in a recent Whitefish Pilot article that was reprinted in the Nov. 26 Daily Inter Lake. He said BNSF in September changed the way it schedules crews working on the Hi-Line through the northern tier of Montana. The change, he alleges, makes it nearly impossible to know what day or time employees might be called to work.

McDaniel’s claims are backed by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. The union’s national president penned a letter to railroad executives and federal officials, warning about rail safety because workers are forced to work when fatigued. The union boss alleges variable schedules and punitive attendance policies are violations of the Federal Rail Safety Act.

BNSF has stated that safety is paramount, and pointed out 2014 was the rail company’s best year on record for safety. Its statistics seem to contradict McDaniel and the union. A 2013 BNSF report noted an injury frequency rate of 1.08 per 200,000 work hours. This was a 3 percent decrease from 2012.

Though BNSF acknowledged it changed scheduling recently, its hours-of-service limits haven’t changed, the rail company maintains. Rules regarding the maximum number of hours worked and the required amount of rest are set by the Federal Railroad Administration, BNSF spokesman Matt Jones said. He noted the run lengths haven’t changed and “there isn’t any aspect of the new arrangement that will lead to longer periods of time on duty.”

We can say with certainty that no one wants trains operated by a fatigued crew running through our valley — or anywhere, especially when we know some of those rail cars contain crude oil and any number of other hazardous materials. In the interests of safety, BNSF would be well advised to listen carefully to the concerns of its work force and make any needed accommodations.

With more than 200 railroad crossings between Havre and Spokane that require a train whistle to blow, the potential for collisions is a constant factor. We want train operators rested and at their best on the job.