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For instance, all the major freight railroads have sensors installed along their lines that listen for the sound of flat spots developing on a car's wheels. The railroads can then replace the worn wheels before they have a chance to damage the rails or break. Other sensors along the tracks measure the temperature of wheel bearings as trains pass by to identify faulty ones. Union Pacific built an ultrasonic wheel-testing facility at its North Platte, Neb., railyard to help spot defective wheels. The robotic system scans every wheel in UP's coal fleet once every 60-to-90 days. The railroads have also improved safety training for workers and developed simulators for training that are based on video-game technology, so employees have a chance to practice before working with real trains. "Derailments are bad business all the way around," said Zarembski, who led a railroad consulting company for 27 years. But railroad crossing accidents, where a car's driver pulls in front of a train, are difficult to eliminate unless crossings are closed, Zarembski said, because it takes several miles to stop a moving train. The AAR trade group says most of the accidents at railroad crossings are caused by motorist error. For instance, government statistics show that 598 of last year's 1,960 crossing accidents were caused by motorists failing to stop. Another 444 accidents were caused by drivers stopping on tracks. Still, safety has improved in that area as well because of the efforts of groups such as Operation Lifesaver, a nonprofit organization that makes motorists more aware of the hazards of crossings. There has also been a decline in the number of crossings as more elevated tracks and overpasses are built.
[Associated
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