CPKC’s automated replacement for human inspectors missed dozens of defects: U.S. agency

After identifying dozens of safety issues with trains that carry potash between Canada and the U.S., the American railroad regulator rejected Canadian Pacific Kansas City’s request to replace human inspectors with automated ones on specific routes.

In a letter published earlier this month, the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) concluded remote, automated and human-free safety inspection was "not in the public interest and consistent with railroad safety at this time," even though the same system has been used on some routes in Canada for nearly five years.