So argue supporters.

An employee with a remote control unit can better control the movement of the train, its stops and starts, as well as avoid miscommunication sometimes found in conventional railroad operations. The units can also monitor any problems such as the air pressure in car brakes.

"It is a safety initiative," said Fred Rutt, Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway Co. (BNSF) superintendent. "It places control of the locomotive and cars in the hands of the person on the ground making decisions."

Rutt said remote-controlled trains would only be used in switching operations, not in road train operations.

Remote-controlled trains are manned by two people, one at each end of the train. The remote unit is attached on the employee's vest and only one person can command the train at a time, although the train can be stopped by either employee. The unit's operating range is one mile and if one of the operators is further away the locomotive's throttle will be cut.

Transfer of control from one operator to another can only be done if the train is stopped and the second operator hits the reset button within 10 seconds. The operator controls the speed of the train by adjusting the throttle and brakes. BNSF limits a locomotive's speed to a maximum of 10 mph.

In addition, if the unit does not detect operator use within a certain time, an alarm goes off. If not reset, the train automatically stops. If the units tilts 45 degrees for more than three seconds, an alarm goes off. A bell also sounds whenever the train starts moving.

"It (the unit) has safety features that are not there now," said Rutt. "There are a lot of comments out there that this will be unsafe, but that is not true. Using them does not change the requirements we are under now in traversing a crossing."

Using the units will not eliminate jobs, either, Rutt said. The engineer operating the train would be working a different position. Those who use the remote units are trained conductors who have had at least 13 weeks of railroad safety instruction. They receive a week of classroom teaching, followed by another week of field training. Certification comes with the passing of an exam.

The usage of remote-controlled locomotives in Superior became an issue last winter when the City Council gave Cenex/Harvest States Cooperative an easement to build a new track along the east/west alley between Tower and Hammond Avenues and North Third Street for 110-car shuttle trains.

According to Cenex/Harvest States spokesperson Lisa Graham-Peterson, the new track should be completed by the end of this summer.

"Today the use of 110-car train is the standard in the industry," said Graham-Peterson. "It is just so more efficient. It benefits the customer that is buying the grain because we can deliver the grain faster."

At this time, Cenex/Harvest States utilizes a 52-car train system. The new system will mean fewer train arrivals, since the 110-car trains will deliver more product at a time. In addition, the unloading of grain will be lowered to 15 hours.

While having larger trains rolling through the city will mean more switching of cars, Graham-Peterson said Cenex/Harvest States is confident any use of remote control units will work fine.

"The safety controls on them are impressive," Graham-Peterson said.