A federal requirement for two-person crews on long-haul locomotives was upheld Tuesday afternoon by an appeals court that rejected a challenge from an association of railroad owners. The railroads and trade associations challenged Federal Railroad Agency (FRA), its administrator, and the U.S. Department of Transportation. SMART-TD mounted a coordinated nationwide effort to make sure railroad workers’ real-world experiences became part of the federal record, Banks said Tuesday. “When FRA asked for public comments, SMART-TD went to work,” said SMART-TD National Safety and Legislative Director Jared Cassity. Those public comments became important when railroad attorneys attempted to dismiss firsthand accounts supporting two-person crews as mere “anecdotes,” Banks said.