(Source: U.S. Department of Transportation press release, May 9, 2023)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — As part of its ongoing work to protect the American public, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration laid out a new round of steps focused on the safety and accountability of the freight rail industry. In recent days, FRA has issued two safety advisories to railroad companies—one regarding the length of trains, which can be more than one or two miles long; and another on weight distribution of railcars and how that affects the risk of derailment. FRA has also issued a new report summarizing rail safety violations in 2022, and it completed safety training with personnel from around the country, an important opportunity to share updated safety practices.
Meanwhile, House Republicans recently passed legislation that would cut discretionary spending by 22%, which would lead to nearly 7,500 fewer rail safety inspection days and over 30,000 fewer miles of track inspected annually—enough track to cross the United States nearly 10 times. By contrast President Biden’s FY2024 Budget calls for an investment of more than $1 billion to expand USDOT’s core rail safety efforts and improve critical infrastructure.
Some safety measures include:
- Safety Advisory on Long Trains
- Safety Advisory on Train Makeup
- Safety Advisory for Tank Car Covers
- Safety Advisory for Emergency Response Plans
- Safety Advisory on Tank Car Type
- Safety Advisory for Hot Bearing Detectors
- Safety Bulletin on Hand-Operated Main Track Switches
- Safety Bulletin on Car Switching Hazards
The list of USDOT’s ongoing work to improve rail safety can be found at the link below.
Full story: www.transportation.gov