Update #2: Train Crew Size Safety Requirements

*** For those that have been following this story, you may remember our initial post in November 2022 extending the comment period. Well, The Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) recently published its final rule on April 9, 2024, in the federal register. In it, the FRA is establishing minimum safety requirements for train crews based on the type of operations being performed.

Specifically, it outlines:

• Railroad operations to have a minimum of two crewmembers except for certain identified one-person train crew operations that do not pose significant safety risks to railroad employees, the public, or the environment.
• Requirements for railroads seeking to continue certain existing one-person train crew operations and a special approval process for railroads seeking to initiate certain new one-person train crew operations.
• Requires each railroad receiving special approval for a one-person train crew operation to submit to FRA an annual report summarizing the safety of the operation.

It should be noted this final rule goes into effect June 10, 2024. For a complete look at this final rule you can click HERE NOW!

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Two for One

You may remember back in August when we told you about the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) published in the Federal Register over Railroad Staffing Requirements. Originally the comment period was set to close on September 26, 2022, however on October 27, 2022, the FRA published an announcement of public hearing and extension of the comment period. In this extension, the FRA extended the comment period 86 days from the original comment period and set a public hearing for December 14, 2022 from 9:30 a.m. (ET) to 4 p.m. (ET). The comment period is now extended to December 21, 2022. It should also be noted that in their October update it contained a mis-formatted web address which they corrected and can be viewed HERE. To view the October announcement in its entirety click HERE NOW!

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