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U.S.Department of Transportation
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
www.dot.gov/affairs/briefing.htm
News |
News Release: Railroads to Report New and More Detailed Information about Accidents and Incidents
Contact: Steve Kulm or Warren Flatau
Telephone: (202) 493-6024
Tuesday, September 09, 2008 (Washington, D.C.)
Railroads will be required to report new and more detailed information about train accidents, highway-rail grade crossing incidents, and injuries and illness that occur on rail property to enhance the quality and usefulness of the data under proposed revisions to federal rail safety regulations, announced Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph H. Boardman.
“Having the most accurate and complete information available for analysis is critical to ensuring appropriate and effective safety oversight,” said Boardman, adding that the many changes being proposed are designed to clarify and eliminate any confusion among railroads about what is, and is not to be reported to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).
Under the proposed rule, railroads would be required to notify the National Response Center of any highway-rail grade crossing fatality occurring within 24-hours of the incident and provide greater detail about grade crossing incidents such as whether a locomotive-mounted video recorder captured the event. They would also have to report for the first time suicides and attempted suicides to help FRA better quantify such incidents and develop mitigation strategies.
Also, passenger railroads would be required to identify whether a locomotive was pulling or pushing a train at the time of a reportable accident or incident as well as report for the first time incidents in which a rail passenger is hurt or killed when boarding or alighting a train due to any gap that exists between railcars and station platforms.
In addition, railroads would have to report all injuries and illnesses that appear or occur anywhere in the railroad-operating environment, regardless of cause, to prevent premature determinations that such conditions are not rail-related. And, railroads that are comprised of multiple operating entities or subsidiaries would be permitted to provide consolidated accident or incident reporting in order minimize potential reporting inaccuracies.
Finally, FRA is soliciting public comment on several issues including: what additional information might be gathered to address the causes of grade crossing accidents and whether railroads should provide longitude and latitude data for rail trespass incidents to assist in identifying ‘hot spots’ for such activity. FRA is also seeking comment on whether railroads should report certain accidents and incidents directly to FRA in addition to notifying the National Response Center, and how best to ensure that proper restrictions are in place on the use and public availability of suicide data.
Public comments will be accepted until November 10, 2008.
To view the proposed rule "click here”.
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