Railroad Safety Technical Training Standards - Overview

The Technical Training Standards Division (TTSD) manages the Office of Railroad Safety’s Technical Training Program for over 650 Federal and participating State railroad safety inspectors and specialists of the six technical disciplines. To accomplish this mission, the TTSD designs, develops, and delivers specialized internal courses, in accordance with a rigorous model construct referred to as a Systematic Approach to Training (SAT).  TTSD also administers contract training from external sources as necessary.

Technical training is based on organizational needs, analyzed each year, and is mandatory. Each year, TTSD develops a catalog of courses and a training calendar of formal classroom training. On average, TTSD manages approximately 50 classes in 23 different courses of study each year. 

TTSD also develops, implements, and monitors a formal on-the-job training program for new safety inspectors and inspector trainees. FRA's 8 regions are responsible for actual implementation of the on-the-job training program.