Title: FRA's Current Safety Regulations and Rulemaking Proceedings | US Department of Transportation
Headings: FRA's Current Safety Regulations and Rulemaking Proceedings
FRA's Current Safety Regulations and Rulemaking Proceedings
before the
FRA’s Railroad Safety Program
The National Rail Safety Action Plan
Reducing Train Accidents Caused by Human Factors
Improving Track Safety
Improving Hazardous Materials Safety and Emergency Response Capability
Strengthening FRA’s Safety Compliance Program
Passenger Rail Safety Initiatives
Collision Hazard Analysis
Report to Congress on Push-Pull Operations of Rail Passenger Trains
Passenger Safety Rulemakings
Passenger Safety Research and Development
Conclusion
APPENDIX
Witness:
Contact info:
Testimony Mode:
Testimony Date:

Content: FRA closely tracks the railroad industry’s safety performance, and the agency uses this information to guide its accident prevention efforts and to strive continually to make better use of the wealth of available data to achieve the agency’s mission. FRA also sponsors collaborative research with the railroad industry to introduce innovative technologies to improve railroad safety. Finally, under the leadership of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, FRA plays a supportive role in the Federal rail security effort. The National Rail Safety Action Plan
As detailed in the appendix to my testimony, the railroad industry’s overall safety record has improved during recent decades, and most safety trends are moving in the right direction. However, significant train accidents continue to occur, and the train accident rate has not shown substantive improvement in recent years. Moreover, several major freight and passenger train accidents in 2004 and 2005 (such as those at Macdona, Texas; Graniteville, South Carolina; and Glendale, California) have raised public awareness and specific concerns about railroad safety issues deserving government and industry attention. On May 16, 2005, DOT and FRA launched an aggressive and ambitious National Rail Safety Action Plan to address these safety issues with the following strategy: Target the most frequent, highest-risk causes of train accidents;