{ "id": "RL34128", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "RL34128", "active": false, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 344458, "date": "2008-09-25", "retrieved": "2016-04-07T03:08:58.920590", "title": "Federal Railroad Safety Programs: Selected Issues in Proposed Reauthorization Legislation", "summary": "The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is the federal agency primarily responsible for safety in the rail industry. FRA\u2019s safety programs were last authorized in 1994; their authorization expired in 1998. Most measures of rail safety have improved significantly since FRA\u2019s last authorization, including the number of grade crossing collisions and fatalities and the number of employee injuries and deaths. These improvements came while the amount of both freight and passenger rail activity on the nation\u2019s rail infrastructure was increasing. However, the improvements in safety measures have leveled off in recent years. Given significant projected continued increases in freight and passenger rail activity in the coming decade, there is concern that without additional efforts, some of the gains of the past decade may be lost.\nAmong the issues that have dominated debate thus far are alleged shortcomings in the rail hours of service statute (49 U.S.C. 21101 et seq) that limit the act\u2019s effectiveness in preventing fatigue among train operating crews, which may be a contributing factor in a significant number of train accidents. A related issue is limbo time, time that train operating crews spend on shift, but not engaged in safety-related duties, after they have reached the limit of their shift under the rail hours of service act, which also contributes to fatigue. Unlike the hours of service rules for other transportation modes, the rail hours of service rules are set in law and cannot be altered through the regulatory process. Other prominent issues have included implementation by railroads of automated collision-prevention technology in trains, the adequacy of FRA track inspections, and safety at highway-rail grade crossings.\nThe House (on October 17, 2007) and Senate (on August 1, 2008) passed differing versions of H.R. 2095, the Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act. On September 24, 2008, the House agreed to the Senate amendment with an amendment pursuant to H.Res. 1492. This amended version of H.R. 2095 incorporated another piece of legislation, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (differing versions of which were previously passed by both the Senate and House as S. 294), which reauthorizes Amtrak and federal passenger rail programs. Further action is now up to the Senate. According to press reports and information at the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee\u2019s website, the amended H.R. 2095 includes provisions that would increase the length of the minimum rest period under the rail hours of service act and give FRA the authority to further increase the minimum rest period through regulation, increase the number of FRA safety inspectors, and mandate implementation of positive train control. It would also authorize about $13 billion in funding for Amtrak and passenger rail activities, and direct the Department of Transportation (DOT) to solicit bits to develop and operate high-speed rail lines in 11 corridors, including the Northeast Corridor (for further information about Amtrak reauthorization, see CRS Report RL33492, Amtrak: Budget and Reauthorization, by John Frittelli and David Randall Peterman).\nThis report will be updated.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/RL34128", "sha1": "9cd3ba7c3fdaadc9a4043222054d6e146929fae7", "filename": "files/20080925_RL34128_9cd3ba7c3fdaadc9a4043222054d6e146929fae7.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL34128", "sha1": "2da57da7c79721ac2926c3828f7cdfac66ae05b2", "filename": "files/20080925_RL34128_2da57da7c79721ac2926c3828f7cdfac66ae05b2.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc810745/", "id": "RL34128_2008Jan31", "date": "2008-01-31", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Federal Railroad Safety Programs: Selected Issues in Proposed Reauthorization Legislation", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20080131_RL34128_30f9ad69456f161f39d7af643d5c94c3f348e50c.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20080131_RL34128_30f9ad69456f161f39d7af643d5c94c3f348e50c.html" } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc814911/", "id": "RL34128_2007Oct05", "date": "2007-10-05", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Federal Railroad Safety Programs: Selected Issues in Proposed Reauthorization Legislation", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20071005_RL34128_618be4210ab5b8f94a9e00e57c809ce85b09a1b5.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20071005_RL34128_618be4210ab5b8f94a9e00e57c809ce85b09a1b5.html" } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc808136/", "id": "RL34128_2007Aug10", "date": "2007-08-10", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Federal Railroad Safety Programs: Selected Issues in Proposed Reauthorization Legislation", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20070810_RL34128_5c62e123424c75c0042319b9630b3a6c1951510d.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20070810_RL34128_5c62e123424c75c0042319b9630b3a6c1951510d.html" } ], "topics": [] } ], "topics": [] }