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DOT's Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has issued a
notice of proposed rulemaking that aims to protect communities from crude oil and hazardous materials incidents by strengthening requirements for securing unattended freight trains.
According to FRA, the proposed rule would require railroads to:
- prevent trains or vehicles transporting specified hazardous materials from being left unattended on a mainline track or side track outside a yard, unless specific securement requirements;
- develop a plan identifying such locations or circumstances, verify securement by qualified persons and ensure that locks on locomotive cab are secure;
- include securement requirements in job briefings;
- perform additional inspections by qualified persons when emergency responders have been on equipment;
- install locking mechanisms on locomotive doors and repair them in a timely manner.
"While our existing securement regulations have been largely successful, it's important in light of events over the past year that we take additional steps to mitigate risk here in the U.S.," says FRA's Joseph Szabo. "This rulemaking will solidify our existing securement regulations and provide additional safeguards against the rolling of unattended freight trains, especially those carrying hazardous materials."
