The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) have different approaches to rail safety oversight, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.
GAO examined the key characteristics of the administrations’ rail safety oversight programs and the administrations’ strengths and limitations.
Both agencies are within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the department was given additional authority to oversee the safety of rail transit in 2012 and 2015.
FTA is implementing this authority while FRA has traditionally been the administration to implement safety oversight of commuter, intercity passenger, and freight railroads.
FTA’s program relies on state safety agencies to monitor and enforce rail transit safety, but it does not provide all the necessary guidance and support the agencies need to ensure they develop effective and appropriate rail transit safety inspection programs.
FRA has a centralized safety oversight program for railroads that includes a risk-based inspection program, enforcement authorities, and safety regulations.
“GAO recommends that FTA (1) create a plan, with timeline, for developing risk-based inspection guidance for state safety agencies, and (2) develop and communicate a method for how FTA will monitor whether state safety agencies’ enforcement practices are effective,” GAO said. “DOT agreed with our recommendations.”