On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced it had issued a proposed rule on crew requirements for safety purposes.
The new requirement would require two train crewmembers for over-the-road railroad operations, with some exceptions for low risk operations and mitigating circumstances. The new rules are designed to protect railroad employees, the public and the environment, the agency said.
“For the past few years, our rail workers have worked hard to keep people and goods moving on our nation’s railroads, despite a global pandemic and supply chain challenges,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “This proposed rule will improve safety for America’s rail passengers—and rail workers—across the country.”
The agency said the proposal would enhance safety nationwide by replacing state laws regarding crew size with a uniform federal standard. Without federal guidelines, the agency said, railroads may be “subject to disparate requirements in every state in which they operation.” The proposed rule also sets guidelines on the location of crewmembers on a moving train, and would prohibit trains without a minimum of two crewmembers from transporting large amounts of certain hazardous materials.
“We are committed to data-driven decision making,” said FRA Administrator Amit Bose. “In cases where railroads wish to operate with fewer than two crewmembers, we are proposing that they perform a rigorous, thorough, and transparent risk assessment and hazard analysis, and FRA will provide an opportunity for public comment on these submissions.”
Historically, train crews were multi-person operations. In the 1960s, train crews averaged around five members, and dropped to two by the end of the 1990s. Current industry practice is to have two-person crews of a locomotive engineer and a conductor. The proposed rule would allow railroad to petition the FRA to continue operations with one-person crews, or to seek approval for new train operations with fewer than two crewmembers.