The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) plans to increase the number of safety inspectors who monitor railroad bridges from less than 10 to approximately 170. Inspectors audit railroads’ bridge management programs to ensure safe maintenance practices and identify potential weaknesses.
Several states recently approached the FRA to state they were interested in helping to ensure bridge safety standards compliance.
In November, 163 federal track inspectors and their state counterparts in FRA’s State Safety Participation Program will undergo bridge safety training to address bridge mechanics. The focus will be on identifying critical defects that could indicate a railroad’s bridge inspection program is not sufficient.
“The Bridge Safety Standards have long helped assure that railroad bridges are safe,” FRA Acting Administrator Drew Feeley said. “The addition of this training for existing inspectors will give FRA many more opportunities to confirm the structural soundness of railroad bridges. We will continue to find new and cost-effective ways to improve safety.”
Training modules will include the components of a Bridge Management Program; bridge fundamentals; timber, steel, and concrete bridges; and the processes, protocols, and coordination necessary for the initiative to succeed.
Once their training is complete, inspectors can recommend civil penalty violations for certain critical defects observed in the field.