Wednesday, April 29, 1998 (Washington, DC) FRA DEVELOPS RULES TO IMPROVE SAFETY IN EMERGENCIES ON PASSENGER TRAINS

Federal Railroad Administrator Jolene M. Molitoris today announced critical steps to improve railroad safety by requiring railroads to meet minimum standards for emergency response and to mark, inspect, maintain and repair emergency exit doors and windows for all passenger rail operations in the United States.

The Emergency Preparedness Final Rule was developed in response to the Federal Railroad Safety Authorization Act of 1994.

"Safety is President Clinton’s highest transportation priority as we approach the 21st century," said Administrator Molitoris. "Tragic incidents in recent years demonstrated the need to accelerate our plans to improve the way railroads respond to emergency situations. This final rule on emergency preparedness requires improved safety training and emergency plans, and enhances the management of emergency situations."

Under the final rule to be published in the Monday, May 4, 1998 Federal Register, railroads that operate passenger trains, including freight and passenger railroads hosting passenger service, are required to have emergency response plans addressing communications during emergency situations, employee training and qualification on plan provisions, joint operations, tunnel safety, liaison with emergency responder organizations, and onboard emergency equipment.

Passenger railroads are also required to make passengers aware of emergency procedures to follow before an emergency situation arises, enabling them to respond properly during an emergency. In accordance with the new rule, passenger railroads must educate passengers about their role in cooperating in emergencies by conspicuously and legibly posting emergency instructions inside each passenger car.

The final rule requires all railroads to mark, inspect, and test emergency exits. Smaller commuter railroads are required to conduct emergency situation simulations on their systems at least once every two calendar years, while larger commuter operations and Amtrak must do so at least once each year. All railroads with passenger service are required to conduct debriefing and critique sessions after an actual or simulated emergency.

An advisory committee created and led by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) including representatives of rail labor and management, rail passenger organizations and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), helped developed the final rule. In 1996, after incidents in Secaucus, N.J., and Silver Spring, Md., commuter railroads nationwide completed the process of implementing a series of rail passenger safety initiatives building on the safety provisions of FRA’s Emergency Order No. 20.

Emergency Order 20 required immediate measures concerning railroad operating rules, emergency exit markings, and the development of a comprehensive interim system safety plan addressing passenger train cab car forward and multiple unit operations that do not have either cab signal, automatic train stop, or automatic train control systems. The order required certain components to be effective on March 4, 1996, and within 30 days, additional requirements were imposed concerning employee briefings wayside signal signage and the submission of an interim system safety plan. Within 60 days, railroads were required to complete emergency exit markings. Within 90 days, railroads were required to determine extent of compliance with the foregoing operating rule requirements.

The emergency preparedness regulations announced today constitute the second phase in a four-phase process that began in 1994. In the first phase, the FRA encouraged railroads to examine their programs to determine what improvements could be made, while in the third phase, the FRA will review the railroad plans to determine if all emergency preparedness issues have been adequately addressed. In the fourth phase, which should be concluded within three years following publication of the final rule, the FRA will review the implementation and effectiveness of these standards and related voluntary developments, and will address the need for further rulemaking activity.