The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, announced today that the number of safety inspectors who monitor railroad bridges will dramatically increase from less than 10 to more than 160.
Specifically, Federal track inspectors and their State counterparts in FRA’s State Safety Participation Program will soon begin field inspections of railroad bridges that could result in recommendations for civil penalties when defects are found. A small FRA team already audits railroads’ bridge management programs to ensure safe maintenance practices and identify potential weaknesses. They will soon be joined by more than 160 inspectors who will undergo training to assess railroads’ compliance with Bridge Safety Standards as part of regular field inspections.
FRA was recently approached by several state partners interested in helping to ensure compliance with the Bridge Safety Standards. Accordingly, FRA is using existing authority to enable its own inspectors and participating state agency inspectors to review railroad bridge safety under current regulations. FRA appreciates the important role state inspectors play to supplement federal inspectors and provide more resources to confirm the safety of the railroad network.
The new training will address bridge mechanics, with a focus on critical defects that could indicate a railroad’s bridge inspection program is not sufficient to identify deficiencies. After training, inspectors may observe any railroad bridge for general condition and safety, and they may recommend civil penalty violations for certain critical defects if observed in the field.
Based on current staffing levels, 163 Federal and State Track Inspectors are expected to undergo new bridge safety training starting in November. Maintaining safety inspector levels is a priority for FRA. The training will include modules on bridge fundamentals; timber, steel, and concrete bridges; the components of a Bridge Management Program (BMP); and the processes, protocols, and coordination necessary for this initiative to succeed. The training will result in more observations of railroad bridges in the field and more audits of the railroads for compliance with the Bridge Safety Standards.
-via Press Release
