Rail safety bill clears Senate transportation panel

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved a labor-backed rail safety bill calling for a relaxation of employee work rules to prevent fatigue and for the railroads to acquire improved safety technology.

The legislation (S. 1889), which was sponsored by Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J, and cleared on a voice vote, would require the Transportation Department to update railroad hours-of-service laws to give employees more rest time. Under current rules, they can be compelled to work up to 400 hours per month, according to union officials.

In addition, the bill calls for reducing so-called limbo time, periods in which workers have to remain at work sites as reserves.

The bill would also require railroads to develop safety risk reductions programs that would include plans to install by 2018 Positive Train Control systems, technology designed to bring a moving train to a halt automatically if the engineer fails to apply the brake before a stop signal. Its use on rail networks has been recommended by the National Transportation Safety Board since 1990.

The bill would also direct the Transportation Department to conduct a review of all local, state and federal laws on safety at grade crossings, and to develop a national strategy to prevent accidents at the junctures. The department would be further directed to issue regulations requiring railroads to develop safety training programs for employees, including those working for subcontractors.

A similar rail safety bill cleared committee in the House earlier this year.

The rail industry has opposed the work rule changes proposed in the legislation, arguing that railroad employees are not overworked. In testimony before the Senate committee earlier this year, a railroad representative said the 83 percent of railroad employees worked less than 200 hours a month, as opposed to 350 hours for trucking industry.