Oberstar Railroad Safety Bill Passes House

Press Release

Oberstar Railroad Safety Bill Passes House

Today, the House of Representatives approved tough new legislation to protect communities from accidents on our nation's railroads. "A train wreck involving a toxic cargo can do as much damage to a populated area as a weapon of mass destruction; this legislation will protect American communities," said Congressman Jim Oberstar.

As chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Oberstar was the primary author of this essential bill that overhauls federal railroad safety regulations. The bill changes the name of the Federal Railroad Administration to the Federal Railroad Safety Administration. With that new name comes a mandate by Congress to make railroad maintenance and safety the agency's highest priority.

The legislation also calls for new "hours-of-service" rules that prohibit railroad workers from working more than 12 hours at a time. Other requirements will ensure that railroad crews have adequate rest before their shift begins. According to the Federal Railroad Administration, the number of train accidents, including collisions and derailments, increased from 2,504 in 1994 to 3,325 in 2005. One in four railroad accidents is caused by fatigue.

"A crew operating a freight train that is traveling through your community should be rested and ready to react to any situation," said Oberstar.

Commercial airline pilots are prohibited from working more than 100 hours a month, over the road truck drivers are limited to 350 hours a month, but train crews can be required to work up to 432 hours a month. "Fatigue causes workers to make poor judgments," Oberstar said during today's floor debate on the bill. "If you have any question about it, just look at some of the things we say around this body at two, three or four o'clock in the morning after 14 or 16 hours of debate. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense when you're listening to it or when you read it, and it doesn't make any better sense in the locomotive."

Oberstar has long sponsored legislation to strengthen hours-of-service rules. The railroads fought against it, stating that hours-of-service should be dealt with at the collective bargaining table. "I believe that the safety of railroad workers and the safety of the general public, which all too often are the victims in these train accidents, should not be relegated to a negotiation between management and labor," said Oberstar.

Other reforms in the bill include new higher standards for inspecting railroad tracks and tunnels and updated requirements for making railroad crossings safer.

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