§20148 Railroad car visibility

Summary

The Secretary of Transportation must review the Department’s rules about how easy it is to see railroad cars and gather real-world data from railroads that already use improved visibility. If the review shows improved visibility would likely make things safer in a cost-effective way, the Secretary must begin rulemaking to set visibility standards for newly manufactured and remanufactured railroad cars. The rulemaking must look at six things: how cars look to people outside trains, paint colors, reflective materials, lettering visibility, effects on crew health and safety, and the cost/benefit. The Secretary may exempt whole categories of trains or operations if doing so is in the public interest and still safe.