Railway Seeks Renewal of Near-Miss Reporting Shield
Published Date: 6/9/2026
Notice
Summary
St. Mary's Railway West wants to keep its special safety break that lets train workers report close calls without fear of punishment. This helps everyone stay safer by encouraging honest sharing of near-misses. The public can share their thoughts on this by August 10, 2026, but no money changes are involved.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Crew Members Shielded from Discipline
St. Mary's Railway West asked the FRA to extend a waiver so certified operating crew members who report close calls through the Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS) are protected from mandatory punitive sanctions under certain provisions of 49 CFR parts 240 and 242 (for example Sec. 240.117(e)(1)-(4) and Sec. 242.403(e)(1)-(4)). The petition was filed April 7, 2026 and is in Docket FRA-2021-0079; FRA will consider comments received by August 10, 2026.
Railroad Protected from Sanctions
St. Mary's Railway West requested extension of relief so the railroad itself would be shielded from disciplinary actions or sanctions that would otherwise arise from incidents reported under the C3RS Program, as described in its April 7, 2026 petition (Docket FRA-2021-0079). FRA will accept public comments on the petition through August 10, 2026.
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