PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

No later than 18 months after the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 became law, the Secretary of Transportation must require each railroad to set up and keep a toll-free phone line for the tracks where it controls train movements. People should be able to call about broken signals or crossing gates, vehicles stuck on the tracks, things blocking a pedestrian’s or driver’s view of an approaching train, or other safety problems. For broken equipment or stuck vehicles, the railroad must immediately warn nearby trains and then notify local emergency officials if needed. For other reports, the railroad must investigate quickly and remove or fix the hazard when possible. Each crossing the railroad owns must have a sign with the toll-free number, a short explanation of its use, and the crossing’s number from the National Highway‑Rail Crossing Inventory. The Secretary can allow Class II and Class III railroads not to provide a toll-free line if it would be too costly or not needed.

Title 49, §20152

Transportation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In General.—

Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008, the Secretary of Transportation shall require each railroad carrier to—

(1)establish and maintain a toll-free telephone service for rights-of-way over which it dispatches trains, to directly receive calls reporting—

(A)malfunctions of signals, crossing gates, and other devices to promote safety at the grade crossing of railroad tracks on those rights-of-way and public or private roads;

(B)disabled vehicles blocking railroad tracks at such grade crossings;

(C)obstructions to the view of a pedestrian or a vehicle operator for a reasonable distance in either direction of a train’s approach; or

(D)other safety information involving such grade crossings;

(2)upon receiving a report pursuant to paragraph (1)(A) or (B), immediately contact trains operating near the grade crossing to warn them of the malfunction or disabled vehicle;

(3)upon receiving a report pursuant to paragraph (1)(A) or (B), and after contacting trains pursuant to paragraph (2), contact, as necessary, appropriate public safety officials having jurisdiction over the grade crossing to provide them with the information necessary for them to direct traffic, assist in the removal of the disabled vehicle, or carry out other activities as appropriate;

(4)upon receiving a report pursuant to paragraph (1)(C) or (D), timely investigate the report, remove the obstruction if possible, or correct the unsafe circumstance; and

(5)ensure the placement at each grade crossing on rights-of-way that it owns of appropriately located signs, on which shall appear, at a minimum—

(A)a toll-free telephone number to be used for placing calls described in paragraph (1) to the railroad carrier dispatching trains on that right-of-way;

(B)an explanation of the purpose of that toll-free telephone number; and

(C)the grade crossing number assigned for that crossing by the National Highway-Rail Crossing Inventory established by the Department of Transportation.

(b)Waiver.—

The Secretary may waive the requirement that the telephone service be toll-free for Class II and Class III rail carriers if the Secretary determines that toll-free service would be cost prohibitive or unnecessary.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The date of enactment of the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008, referred to in subsec. (a), is the date of enactment of div. A of Pub. L. 110–432, which was approved Oct. 16, 2008.

Amendments

2008—Pub. L. 110–432 amended section catchline and text generally. Prior to amendment, section related to a pilot program to demonstrate a system to provide emergency notification of grade crossing problems. 1996—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 104–287 substituted “

November 2, 1994” for “the date of enactment of this section” and “

November 2, 1994, an evaluation” for “that date an evaluation”.

§20152 Notification of Grade Crossing Problems