Senate Passes Final
Version of FRA Re-Authorization Bill
As we previously reported, the
bill to re-authorize the Federal
Railroad Administration gained new life
in the 2nd Session of the 110th
Congress as a response to the recent
train crash in Los Angeles that resulted
in the death of 25 commuters. This
tragedy spurred the House of
Representatives to pass the FRA
re-authorization and on October 1st
the Senate voted 74-24 to pass the same
bill. The Rail Safety Improvement Act of
2008 and the Passenger Rail Investment
and Improvement Act of 2008 will
restructure the FRA to make safety and
security its single highest priority.
ACRE is pleased to report that the final
version of the bill contains the
amendments that ACRE supported as a more
sensible approach to fatigue and
railroad safety on commuter railroads.
The final bill recognizes that freight
and commuter employees work in very
different environments. It makes
allowances for localized Hours of
Service Regulations on commuter
railroads and provides a more realistic
approach to scheduling than the original
bill imposed on both freight and
commuter railroads alike. The bill also
provides a 3 year moratorium on Hours of
Service changes for commuter railroads
to allow the FRA more time to study this
issue.
The final version of the legislation has
been sent to the White House where the
President’s signature is expected.
