Enhancing Rail Safety Now and Into the 21st Century: The Federal Railroad Administration's Safety Programs and Initiatives.

摘要

The report is in response to the Senate Committee on Appropriations Report 104-126 accompanying the Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriation Bill for FY 1996. The Committee requested that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) prepare a report that assesses the benefits of its new safety program. The program, known as the Safety Assurance and Compliance Program, complements correction of safety issues on a site-by-site basis with a comprehensive approach to systemic safety issues. The report underscores the safety partnership approach and is being implemented with sound results. The Safety Assurance and Compliance Program builds upon FRA's traditional safety inspection and enforcement program and continues to emphasize this program of site-based inspections followed by the use of enforcement tools, as appropriate. The goal of the report is continuous improvement of rail safety. FRA's safety partnerships, which include representation from Federal and State entities, rail labor, rail management, suppliers, customers, and the public, have resulted in identification and resolution of many systemic safety problems. More importantly, all of the parties have a vested interest in the process, thereby ensuring continued cooperative efforts to improve safety on the Nation's rail system.