In a follow-up to the TCU article published March 8th 2018:
The Association of American Railroads (AAR), on behalf of itself and its member railroads, recently petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for a waiver of compliance from Federal railroad safety regulations which require brake tests to be performed on a train when it has been off-air for four hours. AAR specifically requested that the four-hour off-air restriction be replaced by a 24-hour off-air restriction.
The Brotherhood Railway Carman (BRC) joined with four other rail unions to oppose AAR’s petition for waiver because the requested relief could endanger the safety of both railroad workers and the general public. TCU is pleased to announce that the FRA’s Railroad Safety Board (Board) reviewed AAR’s waiver petition and “concluded that granting the requested relief would not be in the public interest or consistent with railroad safety.” In making this decision, the Board noted that “AAR’s request amounted to a request for a regulatory change which would be more appropriately addressed through the rule-making process” and that the lack of supporting data failed “to capture the wide variety of operating conditions experienced over seasons and time periods by representative train sets operating in the United States.” In the absence of “more detailed data demonstrating that safety would not be compromised,” the Board concluded the waiver request was not justified.
“This is a big win for rail labor,” said Brotherhood Railway Carmen Division General President Rich Johnson. “The Board made the right decision; a decision which will promote the safety of all railroad employees and the general public as well.”
Click here to view the decision letter from the FRA