This is a follow up to the October 19th article regarding the Kansas City Southern Railway Company’s (KCS) petition to allow Class III air brake tests currently required by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to be performed at the U.S. / Mexican border by American inspectors to be instead performed by Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM) at one of KCSM’s inspection locations in Mexico by Mexican inspectors.
We are pleased to announce that, on March 8, 2019, the FRA Railroad Safety Board (Board) issued a decision denying KCS’s petition. More specifically, the Board found that granting KCS’s request was “not in the public interest or consistent with railroad safety.” In addition, the Board also noted that there was “a general lack of supporting information” in the KCS request. In fact, the Board particularly noted that KCS could not show that performing Class III air brake tests on the International Bridge posed a significant safety risk to its trains or that performing these tests at the International Bridge blocked crossings in nearby communities.
KCS’s recent attempt was the fourth time in the last 15 years that an American railroad has petitioned FRA to move required tests and inspections into Mexico to be performed by Mexican inspectors. “This was a big win for both American railroad workers and the general public,” said BRC General President Rich Johnson. “Had FRA granted the KCS petition, other railroads could have also petitioned FRA for the same type of relief, leading to more American job loss and compromised safety of our nation’s railroad network.”
Click here to view the FRA Railroad Safety Board’s decision.
Click here to read the release from the TTD.