Authors: U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO)

Date of Publication:  April 1994

Sponsoring Agency:  U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO)

Performing Organization:  U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO)

Report No: GAO/RCED-94-56

Abstract:

The Rail Safety Enforcement and Review Act of 1992 requires GAO to report to the Congress on the effectiveness of the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) enforcement of track safety standards. Within DOT, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) sets standards and develops regulations for the safety of the nation’s 635 railroads and over 200,000 miles of track.

Since 1987, GAO has issued many reports identifying weaknesses in FRA’s rail safety inspection and enforcement programs and recommended improvements in the data and methods used to oversee the rail industry. This report addresses (1) the improvement FRA has made in its track inspection program by correcting problems noted in past GAO reports and
(2) the implementation problems that still limit the effectiveness of track inspections. In addition, this report addresses an emerging rail safety issue requiring FRA’s attention - federal oversight of track not currently subject to track safety standards (excepted track).
 

No. of Pages:  62