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

Date of Publication:  March 1991

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

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

Report No: GAO/RCED-91-72

Abstract:

Today, the nation’s railroads operate over 1 million cars on more than 200,000 miles of track. Between 1985 and 1989, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) identified about 76,000 safety violations and assessed penalties totaling about $29 million. Concerned about railroad
safety, the Chairman, House Committee on Energy and Commerce, asked GAO to assess the effectiveness of FRA'S safety program. This report, the sixth in a series, focuses on FRA’s enforcement program. GAO determined whether the program (1) encourages railroads to comply with FRA’S safety regulations; (2) is being uniformly implemented; and (3) is timely in reviewing, transmitting, and settling penalties. This report follows a July 1990 report on FRA’s inspection program. Taken together, these reports assess the two components - inspection and
enforcement - of FRA’S safety program.
 

No. of Pages:  29