(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(1)
(A) it is in the public interest to grant the waiver;
(B) the waiver is not inconsistent with railroad safety; and
(C) the waiver is necessary to address an actual or impending emergency situation or emergency event.
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Revised Section |
Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
---|---|---|
20103(a) | 45:431(a) (1st sentence cl. (1)). | Oct. 16, 1970, Pub. L. 91–458, §202(a) (1st sentence cl. (1)), (b), (c), 84 Stat. 971. |
20103(b) | 45:431(d) (21st–last words). | Oct. 16, 1970, Pub. L. 91–458, §202(d), 84 Stat. 971; restated July 8, 1976, Pub. L. 94–348, §5(a), 90 Stat. 819. |
20103(c) | 45:431(d) (1st–20th words). | |
20103(d) | 45:431(c). | |
20103(e) | 45:431(b). |
In this part, the word "rule" is omitted as being synonymous with "regulation". The word "standard" is omitted as being included in "regulation".
In subsection (a), the words "(hereafter in this subchapter referred to as the 'Secretary')" in 45:431(a) (1st sentence cl. (1)) are omitted as surplus because the complete name of the Secretary of Transportation is used the first time the term appears in a section.
In subsection (b), the words "within 180 days after July 8, 1976" are omitted as expired. The word "prescribe" is substituted for "take such action as may be necessary to develop and publish" for consistency in the revised title and with other titles of the United States Code and to eliminate unnecessary words.
In subsection (d), the words "after hearing in accordance with subsection (b) of this section" are omitted as surplus because of the language restated in subsection (e) of this section.
Amendments
2008—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 110–432, §308(1), substituted "Nonemergency Waivers" for "Waivers" in heading.
Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 110–432, §308(2), added subsec. (e) and struck out former subsec. (e). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: "The Secretary shall conduct a hearing as provided by section 553 of title 5 when prescribing a regulation or issuing an order under this chapter, including a regulation or order establishing, amending, or waiving compliance with a railroad safety regulation prescribed or order issued under this chapter. An opportunity for an oral presentation shall be provided."
Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 110–432, §308(3), added subsec. (g).
2002—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 107–296 inserted at end "When prescribing a security regulation or issuing a security order that affects the safety of railroad operations, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall consult with the Secretary."
1994—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 103–440 added subsec. (f).
Effective Date of 2002 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 107–296 effective 60 days after Nov. 25, 2002, see section 4 of Pub. L. 107–296, set out as an Effective Date note under section 101 of Title 6, Domestic Security.
Regulations
Pub. L. 103–272, §4(t), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1372, provided that:
"(1) Not later than March 3, 1995, the Secretary of Transportation shall complete a regulatory proceeding to consider prescribing regulations to improve the safety and working conditions of locomotive cabs. The proceeding shall assess—
"(A) the adequacy of Locomotive Crashworthiness Requirements Standard S–580, or any successor standard, adopted by the Association of American Railroads in 1989 in improving the safety of locomotive cabs; and
"(B) the extent to which environmental, sanitary, and other working conditions in locomotive cabs affect productivity, health, and the safe operation of locomotives.
"(2)
"(A) the costs and benefits associated with equipping locomotives with—
"(i) braced collision posts;
"(ii) rollover protection devices;
"(iii) deflection plates;
"(iv) shatterproof windows;
"(v) readily accessible crash refuges;
"(vi) uniform sill heights;
"(vii) anticlimbers, or other equipment designed to prevent overrides resulting from head-on locomotive collisions;
"(viii) equipment to deter post-collision entry of flammable liquids into locomotive cabs;
"(ix) any other devices intended to provide crash protection for occupants of locomotive cabs; and
"(x) functioning and regularly maintained sanitary facilities; and
"(B) the effects on train crews of the presence of asbestos in locomotive components.
"(3)
Real-Time Emergency Response Information
Pub. L. 114–94, div. A, title VII, §7302, Dec. 4, 2015, 129 Stat. 1594, provided that:
"(a)
"(1) require a Class I railroad transporting hazardous materials—
"(A) to generate accurate, real-time, and electronic train consist information, including—
"(i) the identity, quantity, and location of hazardous materials on a train;
"(ii) the point of origin and destination of the train;
"(iii) any emergency response information or resources required by the Secretary; and
"(iv) an emergency response point of contact designated by the Class I railroad; and
"(B) to enter into a memorandum of understanding with each applicable fusion center to provide the fusion center with secure and confidential access to the electronic train consist information described in subparagraph (A) for each train transporting hazardous materials in the jurisdiction of the fusion center;
"(2) require each applicable fusion center to provide the electronic train consist information described in paragraph (1)(A) to State and local first responders, emergency response officials, and law enforcement personnel that are involved in the response to or investigation of an accident, incident, or public health or safety emergency involving the rail transportation of hazardous materials and that request such electronic train consist information;
"(3) require each Class I railroad to provide advanced notification and information on high-hazard flammable trains to each State emergency response commission, consistent with the notification content requirements in Emergency Order Docket No. DOT–OST–2014–0067, including—
"(A) a reasonable estimate of the number of implicated trains that are expected to travel, per week, through each county within the applicable State;
"(B) updates to such estimate prior to making any material changes to any volumes or frequencies of trains traveling through a county;
"(C) identification and a description of the Class 3 flammable liquid being transported on such trains;
"(D) applicable emergency response information, as required by regulation;
"(E) identification of the routes over which such liquid will be transported; and
"(F) a point of contact at the Class I railroad responsible for serving as the point of contact for State emergency response centers and local emergency responders related to the Class I railroad's transportation of such liquid.
"(4) require each applicable State emergency response commission to provide to a political subdivision of a State, or public agency responsible for emergency response or law enforcement, upon request of the political subdivision or public agency, the information the commission receives from a Class I railroad pursuant to paragraph (3), including, for any such political subdivision or public agency responsible for emergency response or law enforcement that makes an initial request for such information, any updates received by the State emergency response commission.
"(5) prohibit any Class I railroad, employee, or agent from withholding, or causing to be withheld, the train consist information from first responders, emergency response officials, and law enforcement personnel described in paragraph (2) in the event of an incident, accident, or public health or safety emergency involving the rail transportation of hazardous materials;
"(6) establish security and confidentiality protections, including protections from the public release of proprietary information or security-sensitive information, to prevent the release to unauthorized persons any electronic train consist information or advanced notification or information provided by Class I railroads under this section; and
"(7) allow each Class I railroad to enter into a memorandum of understanding with any Class II railroad or Class III railroad that operates trains over the Class I railroad's line to incorporate the Class II railroad or Class III railroad's train consist information within the existing framework described in paragraph (1).
"(b)
"(1)
"(2)
"(3)
"(4)
"(5)
"(6)
"(7)
"(c)
Alerters
Pub. L. 114–94, div. A, title XI, §11407, Dec. 4, 2015, 129 Stat. 1684, provided that:
"(a)
"(b)
"(1)
"(2)
Locomotive Cab Studies
Pub. L. 110–432, div. A, title IV, §405, Oct. 16, 2008, 122 Stat. 4885, provided that:
"(a)
"(b)
"(c)
"(d)
[For definitions of "Secretary" and "railroad", as used in section 405 of Pub. L. 110–432, set out above, see section 2(a) of Pub. L. 110–432, set out as a note under section 20102 of this title.]
Tunnel Information
Pub. L. 110–432, div. A, title IV, §414, Oct. 16, 2008, 122 Stat. 4889, as amended by Pub. L. 114–94, div. A, title XI, §11316(j)(7), Dec. 4, 2015, 129 Stat. 1678, provided that: "Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 16, 2008], each railroad carrier shall, with respect to each of its tunnels which—
"(1) are longer than 1000 feet and located under a city with a population of 400,000 or greater; or
"(2) carry 5 or more scheduled passenger trains per day, or 500 or more carloads of poison- or toxic-by-inhalation hazardous materials (as defined in sections 171.8, 173.115, and 173.132 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations) per year,
maintain, for at least two years, historical documentation of structural inspection and maintenance activities for such tunnels, including information on the methods of ingress and egress into and out of the tunnel, the types of cargos typically transported through the tunnel, and schematics or blueprints for the tunnel, when available. Upon request, a railroad carrier shall provide periodic briefings on such information to the governments of the local jurisdiction in which the tunnel is located, including updates whenever a repair or rehabilitation project substantially alters the methods of ingress and egress. Such governments shall use appropriate means to protect and restrict the distribution of any security sensitive information (as defined in section 1520.5 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations) provided by the railroad carrier under this section, consistent with national security interests."
[For definition of "railroad carrier", as used in section 414 of Pub. L. 110–432, set out above, see section 2(a) of Pub. L. 110–432, set out as a note under section 20102 of this title.]
Railroad Bridge Safety Assurance
Pub. L. 110–432, div. A, title IV, §417, Oct. 16, 2008, 122 Stat. 4890, as amended by Pub. L. 114–94, div. A, title XI, §11405, Dec. 4, 2015, 129 Stat. 1682, provided that:
"(a)
"(b)
"(1) to develop and maintain an accurate inventory of its railroad bridges, which shall identify the location of each bridge, its configuration, type of construction, number of spans, span lengths, and all other information necessary to provide for the safe management of the bridges;
"(2) to ensure that a professional engineer competent in the field of railroad bridge engineering, or a qualified person under the supervision of the track owner, determines bridge capacity;
"(3) to maintain, and update as appropriate, a record of the safe capacity of each bridge which carries its track and, if available, maintain the original design documents of each bridge and a documentation of all repairs, modifications, and inspections of the bridge;
"(4) to develop, maintain, and enforce a written procedure that will ensure that its bridges are not loaded beyond their capacities;
"(5) to conduct regular comprehensive inspections of each bridge, at least once every year, and maintain records of those inspections that include the date on which the inspection was performed, the precise identification of the bridge inspected, the items inspected, an accurate description of the condition of those items, and a narrative of any inspection item that is found by the inspector to be a potential problem;
"(6) to ensure that the level of detail and the inspection procedures are appropriate to the configuration of the bridge, conditions found during previous inspections, and the nature of the railroad traffic moved over the bridge, including car weights, train frequency and length, levels of passenger and hazardous materials traffic, and vulnerability of the bridge to damage;
"(7) to ensure that an engineer who is competent in the field of railroad bridge engineering—
"(A) is responsible for the development of all inspection procedures;
"(B) reviews all inspection reports; and
"(C) determines whether bridges are being inspected according to the applicable procedures and frequency, and reviews any items noted by an inspector as exceptions; and
"(8) to designate qualified bridge inspectors or maintenance personnel to authorize the operation of trains on bridges following repairs, damage, or indications of potential structural problems.
"(c)
"(d)
"(1)
"(2)
"(A)
"(B)
"(C)
"(D)
[For definitions of "Secretary", "railroad", and "railroad carrier", as used in section 417 of Pub. L. 110–432, set out above, see section 2(a) of Pub. L. 110–432, set out as a note under section 20102 of this title.]