(a)
(1) procedures associated with maintaining and installing continuous welded rail and its attendant structure, including cold weather installation procedures;
(2) the need for revisions to regulations on track excepted from track safety standards; and
(3) employee safety.
(b)
(c)
(d)
(1) inspection procedures to identify internal rail defects, before they reach imminent failure size, in rail that has significant shelling; and
(2) any specific actions that should be taken when a rail surface condition, such as shelling, prevents the identification of internal defects.
(e)
(1)
(A) require each track owner using continuous welded rail track to include procedures (in its procedures filed with the Administration pursuant to section 213.119 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations) to improve the identification of cracks in rail joint bars;
(B) instruct Administration track inspectors to obtain copies of the most recent continuous welded rail programs of each railroad within the inspectors' areas of responsibility and require that inspectors use those programs when conducting track inspections; and
(C) establish a program to review continuous welded rail joint bar inspection data from railroads and Administration track inspectors periodically.
(2)
Revised Section |
Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
---|---|---|
20142(a) | 45:431(s)(1) (1st sentence), (2). | Oct. 16, 1970, Pub. L. 91–458, 84 Stat. 971, §202(s); added Sept. 3, 1992, Pub. L. 102–365, §8, 106 Stat. 976. |
20142(b) | 45:431(s)(1) (last sentence). | |
20142(c) | 45:431(s)(3). |
In subsection (c), the word "information" is substituted for "data" for consistency in the revised title.
References in Text
The date of enactment of this subsection, referred to in subsec. (e)(1), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 109–59, which was approved Aug. 10, 2005.
Amendments
2005—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 109–59 added subsec. (e).
1994—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 103–440, §208(2), inserted ", including cold weather installation procedures" after "attendant structure".
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–440, §208(1), substituted "September 1, 1995" for "September 3, 1994".
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103–440, §208(3), added subsec. (d).
Commuter Rail Track Inspections
Pub. L. 114–94, div. A, title XI, §11409, Dec. 4, 2015, 129 Stat. 1684, provided that:
"(a)
"(b)
"(1) At least once every 2 weeks—
"(A) traverse each main line by vehicle; or
"(B) inspect each main line on foot.
"(2) At least once each month, traverse and inspect each siding by vehicle or by foot.
"(c)
"(d)
Track Inspection Time Study
Pub. L. 110–432, div. A, title IV, §403, Oct. 16, 2008, 122 Stat. 4884, provided that:
"(a)
"(1) the required intervals of track inspections for each class of track should be amended;
"(2) track remedial action requirements should be amended;
"(3) different track inspection and repair priorities or methods should be required; and
"(4) the speed at which railroad track inspection vehicles operate and the scope of the territory they generally cover allow for proper inspection of the track and whether such speed and appropriate scope should be regulated by the Secretary.
"(b)
"(1) the most current rail flaw, rail defect growth, rail fatigue, and other relevant track- or rail-related research and studies;
"(2) the availability and feasibility of developing and implementing new or novel rail inspection technology for routine track inspections;
"(3) information from National Transportation Safety Board or Federal Railroad Administration accident investigations where track defects were the cause or a contributing cause; and
"(4) other relevant information, as determined by the Secretary.
"(c)
"(d)
"(1) limits for rail seat abrasion;
"(2) concrete cross tie pad wear limits;
"(3) missing or broken rail fasteners;
"(4) loss of appropriate toeload pressure;
"(5) improper fastener configurations; and
"(6) excessive lateral rail movement."
[For definitions of "Secretary" and "railroad", as used in section 403 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.]