Legislation
Continuing resolution would extend FAST Act by a year
(Source: Progressive Railroading 09/22/2020) The House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations has issued a continuing resolution (CR) that would fund federal government programs from Oct. 1, the start of fiscal-year 2021, through Dec. 11. The CR includes a one-year extension of surface transportation funding legislation known as the Fixing America’s Transportation (FAST) Act, with an…
Read MoreNTSB renews call for mandated cameras on locomotives
(Source: Progressive Railroading 09/16/2020) The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) yesterday reiterated its call for federal regulators to mandate the use of inward- and outward-facing cameras on locomotives. The announcement follows the board’s investigation of a 2019 collision between two CSX trains in Ohio, in which investigators found that the engineer of one train was impaired by his use…
Read MoreFRA issues rail inspection technology rule aimed at track safety improvement
(Source: Progressive Railroading 08/31/2020) The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) late last week issued a final rule allowing railroads to use ultrasonic inspection technology, augmented with GPS technology, to conduct continuous rail testing. The updated regulations are expected to improve safety by making it easier for railroads to test rail more frequently, and to identify and repair internal rail flaws…
Read MoreAAR, ASLRRA seek exemption from certain hours-of-service regs
(Source: Progressive Railroading 08/24/2020) The Association of American Railroads (AAR) and the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) last week filed an application with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to seek an exemption from certain hours-of-service provisions. Filed on behalf of member railroads, the associations are requesting exemptions from the following provisions: • driving a property-carrying commercial…
Read MoreBill would offer tax credits for freight rail-car investment
(Source: Progressive Railroading 08/25/2020) The Railway Supply Institute (RSI) has endorsed the proposed Freight RAILCAR Act, a bill introduced in Congress last week that would help generate private investment in freight rail-car manufacturing. The “Freight Rail Assistance and Investment to Launch Coronavirus-era Activity and Recovery Act” would offer freight rail-car owners a time-limited 50 percent tax credit…
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