FRA Track Safety Standards Compliance Manual January 2002
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The Track Safety Standards Compliance Manual (Chapters 1-7 and Appendix) provides technical guidance to Federal and State Track Inspectors. The Compliance Manual provides guidance for enforcement of the Track Safety Standards (TSS). The guidance provided in this manual may be revoked or modified without notice by memorandum of the Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety/Chief Safety Officer. This manual does not modify, alter, or revise the TSS in any way
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The first priority of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is safety. Therefore, all activities are to be conducted with personal safety and the safety of accompanying personnel in mind.Inspectors shall conduct activities in accordance with the safety instructions contained in the General Manual. Roadway Worker Protection, Bridge Worker Safety, and Roadway Maintenance Machine Safety guidance is in the Railroad Workplace Safety Compliance Manual
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Since the purpose of regular inspection activity is to evaluate the performance of the carrier and the carrier’s representatives in conducting thorough inspections and complying with the TSS,an inspection of track inspection records maintained by the carrier as required by 49 CFR 213.241 and 213.369 is necessary
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If possible, have the following information before the inspection o Timetables and Special Instruction for speeds and restrictions.o Current slow orders.o Recent carrier track inspection reports.o Train, tonnage and hazardous material information.o Current and recent program work.o Current carrier RWP program.o Current CWR program (if required
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Inspectors must record each field inspection on a Track Inspection Report Form, F6180.96 (also called “form 96”). Inspection reports shall be completed and promptly submitted, even when an inspection is free of defect observations. The data contained in each F6180.96 form (including a railroad’s reply to corrective action items) transfers to FRA’s safety database for processing in order to permit the generation of several management reports. This data helps to determine the effectiveness of the overall inspection program, the degree of compliance, and the effect of the Track Safety Standards (TSS) on reducing track-related accidents
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The information obtained by inspection activities also plays a key role in the development of FRA’s National Inspection Plan. This Plan is a critical tool in providing for efficient allocation of FRA’s resources throughout the Nation in order to ensure the safety and viability of the general system of rail transportation
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Photographs can be very strong evidence in support of a violation. When utilizing photographs in the violation narrative package, explain what each photograph shows. Clearly identify what each photo illustrates in support of the violation. In violations with multiple counts or line items,caption each photo to link it to a specific violation item. Submit two copies of each photograph to FRA’s Office of Chief Counsel to ensure that the respondent will have the same evidence FRA has in its possession.
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When necessary, the violation report must be accompanied by legible copies of the railroad’s relevant records containing information that will provide FRA’s Office of Chief Counsel with substantiating documentation of the violation. The violation report should give a clear understanding of how the documents help demonstrate the violation of Federal safety regulations.This information may be submitted in the form of duplicated copies of the railroad’s records or through comprehensive, word-for-word extracts taken from the railroad’s records
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Supervisory Review Upon receipt of a Track Inspection Report, or any other report submitted by an Inspector, the Track Specialist will make a thorough review to determine:• Completeness of the report.• That it has been prepared in accordance with outstanding instructions.• That the type and number of inspections are consistent with the goals of the FRA.• Focused attention on violation reports that the Inspector has recommended for civil penalty. The penalty schedule issued in conjunction with the TSS provides penalty amounts for each standard violated. The Inspector’s recommendation for prosecution should leave no doubt as to the degree of seriousness of the violation in order to assess the appropriate penalty.
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An appropriate railroad official completes the Special Repair Remedial Action Report (SRRAR).It indicates remedial action taken by the railroad to correct the noncomplying condition(s) listed on the SNFR
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Reinspection The Inspector must also submit to the Regional Administrator a thorough and complete written report that must include:• A written description of the conditions found.• Field measurements (where applicable).• Photographs. • A statement giving reasons for either denying or approving the appeal.The reinspection will take into consideration all aspects of the TSS and shall not be limited to the defects listed on the SNFR
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Automated Track Inspection Program(ATIP) in terms of operation, policy, on-track safety requirements, geometry measurement technology, and national deployment of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) railbound inspection cars. Under the statutes mandated by Congress, ATIP cars conduct operational surveys of the United States rail transportation network for the singular safety function of determining railroad compliance with Federal Track Safety Standards (TSS).
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FRA policy defines the self-propelled ATIP cars as specialized maintenance equipment (SME)and they may not reliably shunt track signal circuits.
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ATIP cars operate safely in accordance with all railroad operating rules. ATIP self-propelled geometry car movement has one rule exclusion; opposing and following absolute block protection must be maintained and supersedes railroad operating rules or equivalent protection given to a train 3 or on-track equipment.
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ATIP cars offer advances such as crashworthiness protection, high-speed trucks, satellite communication, and asset management—including innovations in ride-quality accelerometer measurement and the differential global positioning system (GPS) for precise location of track exceptions.
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The on-track safety job briefing will discuss at a minimum the following:1. General communication methods and procedures during emergencies,2. Location of geometry car safety apparatus (i.e., fire extinguishers, first aid kits, breathing apparatus, and identifying individuals on board who are trained in CPR),3. Procedures for egress through specific doorways and windows, and 4. Applicable physical and operating hazards and procedures when fouling the track.
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ATIP priorities and risk-based route scheduling preference involve primarily: 1. Inspector observations, regarding deteriorating or noncomplying track geometry,associated with structural conditions, e.g., crossties, ballast, etc.;2. A railroads compliance history, exception repeatability, degradation rate, and track quality;3. Duration between last inspections (i.e., between 2- and 4-year cycles where tonnage is more or less than 50 million gross tons, respectively);4. Passenger operation (i.e., Amtrak and applicable commuter/freight territories, such as Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), Metropolitan Rail Corporation (METRA), Long Island Railroad (LIRR), Northeastern Illinois Regional Commuter Rail (NIRC), etc.);5. Designated hazardous material and strategic rail corridor network (STRACNET) routes;6. Railroad operating speeds greater than 20 mph, and 7. Other special regional needs or activities (e.g., the 2002 Winter Olympics in Utah).
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Onboard ATIP cars, TGMS instrumentation generates automated signals processed online by a computer, which produces a graphical record of detailed track geometry measurements. The measurements recorded are gage, left/right rail alignment and profile, crosslevel, Superelevation, warp, harmonic rock, run-off, and limiting speeds. ATIP cars measure and record existing track geometry conditions and compare those measurements to ensure compliance with TSS 49 CFR Part 213, Subpart C for the lower speeds (Class 1–5), as well as the Subpart G (Class 6–8) high speed to determine compliance
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Railroads place general order (GO), or track bulletins (TB), for a variety of justifiable reasons, i.e., operational, structural,and geometry, which are substituted for the maximum authorized train speed. Railroads also may elect to reduce train speed to expedite train and ATIP car movement in advance of ATIP surveys by placing a temporary or provisional slow order (TSO), so-called “blanket slow orders,”over long segments of track
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An FRA Track Inspector has discretion and the final authority to accept a TSO, but not a valid and verifiable GO or TB
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FRA Track Inspection Report Inspectors are to prepare an FRA Track Inspection Report (Form F 6180.96) for each ATIP survey with appropriate source codes and the survey number. See Chapter 2 of this manual for instructions on preparing Form F 6180.96. Inspection surveys may involve multiple reports on agiven day. Inspectors may complete multiple 96 report forms and assign among themselves different railroads surveyed during the day and reinspection activities. To avoid duplication and distorting the FRA database, only one 96 report form will be completed for each survey segment or railroad, even though more than one Inspector may be on board
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An Inspector can initiate enforcement action of various types (used individually or in combination). The enforcement tools available (in order of increasing severity) are:1. Defect report (F6180.96).2. Violation report recommending a civil penalty (F6180.111).3. Special Notice for Repairs (slow order).4. Compliance order recommendation.5. Notice of track conditions (emergency order).
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All enforcement activity begins with an inspection, during which the Inspector will record all defects on an F6180.96.
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An FRA Inspector may choose to also recommend a civil penalty(violation) for a defect, and so note the decision on the inspection form. A violation serves two purposes: 1) it notifies the railroad that FRA has concluded that a condition does not comply with the TSS, and 2) it notifies the railroad that the Inspector has reviewed the circumstances associated with the condition(s) of noncompliance and is recommending a civil penalty
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examples of criteria for consideration when making a decision whether or not to recommend civil penalty include: • Passenger trains.• Hazardous materials.• Population density (urban or residential areas).• Speed.• Tonnage.• Involvement of a bridge or bridge approach.• Proximity to schools and highway-rail grade crossings.• Compliance history.• Accident history.• Potential for negative environmental impact.• Strategic Rail Corridor Network (STRACNET) Route
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In determining which instances of noncompliance merit penalty recommendations, the Inspector considers (49 CFR Part 209, Appendix A):1. The inherent seriousness of the condition or action;2. The kind and degree of potential safety hazard the condition or action poses in light of the immediate factual situation;3. Any actual harm to persons or property already caused by the condition or action;4. The offending person's (i.e., railroad's or individual's) general level of current compliance as revealed by the inspection as a whole;5. The person's recent history of compliance with the relevant set of regulations, especially at the specific location or division of the railroad involved;6. Whether a remedy other than a civil penalty (ranging from a warning on up to an emergency order) is more appropriate under all of the facts; and 7. Other factors that the immediate circumstances make relevant
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FRA may issue an emergency order without first providing the opportunity for a hearing. This is an extraordinary power. Accordingly, FRA has used the authority sparingly, and issued only 22 orders from 1970 through 2000. Although the statute does not define the emergency situation that must be present for FRA to issue such an order, FRA believes it refers to conditions and/or practices that present an imminent hazard of death or injury. The authority can be used to address conditions that are not in compliance with FRA’s rules and conditions that are not addressed by those rules.
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CHAPTER 5 AND 6
TITLE 49 CHAPTER 2 SUBPART 213 IS CHAPTER DISCUSSED IN CHARTERTOCONDUCTOR'S GOOGLE CLASSROOM AND READING CAN BE FOUND ON CHARTERTOCONDUCTOR'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL
This FRA Bridge Safety Assurance Program implements that policy in fulfillment of FRA's obligation to protect the public from unnecessary risk that could arise from deficiencies in railroad bridges.
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The primary responsibility for the FRA Bridge Safety Assurance Program rests with the Bridge Engineer in the Office of Safety Assurance and Compliance. The Track Specialist in each region will administer the program in that region. Field work will be conducted primarily by the Federal and State Track Safety Inspectors in each region who have received training in the fundamentals of railroad bridge inspection.
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