Rail Safety Inspection and Enforcement

GAO discussed some observations from a recently issued report on rail safety and from its ongoing review of the system's safety plan. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) encourages railroad compliance with Federal safety standards by using three approaches to monitoring the railroad's operation: (1) individual, routine inspections; (2) system assessments; and (3) special task force assessments. The primary approach of the FRA safety enforcement program involves making individual, routine inspections of track or railcars. However, the narrow focus of this approach results in a focus on individual defects, but does not result in the overall improvement of railroad safety programs. In addition, inspectors are not always able to cover their territories because of: (1) a lack of consistency in the size of inspectors' territories; (2) vacancies in inspector positions; (3) travel fund limitations; and (4) unreliable railroad inspection records. FRA has performed broad-based comprehensive assessments of three railroads' entire operations and systems. While the resources necessary for such assessments are substantial, GAO identified significant positive results from using this approach. FRA also tried a different monitoring approach, called special task force assessments. GAO believes FRA should reduce its emphasis on individual, routine inspections and gradually undertake more comprehensive system-wide assessments and special task force assessments. Even if FRA shifted its emphasis to broad-based system and special assessments, an effective civil penalty process will be necessary. The deterent value of the current FRA violations process is questionable. Although, the State participation program has not achieved its anticipated growth, it has had a positive effect on rail-safety enforcement, mainly by supplementing the FRA inspectors' efforts. This program has supplemented the Federal monitoring program, and GAO believes that, if FRA shifts its resources to broad-based, comprehensive assessments, the State program will play a vital role in railroad safety.