USDOT Will Train More Than 160 Federal and State Track Inspectors

USDOT

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Transportation announced it will train more than 160 Federal and State Track Inspectors across the country.

According to a release, this is an increase of safety inspectors who monitor railroad bridges from less than 10 to more than 160. Federal and State track inspectors will begin “field inspections of railroad bridges that could result in recommendations for civil penalties when defects are found.” Currently, an FRA team audits railroad bridge management programs.

The USDOT says the training will focus on bridge mechanics, specifically defects that “indicate a railroad’s bridge inspection program is not sufficient to identify deficiencies.” These inspectors can assess any railroad bridge and can recommend civil penalty violations if defects are observed.

FRA Acting Administrator Drew Feeley said the increase in inspectors “will give FRA many more opportunities to confirm the structural soundness of railroad bridges. We will continue to find new and cost-effective ways to improve safety.”

SMART Union National Safety & Legislative Director Jared Cassidy said, “The safety of the railroad system relies upon a multitude of components, but few are as critical to the public and the men and women we represent as the integrity of the bridges America’s trains traverse.”