DOT ISSUES SAFETY POLICY FOR RAILROAD BRIDGE MAINTENANCE

DOT ISSUES SAFETY POLICY FOR RAILROAD BRIDGE MAINTENANCE    The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration has issued a new safety policy for railroad bridge maintenance.
   “The severity of a train accident is usually compounded when a bridge is involved, regardless of the cause of the accident,” the agency said. “The FRA must be able to deal effectively with any safety problems involving the structural integrity of railroad bridges.”
   The FRA has developed maintenance guidelines, which it believes does not cause railroads to divert funds from other rail safety and operations programs. The guidelines request that railroads and bridge owners monitor bridge loads and keep orderly records on bridge designs and maintenance. The agency also recommends that operators conduct periodic inspections of railroad bridges and maintain earthquake contingency plans.
   The agency plans to spread these bridge guidelines to state railroad agencies to further encourage uniformity of maintenance and safety practices.
   The policy guidelines have been described as “advisory in nature.”
   “It does not have the force of regulations under which FRA ordinarily issues violations and assesses civil penalties,” the agency said.
   The agency doesn’t plan to scale back its involvement in rail bridge oversight. “FRA will continue to monitor and evaluate the railroads’ bridge inspection and management problems to guarantee that those responsible for the safety of bridges continue to meet their obligations,” the agency said.
   The rail bridge safety guidelines take effect on Sept. 29.