Railroad Safety Reform Act of 1996

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Title I: Safety Rulemaking and Enforcement

Title II: Grade Crossing Safety

Title III: Hours of Service

Title IV: Passenger Service Safety Standards

Title V: Employee Authority, Certification, and Equipment

Railroad Safety Reform Act of 1996 - Title I: Safety Rulemaking and Enforcement - Amends Federal transportation law with respect to railroad safety to direct the Secretary of Transportation to convene an annual conference to determine the most important actions needed to improve railroad safety, and report the results to the Congress.

(Sec. 103) Directs the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to report monthly to specified congressional committees on the status of FRA's safety-related rulemakings and reports.

(Sec. 104) Declares that certain railroad power brake safety rules proposed on September 14, 1994, shall take effect as final rules one year after enactment of this Act if before that time the Secretary has not issued all final regulations required by specified law.

(Sec. 105) Specifies contingent safety standards which shall take effect if final revised track safety regulations have not been issued by the Secretary before a specified time. Requires the Secretary to review Department of Transportation (DOT) track safety regulations, including an evaluation of track safety equipment and materials.

(Sec. 107) Requires fees imposed on railroad carriers to cover the costs of providing an additional 400 railroad safety inspectors.

(Sec. 109) Prohibits a railroad carrier, or an employee of a railroad carrier, from preventing another employee from furnishing, or discharging or disciplining an employee who has furnished, railroad accident and injury information. Sets forth both civil and criminal penalties.

Title II: Grade Crossing Safety - Revises grade crossing safety provisions to require each railroad carrier to: (1) establish a toll-free telephone service to receive calls reporting malfunctions of safety equipment, or disabled vehicles blocking railroad tracks, at grade crossings; (2) notify trains operating near a grade crossing of the malfunction or disabled vehicle and contact appropriate public safety officials; and (3) ensure placement of signs at each grade crossing displaying the toll-free telephone information.

(Sec. 202) Directs the Secretary to review current local, State, and Federal laws regarding violations of grade crossing signals. Directs the Secretary to develop and make available to State and local governments model State legislation providing for civil or criminal penalties, or both, for violations of grade crossing signals.

Title III: Hours of Service - Revises hours of duty limitations for train employees to increase off-duty time requirements.

(Sec. 302) Sets forth requirements with respect to: (1) split shifts; (2) employee sleeping quarters; and (3) rotating shifts (including a Secretary of Transportation study of alternative methods of preventing fatigue due to such shifts). Directs the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee to convene a working group to consider what legislative changes might be appropriate with respect to hours of service.

Title IV: Passenger Service Safety Standards - Requires all passenger railroad cars to have emergency windows and doors after January 1, 1999.

(Sec. 402) Sets forth requirements for: (1) passenger railroad signals; (2) internal and compartmentalized fuel tanks on passenger locomotives; and (3) specified corner posts on passenger cars to improve crashworthiness.

(Sec. 405) Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop a model for assessing accident or injury risks on railroad corridors, and compile related information; (2) identify high-priority railroad corridors which shall be required to have positive train control systems; and (3) issue regulations for the use of such systems.

Title V: Employee Authority, Certification, and Equipment - Prohibits a railroad carrier from discharging or discriminating against an employee responsible for the inspection or repair of safety-related equipment, track, or structures for refusing to authorize their use because such employee believes they are in hazardous condition and would endanger human life.

(Sec. 501) Revises dispute resolution requirements. Requires certification of other safety-related railroad personnel in addition to locomotive engineers.

(Sec. 503) Requires each locomotive or cab-forward passenger car from which a train is operated, and each roadway work group or lone roadway worker when working along a railroad's right-of-way, to be equipped with a radio that permits two-way communication with the railroad's dispatcher (or other supervisory official able to communicate with the railroad's locomotive operators and roadway workers).