Program Summary and Objectives

• Federal Agency:  federal railroad administration, department of transportation
• Program Website: http://www.fra.dot.gov.
• Authorization: Federal Railroad Safety Act of 1970, Sections 202, 205-208, as amended, 45 U.S.C. 431, 434-437; Hazardous Materials Transportation Uniform Safety Act of 1990, Section 28; Public Laws 91- 458 and 96-423; 94 Stat. 1812 and 104 Stat. 3244.
• Headquarters: Associate Administrator for Safety, Federal Railroad Administration, Mail Stop 25, 1120 Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: (202) 493-6300.

To promote safety in all areas of railroad operations; reduce railroad related accidents and casualties; and to reduce damage to property caused by accidents involving any carrier of hazardous materials by providing State participation in the enforcement and promotion of safety practices.

Examples of Projects Funded

When appropriations are available to the State Participation Program, six types of inspection programs are funded - one for track safety standards, one for freight car locomotive safety (motive power and equipment) standards, one for signal and train control standards, one for grade crossing signal system standards, one for operating practices standards and one for a hazardous materials inspection program. States may apply for one program or for all. No Federal funds are available in fiscal year 2003 or are anticipated in fiscal year 2004.

Program Accomplishments

In fiscal year 04 30 States are participating with 153 inspectors (44 track inspectors, 34 equipment inspectors, 30 operating practices inspectors, 24 signal and train control inspectors, and 22 hazardous materials inspectors). In fiscal year 2004, State rail safety inspectors filed 17,503 reports and recorded 73,021 rail safety defects.

Program Obligations
(as compiled by Subsidyscope)

Direct Expenditures Over Time