Rail Safety Improvement Act

The concern about accidents caused by human factors was addressed in the Federal Railroad Safety Authorization Act of 1976 which promulgated rules to protect workers going between cars. The Rail Safety Improvement Act of 1988... 

Railroad-safety legislation is within Title 49 of the United States Code of Federal Regulations and occupies parts 40, 174-180, 209-245 and 840. Each of the regulations summarized starts with its part number, and also an indication of the date and the legislation by which the regulations were introduced. The following abbreviations are used for certain Acts FRSA 1970 is the Federal Railroad Safety Act of 1970, HMTA 1975 is the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act of 1975, FRSAA 1976 is the Federal Railroad Safety Authorization Act of 1976, and RSIA 1988 is the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 1988. 

Rail Safety Improvement Act of 1988, Pub. L. 100-542, 102 Stat. 624 (1988) Reginald Stuart, The Man on the Spot over Rail Safety, N T, January 20, 1987, at A18 Train Ignored Signals, Crash Probers Allege, LAT, January 8, 1987, at A27. 

FRA s traditional site-specific safety inspection program has produced substantial gains in railroad safety with real benefits for the American people... These substantial safety improvements occurred even as freight railroad traffic and train density increased to record levels following economic deregulation of the industry as a result of the Staggers Rail Act of 1980. 

Over the years, railway safety has been an important issue. In the United States, the Congress passed the Federal Railway Safety Appliances Act in 1893. The act instituted mandatory requirements for automatic couplers and air brake systems, and standardization of the locations and specifications for appliances. Over the years, due to actions such as this, the rail safety in the United States has improved quite dramatically. 

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