United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1994-04-22 monographic deposited born digital GA 1.13:RCED-94-56 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-56 P0b002ee18038ccc9 f:rc94056 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-56 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-56 RCED-94-56 Railroad accidents Reporting requirements Railroad safety Railroad regulation Railroad transportation operations Data integrity Inspection Safety regulation Internal controls Transportation safety FRA Regional Inspection Points Program FRA National Inspection Plan FRA Automated Track Inspection Program FRA Quality Improvement Program Florida Georgia Kentucky FRA Railroad Inspection Reporting System Chapter Report RCED The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has improved its track inspection program and has a sound strategy for correcting weaknesses that GAO flagged in earlier reports. To further strengthen rail safety, FRA needs to incorporate site-specific data on passenger and hazardous materials traffic in its inspection plan and improve the reliability of accident and injury data. Because of gaps and inaccuracies in the plan's data, FRA officials do not believe the plan will help them develop annual strategies for targeting inspections of high-risk track. Also, the usefulness of the staffing and evaluation components is limited because they rely on the plan's questionable data. FRA has enhanced its daily oversight of track safety efforts. FRA has not, however, always enforced its policy that inspectors examine track inspection records to review a railroad's compliance history before physically inspecting track. FRA faces a difficult challenge in revising the safety standards for excepted track. FRA intended that exceptions apply to little-used lines that, for economic reasons, could not be brought up to minimal safety standards. Yet the number of reported accidents and cited defects on excepted track has increased, and FRA is concerned that railroads have abused the excepted track provision. Regulations prohibit FRA inspectors from writing violations for excepted track and do not require railroads to fix cited defects. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-56/html/GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-56.htm GAO/RCED-94-56 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-56 Chapter Report GAO/RCED-94-56; Railroad Safety: Continued Emphasis Needed for an Effective Track Safety Inspection Program; Railroad accidents Reporting requirements Railroad safety Railroad regulation Railroad transportation operations Data integrity Inspection Safety regulation Internal controls Transportation safety FRA Regional Inspection Points Program FRA National Inspection Plan FRA Automated Track Inspection Program FRA Quality Improvement Program Florida Georgia Kentucky FRA Railroad Inspection Reporting System Volume 94 Page 1811 94 Stat. 1811 Public Law 96-423 Public Law 102-365