May 28, 2008 -
According to NTSB recommendations, Federal Railroad Administration should review all internal rail defect detection procedures and require changes to procedures as necessary. FRA should require railroads to develop and approve rail inspection and maintenance programs based on damage-tolerance principles. In addition, FRA should assist Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration in its evaluation of risks posed to train crews by trains transporting hazardous materials.
The National Transportation Safety Board makes the following recommendations to the Federal Railroad Administration:
Review all railroads internal rail defect detection procedures and require changes to those procedures as necessary to eliminate exceptions to the requirement for an uninterrupted, continuous search for rail defects. (R-08-9)
Require railroads to develop rail inspection and maintenance programs based on damage-tolerance principles, and approve those programs. Include in the requirement that railroads demonstrate how their programs will identify and remove internal defects before they reach critical size and result in catastrophic rail failures. Each program should take into account, at a minimum, accumulated tonnage, track geometry, rail surface conditions, rail head wear, rail steel specifications, track support, residual stresses in the rail, rail defect growth rates, and temperature differentials. (R-08-10)
Require that railroads use methods that accurately measure rail head wear to ensure that deformation of the head does not affect the accuracy of the measurements. (R-08-11)
Assist the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration in its evaluation of the risks posed to train crews by unit trains transporting hazardous materials, determination of the optimum separation requirements between occupied locomotives and hazardous materials cars, and any resulting revision of 49 Code of Federal Regulations 174.85. (R-08-12)
Company Information: Name: National Transportation Safety Board Address: 490 L'Enfant Plaza, SW City: Washington State: DC ZIP: 20594 Country: USA Phone: 202-314-6000 http://www.ntsb.gov
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