The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) recently issued a final rule that establishes minimum safety requirements, stipulating a second crewmember on all trains.
The final rule codifies train crew staffing rules at a federal level, and closes a loophole that allowed railroads to conduct single-crew operations.
The rule permits, in limited cases, exceptions for smaller railroads to continue or begin certain one-person train crew operations by notifying FRA and complying with federal safety standards.
