Railroad safety program Federal Railroad Administration OIG audit report

PDFResearch PaperRailroad safetyStandardsInspectionAuditingRailroad transportationUnited StatesUnited States. Dept. of TransportationUnited States. Dept. of TransportationNTL-RAIL TRANSPORTATION-Rail SafetyUS Transportation CollectionFRA's inspection and enforcement of Federal railroad safety standards were not effective and did not ensure railroads complied with safety standards. The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found FRA inspectors did not cover areas necessary to ensure compliance with safety standards and did not make followup inspections when a higher than average number of deficiencies existed. Railroads cited for safety violations frequently did not certify to FRA that remedial action was taken to correct identified violations. Also, FRA did not recommend civil penalties to the maximum extent allowable for serious safety violations. These conditions occurred because FRA inspectors, and their managers, did not comply with FRA established policies and procedures. Furthermore, FRA managers did not adequately monitor the work of inspectors and left inspection techniques and enforcement decisions to the discretion of individual inspectors