AASHTO Journal - FTA Issues Transit Railway Worker Final Rule

The Federal Transit Administration has issued a final rule that mandates specific safety standards to protect workers engaged in transit railway construction and maintenance tasks.

[Above image by FTA]

Under the final rule, published in the Federal Register on October 31, rail transit agencies nationwide will have one year to create and receive State Safety Oversight Agency or SSOA approval for a “roadway worker protection program” focused on employees who work on or around the tracks.

Transit agencies are also required to implement comprehensive training for workers and ensure that unsafe acts and conditions are reported, the agency said.

Specifically, the rule calls for transit agencies to:

Adopt and implement an SSOA-approved Roadway Worker Protection Program or RWP to improve worker safety, consistent with Federal and state safety requirements. “Roadway” is a term describing the area on and along the tracks, FTA noted.
Establish minimum RWP program elements, including job safety briefings and lone worker protection.
Create or update safety manuals to document RWP programs and include a track access guide.
Establish a training program that addresses all transit workers responsible for on-track safety by position.

The final rule also requires SSOAs to review and approve worker protection program elements, monitor implementation, and conduct annual audits to ensure compliance, FTA said.

According to data reported in the National Transit Database, between January 1, 2008, and June 30, 2024, some 29 transit workers were killed and 144 were seriously injured performing track work.

Both the National Transportation Safety Board and FTA’s Transit Advisory Committee for Safety have previously recommended regulatory action to address rail transit worker safety.

FTA Deputy Administrator Veronica Vanterpool noted in a statement that this final rule “provides greater protection for workers on our nation’s subway, light rail, and trolley systems” and specifically protects workers who access the rail tracks.

“This final rule will save lives and ensure that our transit workers, who work tirelessly to maintain our rail transit systems nationwide, get home safely each day to their families and loved ones,” she added.