Is there a body of regulations that specifically regulate safety for the railroad industry?
Yes. Chief among a number of federal safety regulations is the Federal Railroad Safety Act of 1970. This act assigns, by direction of the Secretary of Transportation, regulatory responsibility to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). The FRA has responsibility for all areas of railroad safety, and the authority required to investigate and prosecute violations of any rail safety law. Pursuant to the Railroad Safety Act, the FRA has created a regulatory framework for track, freight cars, operating rules, operating practices, including control of alcohol and drug use, engineer qualifications, bridge worker safety, radio use, rear end markers, glazing of windows on locomotives, cabooses, and passenger cars.
