Reps. Gillen, Lawler, Garcia, Rulli Introduce Bipartisan Railway Safety Bill to Hold Rail Technology Companies Accountable

WASHINGTON, DC - Congresswoman Laura Gillen (D-NY-04) introduced the bipartisan Safe Tracks Act, alongside Representatives Mike Lawler (R-NY-17), Chuy Garcia (D-IL-04), and Michael Rulli (R-OH-06), to hold private railway technology companies accountable for faulty systems that put freight and passengers at risk of accidents or cyberattacks. The legislation would grant the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) authority to conduct oversight of rail dispatching systems and to hold vendors accountable for their products' safety and reliability.

"Our hardworking train dispatchers rely on technology to keep trains moving safely and efficiently," said Rep. Gillen. "Unfortunately, dispatchers are often forced to work quickly and creatively to avoid disaster due to errors in these unregulated products. The bipartisan Safe Tracks Act will address this dangerous issue by allowing the Federal Railroad Administration to oversee this software and hold vendors accountable for their products' safety and reliability. I'm proud to introduce this important legislation to guarantee the safety of rail passengers and our national security."

"Safe, reliable rail service is essential to our economy, but outdated oversight of dispatching technology is putting workers, passengers, and supply chains at risk. This bipartisan legislation gives the Federal Railroad Administration the authority to hold vendors accountable and ensure these systems meet strong safety standards, while addressing growing cybersecurity threats," said Rep. Lawler.

"Train dispatchers perform a critical role in coordinating rail traffic and ensuring operational safety on track," said Rep. García. "That's especially important in Chicago, the nation's busiest freight hub, handling nearly 500 freight trains and 800 passenger and commuter trains every day. The bipartisan Safe Tracks Act will grant the Federal Railroad Administration the authority to conduct needed oversight of rail dispatching systems and ensure vendors are held accountable for the safety and reliability of the products they provide."

"Rail safety must remain a top priority for Congress. This bill takes a targeted, common-sense approach to ensure that centralized train-dispatching systems and traffic control boards operate under the same high safety standards as the rest of our rail network. Protecting lives and keeping freight moving safely is essential for American families and commerce," said Rep. Rulli.

Railroads use computer-based dispatch systems from vendors to move and coordinate train traffic and to provide protection to employees working on tracks. New dispatching systems and updates to existing software are currently implemented without any oversight, testing, or regulation by the FRA.

Moreover, when software problems are identified, including problems critical to the safe movement of trains, the vendors who build the systems are often slow to offer fixes. This forces the train dispatchers responsible for operating these systems to troubleshoot the technology under live conditions and use workarounds until safety defects are corrected.

On multiple occasions in recent years, system defects, errors, and failures have put freight and passengers in extremely dangerous situations. Besides system errors, the lack of oversight also leaves America's rail system vulnerable to cyberattacks. The FRA recently issued a notice that the US railroad network is likely at risk from Iranian state-sponsored cyber actors. Without the relevant authorities, the FRA may be unable to protect our rail supply chain from these malicious actors.

"This bipartisan legislation is an important step toward improving the reliability, accountability, and oversight of train dispatching systems. Our members work tirelessly every day to help ensure trains move safely and efficiently across the country. They deserve systems that support that mission, and the public deserves confidence that these critical technologies meet appropriate safety standards. I thank the members who introduced this bill and look forward to working with them to advance this important proposal," said Ed Dowell, President of the American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA).

"Train dispatchers work tirelessly to ensure the safe and timely movement of passengers and cargo, and the dispatching software systems they rely on must support this mission rather than undermine it. As America's largest transportation labor federation, we support this bipartisan legislation that will provide necessary oversight and enforceable standards for train dispatching systems and software. Communities and workers are at risk when these safety-critical dispatcher software systems lack minimum safety standards," said Greg Regan, President of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD).

"Requiring federal oversight of rail dispatching systems is a critical step for keeping passengers and railroad workers safe," said John Feltz, Transport Workers Union (TWU) Railroad Division Director. "The TWU strongly supports this legislation and urges its swift passage. System defects, errors, and cyberattacks are all threats that the FRA should have the authority to identify, fix, and protect."

"Systems that interact with vital signal systems, such as back office dispatching systems, should be covered under the current signal regulations; not following this logic presents a real safety issue," said Mike Baldwin, President of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS).

"Our members rely on our dispatchers and their systems every day to safely move trains and protect track workers. When these dispatchers are stretched too thin or are given new, unfamiliar programs to run in the name of profits and automation, it's our conductors and engineers who are left managing the risk in real time. The Safe Tracks Act is a commonsense step to ensure these technologies are properly tested, regulated, and held to the highest safety standards before they are implemented on our nation's rail networks. SMART-TD thanks Representatives Laura Gillen, Mike Lawler, Mike Rulli, and Chuy Garcia for recognizing that America's railroaders are not lab rats. What we do is not a game, and our crews cannot be used as crash test dummies while our Dispatchers are distracted by playing a game of Whack-O-Mole, finding fixes to the problems brought by the "new and improved" systems put in place prematurely. The stakes are too high. The Safe Tracks Act recognizes this as a fact and offers our railroaders the protections we deserve," said Jared Cassity, National Safety and Legislative Director, International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division (SMART-TD).

"Train dispatchers play an important role keeping the public and our members safe," said Matt Hollis, National President, Transportation Communications Union (TCU). "It's critical that the software train dispatchers rely on is safe and effective. We are proud to endorse the bipartisan Safe Tracks Act to make sure the government has the ability to keep dispatching systems for railroads and transit systems around the country safe."

The legislation is endorsed by: American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA), Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS), Transportation Workers Union (TWU), International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Mechanical Division (SMART-MD), International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers- Transportation Division (SMART-TD), Transportation Communications Union (TCU), National Conference of Fireman and Oilers (NCFO, SEIU), Brotherhood of Maintenance Way Employees Division (BMWED), and the International Association of Machinists (IAM)

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