Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 90 Part 1.djvu/870

This page needs to be proofread.

PUBLIC LAW 94-000—MMMM. DD, 1976

90 STAT. 820

'

/

Ante, p. 817.

PUBLIC LAW 94-348—JULY 8, 1976 limit for any such proceeding extend for more than 12 months after the date such proceeding is initiated.". (b) Section 202 of the Federal Railroad Safety Act of 1970 (45 U.S.C. 431) is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new subsection: " (g) The Secretary shall, within 180 days after the date of enactment of this subsection, issue such rules, regulations, orders, and standards as may be necessary to require that— " (1) in any case in which activities of railroad employees (other than train or yard crews) assigned to inspect, test, repair, or service rolling equipment require such employees to work on, under, or between such equipment, each manually operated switch, including any crossover switch, providing access to the track on which such equipment is located must be lined against movement to that track and secured by an effective locking device which may not be removed except by the class or craft of employees performing such inspection, testing, repair, or servicing. "(2) the rear car of all passenger and commuter trains shall have one or more highly visible markers which are lighted during periods of darkness or whenever weather conditions restrict clear visibility; and "(3) the rear car of all freight trains shall have highly visible markers during periods of darkness or whenever weather conditions restrict clear visibility. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 205 of the Federal Railroad Safety Act of 1970 (45 U.S.C. 434), nothing in paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection shall prohibit a State from continuing in force any law, rule, regulation, order or standard in effect on the date of enactment of the Federal Railroad Safety Authorization Act of 1976 relating to lighted markers on the rear car of freight trains except to the extent that such law, rule, regulation, order, or standard would cause such cars to be in violation of this section.". REGIONAL ORGANIZATION OF FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION

49 USC 1652a.

SEC. 6. The Federal Railroad Administration shall be divided on a geographical basis into not less than 8 safety offices for purposes of administering and enforcing all Federal railroad safety laws. The Secretary shall retain full and final responsibility for all acts taken pursuant to Federal railroad safety laws and for the establishment of all policies with respect to implementation of such laws, and shall be responsible for insuring that all such laws are administered and enforced uniformly among such offices. EVALUATION OF THE FEDERAL RAILROAD SAFETY PROGRAM

Study. SEC. 7. (a) The Office of Technology Assessment shall conduct a 45 USC 421 note, study of the Federal Railroad Safety Act of 1970 (45 U.S.C. 421 et seq.) and related Federal laws to evaluate their effectiveness in improving the safety of our Nation's railroads. Such study and evaluation shall include, but shall not be limited to— '* (1) a cost-benefit analysis of the railroad safety research and development activities under the Federal Railroad Safety Act of 1970 and related Federal laws; (2) an evaluation of trends with respect to railroad employee injuries and casualties, injuries and casualties to other persons, accidents by type and cause, and such other data as the Office of Technology Assessment considers necessary to determine any