The American Short Line Railroad Association has petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration for an amended waiver of compliance regarding the hours of service laws for train employees. According to the regulations, train employees are required to have 48 hours off duty time following six consecutive on-duty days. In 2010, FRA granted ASLRRA a similar petition that would ensure employees received 24 hours off-duty following six consecutive days on-duty. The previous waiver excluded work hours falling between midnight and 6:00 am. The current petition is asking to include those working hours for railroads identified in the petition that have agreed to participate in this Pilot Project. ASLRRA feels “‘the data justifies a pilot project to test its preliminary conclusion that appropriate mitigation techniques can adequately offset fatigue risks associated with extending the waiver from midnight to six a.m.’’
Interested parties may submit comments on the petition until December 31, 2018. At this time, FRA does not plan to hold public hearings on this matter.
