Rail Passengers Urges FRA to Reject Waiver to Protect Passengers

For Immediate Release (25-11)
July 11, 2025
Contact: Joe Aiello ([email protected])

Rail Passengers Association Urges FRA to Reject Waiver Request That Threatens Passenger Safety

Washington, D.C. — The Rail Passengers Association, the nation’s leading passenger rail advocacy organization representing over 127,000 members and supporters, submitted a formal letter to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) this week urging denial of a proposed waiver that would significantly reduce critical safety inspections of America’s railroad infrastructure.

The waiver request, filed by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) on behalf of its Class I freight rail members, seeks to cut visual track inspections by 75%, reducing the required frequency from twice per week to just twice per month. They are seeking to replace human-led safety inspections with automated technology.

“Track Geometry Measurement Systems (TGMS), also known as Automated Track Inspection (ATI), use technology that’s been around since the 1970s,” wrote Jim Mathews, President and CEO of Rail Passengers. “ATI is a measurement tool that’s very effective at identifying a very specific type of track defect: track geometry defects. Indeed, this technology can find certain geometry defects that a human eye cannot detect. However, ATI cannot look at other types of track defects that a human track inspector can detect, including broken rails, drainage issues, or washouts. ATI can only detect around a quarter of the track defects a human track inspector can find; therefore, we do not believe this technology is currently capable of replacing human track inspections.”

Alarmingly, AAR’s waiver would also allow up to 72 hours before responding to known defects detected by ATI systems, exposing passenger trains to unsafe conditions for days.

Most U.S. intercity passenger trains operate over freight railroad tracks, and 71% of the miles traveled by Amtrak trains are on tracks owned by host railroads. The 2001 derailment of Amtrak’s Empire Builder outside of Joplin, Montana serves as a stark reminder of the stakes: three lives lost, 49 injured, and an National Transportation Safety Board investigation that pointed squarely to deteriorating track conditions that went unaddressed.

The letter also echoes bipartisan calls from Congress and the public for stronger rail safety following major derailments like the tragedy in East Palestine, Ohio. Rail Passengers has long supported improved safety through programs like the Confidential Close Call Reporting System and participation in FRA’s Railroad Safety Advisory Committee.

Rail Passenger concluded its letter with a clear message: while ATI technology is a powerful supplement to human inspection, it is not—and must not become—a substitute.

To view the full letter submitted to the FRA, click here.

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About the Rail Passengers Association: with 127,000 members, donors, and supporters, the non-profit Rail Passengers Association is the oldest and largest national organization serving as a voice for the more than 40 million rail passengers in the U.S. Our mission is to improve and expand conventional intercity and regional passenger train services, support higher speed rail initiatives, increase connectivity among all forms of transportation, and ensure safety for our country's trains and passengers. All of this makes communities safer, more accessible, and more productive, improving the lives of everyone who lives, works, and plays in towns all across America.