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Railroad Safety: DOD Can Improve the Safety of On-Base Track and Equipment

RCED-91-135 Published: Jun 20, 1991. Publicly Released: Jul 26, 1991.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the safety of the Department of Defense's (DOD) railroad equipment, focusing on: (1) the condition of track systems on military installations; and (2) compliance with Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) safety standards.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense To ensure the safe operation of the DOD on-base fleet, the Secretary of Defense should develop and implement departmentwide safety standards for operating and maintaining on-base rail cars that incorporate FRA safety appliance and brake system standards. The standards should define operating conditions that are consistent with the FRA dedicated service exclusion.
Closed – Implemented
A DOD-wide policy was issued September 23, 1991, and implementing procedures are still being considered. Rather than adopting FRA dedicated service standards as recommended, DOD adopted FRA commercial standards. Because bringing the DOD on-base fleet into compliance may be cost-prohibitive, it is questionable whether safety-related repairs will be done in the foreseeable future.
Department of Defense To ensure the safe operation of the DOD on-base fleet, the Secretary of Defense should direct rail equipment inspectors in all services to inspect to the departmentwide standards, once they are developed.
Closed – Implemented
The new DOD guidance addresses only inspections of hazardous materials and does not define the "uniform technical standards" that the guidance says should be enforced. DOD plans no additional action on this recommendation.
Department of Defense To help ensure the safe transport of hazardous material by rail on military installations, the Secretary of Defense should determine the specific Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA)-required rail car components that are needed to provide an adequate margin of fire safety and require that all on-base cars transporting ammunition and explosives have such components within a reasonable period of time.
Closed – Not Implemented
New DOD guidance does not determine, nor does it call for a determination of, the specific RSPA components for rail cars needed to ensure safe on-base transport of hazardous materials. DOD plans no further action.
Department of Defense To help ensure the safe transport of hazardous material by rail on military installations, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Army to establish technical guidance for blocking and bracing ammunition and explosives on rail cars and ensure that the guidance is followed at its weapons handling installations.
Closed – Implemented
The Army issued interim guidance on blocking and bracing on July 21, 1992.
Department of Defense To help ensure the safe transport of hazardous material by rail on military installations, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Army and Navy to establish and implement procedures to verify that hazardous cargo is properly secured before on-base movement.
Closed – Implemented
New DOD guidance establishes no procedures to verify that hazardous materials are properly secured. The Army's interim guidance calls for verification methods that are "prudent, visible, and recordable." New DOD procedures will be published in 1994. At that time, personnel will be expected to fully implement the new procedures.
Department of Defense To ensure the safety of track on military installations, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Army and Navy to inspect and maintain tracks in compliance with FRA standards for the track classes associated with the posted train speeds on military installations. Such compliance should encompass not only the physical condition of the track but also the inspection frequency, repair frequency, and inspector qualification requirements that are included in FRA regulations.
Closed – Implemented
New DOD guidance does not specify how it will comply with FRA regulations, and no implementing procedures are being developed at the department or service levels. DOD is taking no further action.

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Topics

Army basesDefense operationsEquipment maintenanceFreight trainsHazardous substancesNaval basesRail vehiclesRailroad accidentsRailroad regulationRailroad safetyRailroad switchesRailroad transportation operationsRailroad tracks