NTSB -- NTSB Safety Recommendations R-12-27 through -29

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NTSB SAFETY RECOMMENDATION

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National Transportation Safety Board

Washington, DC 20594

May 24, 2012

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NTSB Safety Recommendations R-12-27 through -29

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The National Transportation Safety Board makes the following

safety recommendations to the Federal Railroad

Administration:

Require railroads to install, along main lines in non-

signaled territory not equipped with positive train control,

appropriate technology that warns approaching trains of

incorrectly lined main track switches sufficiently in

advance to permit stopping. (R-12-27)

Revise Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations Section

218.105(d)(1) to require that, until the appropriate switch

position technology is installed on main track switches in

non-signaled territories that are not equipped with positive

train control, train crews releasing track authority to the

dispatcher must hold job briefings with the dispatcher and

clearly convey the position of all main track switches that

were used prior to releasing track warrant authority. (R-12-

28)

Require that until appropriate switch position warning

technology is installed on main track switches (in non-

signaled territory not equipped with positive train

control), when a main track switch has been reported relined

for a main track, the next train to pass the location

approach the switch location at restricted speed. That train

crew should then report to the dispatcher that the switch is

correctly lined for the main track before trains are allowed

to operate at maximum authorized speed. (R-12-29)

The NTSB reclassifies the following previously issued

recommendation to the FRA:

Require that, along main lines in non-signaled territory,

railroads install an automatically activated device,

independent of the switch banner that will, visually or

electronically, compellingly capture the attention of

employees involved with switch operations and clearly convey

the status of the switch both in daylight and in darkness.

(R-05-14)

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http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/recletters/2012/R-12-027-029.pdf

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The complete recommendation letter is available on the Web

at the URL indicated above.

The letter is in the Portable Document Format (PDF) and can

be read using the Acrobat Reader 5.0 or later from Adobe

(http://www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat/readstep.html).

An archive of recommendation letters is available at

http://www.ntsb.gov/recs/letters/letters.htm.

Electronic versions of letters may or may not include

enclosures; however, related publications, accident

briefs, and aviation accident synopses may be found

on the NTSB website.

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