OIG: FRA should improve roadway worker protection compliance

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) needs to improve its oversight and enforcement of railroads' implementation of the Roadway Worker Protection (RWP) regulation, the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced last week.

The OIG audited the FRA's enforcement of the regulation due to the continued occurrence of RWP incidents and the coinciding increase in rail project funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), OIG said in its May 14 report. 

The audit found that the FRA is performing fewer RWP-related inspections than in previous years, and the available data has not been used to inform RWP oversight or planning. Overall, safety inspectors have been completing 10% fewer compliance inspection reports but up to 17% fewer RWP-related inspection reports.

Additionally, the OIG found reporting errors, lack of injury data and no data quality assurance program. Also, the FRA is monitoring railroads' compliance with some on-track safety programs requirements, but does not consistently document comprehensive reviews.

The OIG found that a lack of centralized recordkeeping and staff turnover have hurt the FRA's documentation processes.

Finally, the OIG found that the FRA published incorrect closed case data in recent annual enforcement reports. The error in the data resulted from a system issue in the FRA's Railroad Compliance System that the OIG previously identified, OIG officials said in the report.

OIG made 13 recommendations for improvement, including revisions to coding, training for safety inspectors and new documentation processes.