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The National Rail Safety Action Plan turns two this month and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is marking the occasion by noting progress on several plan initiatives.

Since May 2005, the agency published a proposed rule to reduce the number of human factor-caused train accidents; launched a pilot project aimed at enabling yard workers to voluntarily and anonymously report near-miss incidents; issued a final report on research showing it’s possible to predict when worker fatigue becomes hazardous; acquired and deployed two new automated track inspection vehicles; accelerated research efforts on the structural integrity tank cars and forged an agreement with rail and chemical industry leaders to share tank car research data; and initiated a national discussion on improving safety at private grade crossings.

“Our efforts to deploy new technology, change how we conduct inspections and focus on the major causes of train accidents are helping to improve rail safety,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters in a prepared statement.

By year’s end, the FRA plans to issue a final rule addressing the causes of human factor-caused train accidents, such as improperly lined track switches, rail cars moving without a worker in front to monitor conditions and cars left in a position that obstructs an adjacent track. The agency also expects to complete hazardous-materials tank car safety research assessing dynamic forces placed on a tank car during an accident, the ability of tank car steels to resist fracturing on impact and cars’ vulnerability to catastrophic failure.

In addition, the FRA aims to issue a report on private crossing safety, publish a proposed rule to facilitate the installation of electronically controlled pneumatic brake systems and revise a policy to increase the amount of civil penalties assessed against railroads that violate federal regulations.